Momentum Builds as Eliminations Begin on Day 3 of the 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship

Lucy Darragh (AUS) Delivers Powerful Forehand Display to Kickstart Campaign in Peru

Michael Monteiro (ITA) Rebounds in Repechage With Standout Performance

Home-Soil Determination Sees Bastián Arevalo (PER) Battle Back Into the Main Draw

South African-Refined Backhand Earns Strong Start for Levi Epenetos (GRE) at Punta Rocas

Punta Rocas, Peru – December 8, 2025

Swell continued to pour into Punta Rocas for Day 3 of the 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC). Consistent six-foot lines were joined by the occasional solid eight-foot set, providing the world’s best junior surfers with a large open-face canvas at both the main peak and inside left at El Bosque.

With the completion of Main Round 1 in U/18 boys and U/16 girls, repechage rounds began, seeing the first eliminations of the competition. Due to the size of the field, only a single round of repechage will take place for each division. This guarantees at least two heats for every surfer in the event but determines that every heat moving forward will result in direct elimination for those who don’t advance.

Relishing the opportunity to attack the powerful lefts of El Bosque on her forehand, Lucy Darragh (AUS) closed out her first-ever ISA heat with a 9.00, the highest single-wave score of the opening round of U/16 girls, contributing to the round’s top heat total of 15.50. Currently leading the hotly contested WSL Qualifying Series rankings for Australia/Oceania after winning two major QS 6000 events already this year, the 15-year-old is experiencing a breakthrough season in 2025 and is excited to keep that momentum going in Peru.

“The waves are absolutely pumping today. You couldn’t really ask for better waves, so really stoked on that,” Darragh said. “There was a lot of build-up to the first heat, a lot of nerves. So I’m really happy to get that one out of the way. It’s been such good waves. Yesterday and today, it’s been six-foot-plus, pumping left and right. It’s such an honor to be part of Team Australia. Everyone has got such good team spirit. Everyone’s so supportive, down here for every single heat, you know, ring of fire. So honored to be part of the team.”

Darragh’s victory followed strong performances in the same division from Charli Hately (AUS) and Olive Hardy (AUS) on day two of competition. Meanwhile, the sole Australian representative in repechage, Team Captain Milla Coco Brown (AUS), found her feet to return into the main event.

Michael Monteiro (ITA) Rebounds in Repechage With Standout Performance

After losing out in the very first heat of the event, Michael Monteiro (ITA) bounced back in the opening heat of U/16 boys Repechage Round 1. Born and raised between Cape Verde, Italy, and Brazil, Monteiro is a true citizen of the world, already speaking five languages fluently. The tall 13-year-old showcased impressive speed management as he delivered mature top-to-bottom backhand surfing on the right of Punta Rocas, earning a 9.33, the highest single-wave score of the event so far.

“I was pretty comfortable on that wave and confident,” Monteiro said. “I caught a good one and I just did my best. On my first wave I fell, so I was feeling the pressure a little bit, but then I found another good one and after that score I felt more relaxed and I was so happy.”

Home-Soil Determination Sees Bastián Arevalo (PER) Battle Back Into the Main Draw

The only Peruvian to have fallen into repechage, Bastián Arevalo (PER), put on a dominant display at his favorite wave to show that he is not going to go down without a fight. Arevalo posted an excellent 8.00 for solid down-the-line surfing on a long Punta Rocas wall. The 15-year-old backed up that performance with the most progressive maneuver of the event so far, earning a 6.00 for a clean execution of a club sandwich. Arevalo’s 14.00 heat total held as the highest of the U/16 boys repechage.

“Yesterday I fell into a repechage heat, but I am super happy to have shown my surfing and get back into the main event,” Arevalo said. “This is a really fun wave, this is my hometown, and I am really happy to have a new opportunity tomorrow. We are a super united team with lots of chemistry, and we are also a really big team with lots of Peruvians supporting us, so it’s really emotional and hopefully I can pass a couple more heats and have a good result here.”

South African-Refined Backhand Delivers Strong Start for Levi Epenetos (GRE) at Punta Rocas

Utilizing a backhand approach honed on the right points of South Africa, Levi Epenetos (GRE) attacked a long Punta Rocas wall, his critical hits earning an 8.27. A Cape Town resident and former Rainbow Nation representative at the WJSC, Epenetos is enjoying embracing his Greek heritage, along with his younger brother Zach Epenetos (GRE), who is appearing in his first ISA event.

“This wave is so sick for the goofies, such a good opportunity to just go vert,” Epenetes said. “The waves are so good. I’m so stoked to open up with a great first heat, and the 8-point ride is such a gift. So stoked, board’s feeling good, everything’s going great. Greece has been such a cool team to be a part of. I’m so grateful for this opportunity from God. This morning it was unreal. It was cranking and it felt like a little bit of J-Bay and I was hooking it on the backhand. It was dreamy, it was so fun. Definitely coming from South Africa, there’s so many rights. It’s such an advantage understanding the mechanics of the wave, and it’s so fun and great to be South African, representing Greece, and bringing my surfing to the table.”

Competition will resume tomorrow, Tuesday, December 9, at 7:00 a.m. PET with U/16 boys Main Round 2 at Punta Rocas and the continuation of U/18 boys Repechage Round 1 at El Bosque.