The second day of the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games saw all the Brazilian men’s team’s superstars in action in the waters of La Bocana and El Sunzal. Gabriel Medina dominated the men’s second round, while Felipe Toledo surfed modestly in the first round. World No. 2 Joao Chianca surprised everyone by finishing in 3rd place to advance through the repechage. In the women’s match, Portugal’s Francisca Veselco had the best result with 14.90 aggregate score. She beat more experienced surfers like France’s Johanne Defay, who tested on the second day.
On the day, hometown hero Bryan Perez won the heat, outshining the Brazilian team. The crowed cheered for Perez’s triumph in familiar waters. Griffin Colapinto, one of Medina and Toledo’s top rivals, is also in the World Surfing Games and is in a career-best form. The 24-year-old American surfer topped the world rankings for the first time a week ago.
El Salvador’s Tiara Ramos, the 13-year-old surfer, trains daily at La Bocana and El Sunzal and is one of three female surfers representing the host country. The 2023 Games will be the first time El Salvador will have an all-female team in the competition.
The weather forecast for the next heat is similar to the start of the competition, with swells expected to increase over the next few days. On Friday, June 2nd, the top two men and women from the previous heats will continue to battle for the world title. In the men’s Heat 15, Oceania’s top-ranked surfer Ethan Ewing and Africa’s top-ranked surfer Matthew McGillivray are expected to take on the likes of Rio Wajda from Indonesia. A generational battle erupts in Heat 11 as Caroline Marks, who rose to prominence in her teens, faces off against current youth wonder, 15-year-old Canadian Erin Brooks.