World Champions Challenged as Underdogs Take Over on Day 3 of the 2024 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Masters Surfing Championship

Passionate performance from Melanie Bartels solidifies the Hawaiian atop women’s Masters

Excellent heats from Daniel Garcia (ESP) and Gary Van Wieringen (RSA) lead men’s Grand Masters action

Men’s Masters fired up by Tyrell Johnson (RSA) and Gilbert Brown (CRC)

Surf City El Salvador – October 22, 2024

Solid six-to-eight foot swell poured into El Sunzal for day three of the 2024 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Masters Surfing Championship (WMSC). The powerful groundswell was consistent all day, providing epic waves for the completion of Main Round 2 in all six divisions and Repechage Round 2 in four divisions, along with Main Round 3 in men’s Masters (over 40) and Grand Masters (over 50).

At day’s end, Australia and Brazil shared a position at the top of the team rankings. Five nations arrived in El Salvador with full teams of six. But, Argentina, France and Hawaii experienced early losses, leaving the only two nations with complete teams intact to have the advantage heading towards the important end of the event. So far, Australia and Hawaii are guaranteed one medal apiece in women’s Kahunas (over 60), while Brazil are one heat away from medals in four different divisions.

Passionate performance from Melanie Bartels solidifies the Hawaiian atop women’s Masters

Two-time ISA World Surfing Games (WSG) Silver Medalist Melanie Bartels (HAW) once again commanded the women’s Masters division. Bartels delivered a near perfect 9.23 at the close of her Main Round 2 heat, adding to a 7.67 for a 16.90 heat total, the highest of the day for the women. The 42-year-old’s sharp attack was relentless, with searing turns powering her down the line of a nearly minute-long ride.

Pure passion was pouring out of Bartels as she celebrated her win. Her gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to compete again was obvious even before she delivered an extremely heartfelt thanks to her team and supporters.

“Being here means the world to me,” Bartels said. “Representing Hawaii is the best. We’re a rare breed right now, so we’re coming in hot right now. Plus, I come from the Westside. Waianae, it’s a little town. Hey, Waianae High School, we got this. Let’s go. Everybody in Makaha, everybody in Waianae, there’s hope for us. Let’s go. We can do it. Let’s go.”

Advancing with Bartels was two-time runner-up to the WSL World Title, Serena Brooke (AUS), who found her footing after a slow start to the event and opened the heat with a 7.77. Lisbeth Vindas (CRC) also progressed in the following heat behind two-time ISA WSG medalist Jacqueline Silva (BRA). When competition resumes, Bartels, Brooke, Vindas and Silva will battle it out in the single remaining heat of the Main Round to determine the first two finalists of their division.

Excellent heats from Daniel Garcia (ESP) and Gary Van Wieringen (RSA) lead men’s Grand Masters action

2011 Masters Silver Medalist Gary Van Wieringen (RSA) claimed another solid victory today. Surfing in his first of two heats today, the 51-year-old matched his day one performance with another excellent heat total, 17.97, which included a 9.07 and an 8.90. Van Wieringen’s huge numbers left his competitors requiring a two-wave combination to defeat him; a lineup that included two fellow WMSC medalists, both former WSL Championship Tour (CT) surfers, Jojo de Olivença (BRA) and Mike Latronic (HAW), the defending Kahunas Gold Medalist, as well as Masahisa Sakamoto (JPN).

“I was looking so forward to coming back,” Van Wieringen said. “Obviously everyone knows it’s been 11 years since the Masters have had an event, so when I heard that Fernando called it on we were all so stoked. For me, it’s always been such a great opportunity. I never really did much international events when I was younger. It was always just the local ones in South Africa. So now, being back for my third Masters, and even the first two, just to get to compete against some of the bigger names, I’ve been so grateful to come up against them.”

Latronic was one of two Masters World Champions to be sent to repechage in back-to-back heats, with 2011 Gold Medalist Tom Curren (USA) narrowly being knocked in the following heat. The pair posted two giant scores in their repechage heats, however. Curren carved through one of the biggest waves of the day for a 9.17, while Latronic earned an 8.83 of his own.

In the Main Round, Curren had come up against an on-fire Scott Schindler (AUS), who posted an excellent heat total of 16.84 to advance with Daniel Garcia (ESP) into Main Round 3. From there, Schindler was also relegated to repechage, but Garcia excelled.

The only surfer representing Spain in the event, Garcia had an incredible Main Round 3 heat to move forward ahead of Van Wieringen, with a two-wave heat total even higher than the South African’s from earlier in the day. Garcia has been slowly building his scores in every heat, closing out his most recent with a 9.40, the highest single wave score of the day; his 18.07 two-wave total also holding as the day’s best. Garcia and Van Wieringen will be joined by de Olivença and Pablo Diaz (PUR) in the final heat of the men’s Grand Masters Main Round when the competition continues.

Men’s Masters fired up by Tyrell Johnson (RSA) and Gilbert Brown (CRC)

Another South African at the top of his game, Tyrell Johnson (RSA), had an absolute scorcher of a heat in men’s Masters Main Round 3. The 43-year-old was channeling his homebreak as he turned deep bottom-turns into huge carves to earn a 9.00 and 8.17, along with two additional back-up waves that also would have won the match-up.

“The waves at the moment are reminding me of back home at Nahoon Reef,” Johnson said. “Just the deep bottom turns, big carves. I really feel like I’m back at home. Stoked. Really, really happy.”

Johnson’s 17.17 heat total was the highest of the day in men’s Masters, though Gilbert Brown (CRC) picked up the highest single wave score of the division so far earlier in the day, a 9.17. Brown advanced with Johnson to be one heat away from a medal in the final Main Round heat where they are joined by Diego Rosa (BRA) and two-time ISA WSG Gold Medalist Hira Teriinatoofa (TAH).

The next call will be tomorrow at 7:15am CST for a potential 7:30am start with men’s Masters Main Round 4.