Former Medalists Lead the Charge on Day Two of the 2025 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Longboard Championship

Natsumi Taoka (JPN), Maria Fernanda Reyes (PER), and Rachael Tilly (USA) set the standard, along with two-time World Champion Alice Le Moigne (FRA)

Edouard Delpero (FRA) posts event-high numbers, while defending gold and silver medalists Kai Sallas (HAW) and Taka Inoue (JPN) start strong

A subdued ocean greeted competitors for day two of the 2025 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Longboard Championship. The prevailing swell decreased slightly from the previous day, while a strong new swell began to build, with the four-to-five foot waves hitting the long, right point of El Sunzal growing throughout the day.

The second half of men’s Main Round 1 was completed, along with the first 14 heats of women’s Main Round 1. Experience proved invaluable as former medalists in both the men’s and women’s fields provided the majority of the day’s highlights.

Former women’s medalists Natsumi Taoka (JPN), Maria Fernanda Reyes (PER), Rachael Tilly (USA), and two-time World Champion and gold medalist Alice Le Moigne (FRA) led the way with many of the highest scores of their draw.

Taoka opened her campaign with an excellent 8.17, the highest single wave score of the day for the women. The smooth surfing of the two-time event medalist pierced through the high-tide afternoon bump with ease, finding multiple nose-riding opportunities where others struggled to hang on.

“I feel so good, the waves were a bit bumpy, but I found good waves and got the 8.17 on my first wave,” Taoka said. “It’s four times coming to El Salvador. In Japan the waves are always small, but I went to New Zealand and Indonesia to practice for big waves, and I’m so comfortable to surf in these waves.”

Settling straight back into the El Sunzal lineup, Fernanda Reyes, the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games Gold Medalist and 2023 WLC Silver Medalist, navigated the chop to collect an excellent 8.00 in the very first women’s heat. Fernanda Reyes took the win today in a stacked heat that featured rising star Ginger Caimi (ITA), former WSL Challenger Series surfer Carolina Mendes (POR), and Fanny Villao (ECU).

“I’m happy to win my heat and score an 8,” Fernanda Reyes said. “It’s hard out there, but I was able to find that wave. As I always say, it’s very similar to my home break. I tried to enjoy it and have fun. For me to represent Peru is an honor. It’s been a few years competing and flying the Peruvian flag high. I’m proud to be Peruvian and to take our culture and flag everywhere.”

Tilly returns to El Salvador having claimed her second WSL World Title on her last visit to Surf City. The 27-year-old won her first ISA silver medal in 2013 at the age of 15 and her second in 2024. A composed opening performance bodes well for the Californian as she once again sets her sights on the gold medal.

“I think I’ve been on a journey of coming back to a place of confidence in surfing,” Tilly said. “And with my surfing, not just to end up in the finals, but to actually win. Winning the WSL title here last year was a big stepping stone in that and so, yeah, I definitely have my sights set on gold, but this was just the first heat, so that’s only where my mind is at right now. And having fun. Right before this heat I went and played mini golf with Morena [Valdez], the [El Salvador] Minister of Tourism and that was super fun, so that’s a huge part of my strategy is seriously to enjoy myself.”

Standout moments also came from Daisy Valdez (PHI) and Sive Jarrard (ASA), who won their respective heats, as well as from WSL veterans Sophia Culhane (HAW) and Opehélie Ah-Kouen (FRA), who are both WLC newcomers.

Edouard Delpero (FRA) posts event-high numbers, while defending gold and silver medalists Kai Sallas (HAW) and Taka Inoue (JPN) start strong

All but one of the former men’s medalists in today’s draw claimed heat wins. Two of the three men’s World Champions present, Kai Sallas (HAW) and Benoit ‘Piccolo’ Clemente (PER), joined medalists Ben Skinner (ENG), Taka Inoue (JPN), Kevin Skvarna (USA), and Edouard Delpero (FRA) in advancing in leading positions.

For the second year in a row, Delpero, a three-time medalist, found the highest single wave score of the opening men’s round. The 35-year-old posted an 8.87, alongside an 8.67, for the first excellent heat total of the event, 17.54. Delpero’s impeccable wave selection, combined with his strong opening nose-rides and swooping cutbacks, once again set the standard for the approach at El Sunzal.

“I’m stoked on that first heat,” Delpero said. “It’s always tricky to enter a contest, stoked to make that performance. I was really trying to identify the right sections to nose-ride and try to hold it as long as possible because the bumps are just like eating each other. So you try to stay on top. But yeah, that worked well for me on those boards.”

Sallas, the defending World Champion, eased into the event, catching just two waves before heading up the beach with a full seven minutes remaining in the 20 minute heat. The Hawaiian’s first wave earned a 7.67 in a solid display of comfortability with the conditions.

“That was really fun,” Sallas said. “It’s like perfect size, overcast, so it’s not so hot, because the paddles are really long. It’s nice and clean and the tide is good, it’s perfect out there. It’s my fourth time here and luckily I live on Oahu, so I’ve got the North Shore just a little drive away. Coming to El Salvador you’re going to expect some swell, always, so I usually take a few drives out there and get the feel of some more juice under my feet and that’s how I prepare for out here.”

Never one to be restrained, Inoue, the 2024 Silver Medalist, delivered one of the highest two-wave heat totals of the event so far, 15.33, despite a significant knee injury sustained barely a week ago in training. Inoue’s total included the first excellent score of the event, an 8.33. The 24-year-old’s placing last year was a historic result for Japanese surfers in the WLC and he is hopeful to go one better this time around.

“Today was so bumpy, not good for my injury,” Inoue said. “My first or second wave I had a wipeout and I was a little bit nervous, but then I got the good waves, so I’m so happy.”

Rio Donaldson (PUR), Ignacio Pignataro (URU), Douwe Robroch (NED) and Jack Tyro (NZL) also collected impressive scores while earning heat wins.

Competition will continue with the remainder of women’s Main Round 1, followed by men’s and women’s Round 2, tomorrow, Sunday, April 27, at 7:00 a.m. CST live on isasurf.org.