Former Champions Set the Pace on Day 1 of the 2025 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship

Vania Torres (PER) and Benoit Carpentier (FRA) Open With Excellence

Reigning World Champions Lucia Cosoleto (ARG) and Max Torres (PUR) Start Strong

Surf City El Salvador – November 11, 2025

The first day of competition in the 2025 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship (WSUPPC) saw SUP Surfing take to the water. Four-to-five-foot swell groomed by clean, offshore winds set the stage for men’s and women’s Main Round 1 and Repechage Round 1 to be completed at El Sunzal.

Two excellent-range scores delivered a commanding 16.77 heat total for Vania Torres (PER) in her opening performance. Torres started with an 8.17 before backing it up with an 8.60, unleashing powerful backhand hooks through critical Sunzal sections. A long-time contender in the division, Torres earned her best result, a copper medal, the last time the WSUPPC was held in Surf City El Salvador. The 30-year-old has been focused with her preparation for 2025.

“I’ve been training here for a couple of days already, I was training with a guy from here,” Torres said. “I wanted to know the place, because I was training at home a lot, which technically is okay, but if you don’t know the place, you’re done. The wave is not easy, there’s a lot of peaks. I think we were okay, and there were waves in the heat, so I had fun.”

Tapping straight back into the form that saw him claim his first World Title at El Sunzal in 2019, Benoit Carpentier (FRA) opened with an excellent 16.50 heat total. Carpentier’s smooth style allowed him to release the tail through multiple vertical attacks to the lip across his two scoring waves, the highest of which earned an 8.67. The 29-year-old made no qualms about his goals as he seeks to back-up his inaugural World Title in 2025.

“I’m in love with this spot,” Carpentier said. “Since 2019, I’ve been dreaming of coming back to El Salvador, this place is special to me. [I won my] first title in some crazy waves and it looks like the conditions are going to be even better this year, so I’m just frothing. I’m so happy to be back with Team France. We have a solid team this year. I’m just going to push as hard as I can all the way and hopefully bring gold for Team France.”

Reigning World Champions Lucia Cosoleto (ARG) and Max Torres (PUR) Start Strong

Reigning World Champion Lucia Cosoleto (ARG) opened her 2025 campaign with a solid heat win. The 2022 and 2023 gold medalist earned a high point of a 7.33 for her aggressive forehand attack, connecting with more flow on a slopier wave for a 5.93 backup. Cosoleto’s first appearance in the event coincided with the WSUPPC debut in El Salvador in 2019 — the only year Coselto wasn’t victorious. This year, the 29-year-old will be vying for a third consecutive win, looking to match the run of Shakira Westdorp (AUS), who won three straight World Titles from 2016-2018.

“Wow, El Sunzal, it’s always fun, I really want to compete here, it was really good,” Cosoleto said. “I just want to enjoy this event because it’s a special event. We come here with a team and it’s an honor for me to be part of the Argentinian team. I’m really happy and I just want to enjoy.”

Cosoleto’s younger sister Cecilia Cosoleto (ARG) also claimed a heat win in her first-ever appearance in the event. Also earning strong early heat wins were former medalists Iballa Ruano (ESP) and Aline Adisaka (BRA).

Reigning World Champions Lucia Cosoleto (ARG) and Max Torres (PUR) Start Strong

Reigning World Champion Lucia Cosoleto (ARG) opened her 2025 campaign with a solid heat win. The 2022 and 2023 gold medalist earned a high point of a 7.33 for her aggressive forehand attack, connecting with more flow on a slopier wave for a 5.93 backup. Cosoleto’s first appearance in the event coincided with the WSUPPC debut in El Salvador in 2019 — the only year Coselto wasn’t victorious. This year, the 29-year-old will be vying for a third consecutive win, looking to match the run of Shakira Westdorp (AUS), who won three straight World Titles from 2016-2018.

“Wow, El Sunzal, it’s always fun, I really want to compete here, it was really good,” Cosoleto said. “I just want to enjoy this event because it’s a special event. We come here with a team and it’s an honor for me to be part of the Argentinian team. I’m really happy and I just want to enjoy.”

Cosoleto’s younger sister Cecilia Cosoleto (ARG) also claimed a heat win in her first-ever appearance in the event. Also earning strong early heat wins were former medalists Iballa Ruano (ESP) and Aline Adisaka (BRA).

A battle of two men’s gold medalists saw 2023 World Champion Max Torres (PUR) open with a 7.00 ride and three-time World Champion Luiz Diniz (BRA) close with the same. It was the Puerto Rican who earned the stronger backup of a 5.83 however, providing a 12.83 heat total and the win. The 23-year-old returns to the event ready to defend his title.

“It was a really tough heat, with Luiz Diniz, three-time world champ, so we got the end there,” Torres said. “I’m the one that people want to beat now, so they have to beat me, and I’m confident about this wave. I trained a lot in this wave, so let’s go.”

The 2025 WSUPPC will continue with men’s Main Round 2 at 7:00 a.m. CST, Wednesday, November 12, at El Sunzal.