Finals Day Determined on Day 8 of the 2025 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games

Back-to-Back Heat Wins from Morgan Cibilic (AUS) and Dane Henry (AUS) Solidify Australia Atop Rankings

Spanish Olympian Janire Gonzalez-Etxabarri (ESP) Powers Through Repechage

Surf City El Salvador – September 13, 2025

The penultimate day of competition for the 2025 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games (WSG) saw Finals Day match-ups determined. Men’s Main Round 6 was completed, along with three rounds of men’s repechage and two women’s, in clean three-to-five-foot peaks at La Bocana.

From the huge international field of 291 competitors, the draw has been whittled down to 12 surfers, six men and six women. Aside from Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Kauli Vaast (FRA), and Yolanda Hopkins (POR), all remaining competitors have already achieved their best-ever WSG results.

Significantly furthering their lead in the team rankings, Australia now sit far ahead of Peru, who maintained second place with Arena Rodriguez (PER) carrying the flag in the Main Round. In third, France is the only nation other than Australia with more than one competitor in the draw. Rounding out the top 5 are Spain and Brazil, the defending champion.

Australia’s position on the top of the teams ranking was solidified by Morgan Cibilic (AUS) and Dane Henry (AUS) winning the day’s only two men’s Main Round heats. Though Callum Robson (AUS) was knocked out and Milla Brown (AUS) was forced to withdraw due to injury, Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) and Ellie Harrison (AUS), like Cibilic and Henry, are already through to the final heat of the Main Round.

Australia now holds two of the four surfers remaining across both divisions who sit just one heat away from a medal. Despite the fact that the nation leads the WSG all-time standings with five Team Gold Medals and 15 team medals overall, they have not stood atop the podium since 2011.

Henry opened strong against two event standouts, Alonso Correa (PER) and Jorgann Couzinet (FRA). The reigning ISA U/18 Boys World Junior Champion free-fell out of a huge end-section layback to earn an 8.00. A similar wave with slightly less drama delivered a 6.50 for a 14.50 heat total and the heat win. Couzinet advanced in second, sending Correa into repechage, where he was eliminated. Behind the confident surfing, Henry was feeling the nerves.

“That was the most nervous I’ve been for a heat so far,” Henry said. “I know Jorgann [Couzinet] and Alonso [Correa], they’ve been getting 8’s through the whole entire round. I feel like getting an 8 at the start of a heat with those type of level guys, it never settles the nerves just because you know you need to get a backup, as we saw with Jorgann get a massive score. Momentum’s a hell of a thing. We’ve still got four surfers left in the comp, but we’re all in the Main Round still. We all haven’t had a bad heat yet, which is nice to know. Vibes are high, everyone’s energy’s running high. I think we’re just gonna try and get it done and rip in tomorrow.”

The straightforward railwork of Morgan Cibilic (AUS) picked up the highest heat total of the round, 14.67. A tense battle for second place between Kauli Vaast (FRA) and Douglas Silva (BRA) played out around the Australian. Needing a 5.53 with 40 seconds left on the clock, Vaast claimed a buzzer-beating 6.40 to hold on in the Main Round. The Olympic Gold Medalist is now one heat away from making back-to-back Finals. So far, Vaast has improved his placing in each WSG he has entered, finishing 5th in 2023 and winning the bronze medal in 2024.

Two repechage heat wins for Janire Gonzalez-Etxabarri (ESP) today kept the 20-year-old as one of the final six women in the draw and the sole member of her team to progress into Finals Day. Mostly sticking to the La Bocana lefts, Gonzalez-Etxabarri’s powerful forehand carves delivered many of the day’s highlights, but it was the backhand of the Olympian that earned her highest number, a 7.43.

“I’m really happy, I don’t have any words to describe how I’m feeling,” Gonzalez-Etxabarri said. “Yesterday I lost in the Main Round, so I was a bit sad and not really confident in myself. And then, after today’s heat, I was like, it’s my time and I have to show it. I just want to follow surfing and surf more and more and just have fun.”

The backhand attack of Nanaho Tsuzuki (JPN) also continued to pay dividends, seeing the last remaining member of Team Japan stay alive through two tough repechage heats. On the men’s side, it was Douglas Silva (BRA) and Teva Bouchgua (MAR) who powered through. The first heat of the day tomorrow will see Bouchgua in his fifth repechage heat, his tenth overall of the event so far.

The only surfer left to represent Brazil, the defending champion, Silva is grateful to be able to carry the hopes of his nation.

“I’m the only Brazilian left, but I feel honored, it’s as if everyone is there with me,” Silva said. “It’s incredible to see the teams come together, everyone is there cheering for each other, regardless of whether they’ve lost or not. The excitement and love for the flag speaks loud.”

Competition will resume tomorrow, Sunday, September 14, at 7:30 a.m. CST with men’s Main Round 7 at La Bocana.