Incredible Performances in Pumping Surf for Day 2 of the 2024 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Masters Surfing Championship

World Masters Champions Rochelle Ballard (HAW) and Rodney Baldwin (AUS) earn day’s best numbers, along with 1996 World Junior Champion Ben Bourgeois (USA)

Trio of goofyfooters, Hira Teriinatoofa (TAH), Diego Rosa (BRA) and Gilbert Brown (CRC), deliver strong performances in Masters debuts

Buzzer beater for El Salvador’s Jamie Delgado sees local hopes continue in men’s Grand Masters

Surf City El Salvador – October 21, 2024

El Sunzal was on fire for day two of the 2024 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Masters Surfing Championship (WMSC). A long period groundswell delivered solid four-to-six foot waves, providing ample opportunity for the world’s best surfers over the age of 40 to showcase their surfing.

Men’s Masters (over 40) took to the water for the first time for their Main Round 1, before Main Round 2 in men’s and women’s Kahunas (over 60) divisions and women’s Grand Masters (over 50) were held. Eliminations began when Repechage Round 1 for all six divisions completed the day.

The first two finalists were decided after Becky Benson (HAW) took another big heat win to progress into the women’s Kahunas Final along with three-time WMSC medalist Sandra English (AUS). Benson posted the two highest single wave scores of the division, 7.67 and 6.67, on her way to victory.

World Masters Champions Rochelle Ballard (HAW) and Rodney Baldwin (AUS) earn day’s best numbers, along with 1996 World Junior Champion Ben Bourgeois (USA)

A vast repertoire and perfect read of the wave saw 1996 ISA World Junior Champion Ben Bourgeois (USA) put on a clinic, earning both the highest single wave score (8.73) and heat total (17.23) of the men’s Masters division. The former WSL Championship Tour (CT) surfer, who also claimed an ISA World Surfing Games (WSG) Copper Medal in 2009, is enjoying competing as much as ever.

“It’s just so much fun, I can’t get enough,” Bourgeois said. “It’s even more fun now than it was when I was a junior. There’s a lot of good guys in the States that are my age and above, so just to have a spot, it’s an honor.”

2010 Kahunas World Champion Rodney Baldwin (AUS) celebrated his 64th birthday by posting the highest heat total of the day. The Australian set himself far ahead of the rest of his division as he advanced into Main Round 3. Baldwin’s 17.57 two-wave heat total included a 9.40 and an 8.17, acquired through dynamic high performance surfing that saw the goofyfooter vertically attacking the lip repeatedly on his backhand.

Both of the remaining World Masters Champions competing today, Rochelle Ballard (HAW) and Heather Clark (RSA), also found big wins in back-to-back heats in women’s Grand Masters Main Round 2. Ballard’s vertical and varied approach paid dividends, earning her the highest single wave score of the event, a near-perfect 9.93, within her 17.43 heat total.

“I’m super stoked,” Ballard said. “I was a little jealous yesterday because I really wanted to get the highest scores. The competitor in us never dies. It doesn’t matter if you’re a master, grand master, probably a Kahuna, I still want to rip as hard as I can and just keep improving and being in the flow.”

One of the most competitive heats of the event no doubt awaits in Main Round 3, when Ballard and Clark meet each other for the first time, along with three-time WMSC medalist Andrea Lopes (BRA) and Siri Cota (USA).

Trio of goofyfooters, Hira Teriinatoofa (TAH), Diego Rosa (BRA) and Gilbert Brown (CRC), deliver strong performances in Masters debuts

The first three heats of the day saw three strong goofyfooters take full advantage of their ability to drive straight up into the lip and make the most of the critical sections available. Two-time ISA World Surfing Games (WSG) Gold Medalist Hira Teriinatoofa (TAH) had a solid Masters debut to win the first heat of the day, before Diego Rosa (BRA) and Gilbert Brown (CRC) hammered home some of the best numbers of their division in the following heats. Rosa earned the day’s first excellent score, an 8.50, for an aggressive three-turn combo on a large opening section.

“It’s been a while, and it’s such an honor to be here representing my country,” Rosa said. “I’ve been training a lot for this. As soon as I qualified three months ago, I became in a program working a lot. I competed before on the QS and four CT’s as well, but I never trained like this in my life.”

Two rides in the 7-point range saw Brown post a 15.00 heat total. One of the global ambassadors of the Costa Rican pura vida spirit, Brown eloquently shared the sentiment represented by many of the surfers in the draw.

“I’ve been surfing for 32 years. I really, really, really love this sport,” Brown said. “My dream has always been to maintain myself in good shape so I can always feel good in the water. I know as I’m getting older maybe my surf level decreases a little bit, but the spirit just keeps growing. I believe that I become a better surfer not because of my surfing level, but because of my surfing knowledge. I love to be in the water. I love to see people getting waves. I love to share.”

Buzzer beater for El Salvador’s Jamie Delgado sees local hopes continue in men’s Grand Masters

After a tough opening heat on day one, El Salvador’s Jamie Delgado (ESA) was able to redeem himself in the Grand Masters repechage. Despite holding the highest score in the heat, a 6.17, with less than three minutes remaining the 51-year-old was sitting in third, having only caught a single ride. A flurry of waves at the end saw Delgado and heat leader Mark Fessler (SUI) both waiting on scores after the buzzer, with a 4.90 arriving to deliver the win for Delgado.

“I’m very happy to make it through this heat,” Delgado said. “I really needed to get those scores to bring it through for El Salvador. I’m really proud to have the Masters here, especially because El Salvador has been able to bring such great talent, great stars from all over the world that have made history and have been a reference for the new generations.”

The next call will be tomorrow at 7:15am CST for a potential 7:30am start with men’s Grand Masters Main Round 3.