The 2025 ISA World Longboard Championship (WLC) is coming to Surf City El Salvador, with the world’s best longboarders competing at El Sunzal from April 25 – May 1.
Here are ten things you should know about the competition:
1. Participation Continues to Break Records
A record 143 athletes from 44 nations will gather to compete for Team Gold medals, surpassing the previous record set last year in 2024 and more than doubling the entrants from the inaugural WLC in 2013. In addition, four nations will field teams for the WLC for the very first time; Norway, Poland, Tahiti, and Thailand.
Reigning Team World Champions, Team Hawaii, will return to defend their title.
2. Gender Equality
Continuing on from the previous record set in 2024, the 2025 WLC will be the closest ISA event yet to achieve equal men’s and women’s numbers. 69 women, more than 48% of the competitors, will compete and represent their nations.
In an effort to promote gender equality in surfing and promote women participation, the ISA adjusted its competition format in 2017 to offer equal competition slots for men and women across its World Championship Series. Since the 2018 edition, the WLC has broken the record for female participation each year, attesting to the growth of women’s surfing on all continents of the globe.
3. Tilly and Lemoigne Lead Strong Women’s Field
Two-time Silver Medalist Rachael Tilly (USA) returns to El Salvador with fond memories of the waves at El Sunzal, having claimed her second WSL World Title on its cobblestones in 2024. The 27-year-old is hungrier than ever to claim her first ISA Gold Medal, but will face stiff competition from two-time World Champion Alice Lemoigne(FRA), Pan American Games Gold Medalist Maria Fernanda Reyes (PER), and two-time medalist Natsumi Taoka (JPN).
4. Two-time World Champion Kai Sallas Looks to Equal Record
Defending World Champion Kai Sallas (HAW) returns in hopes of equalling the record of three gold medals set by Marcelo Freitas (BRA) and Antoine Delpero (FRA), while 2019 World Champion Benoit ‘Piccolo’ Clemente (PER) and 2010 World Champion Rodrigo Sphaier (BRA) continue to chase their second. Meanwhile, two-time silver medalist Ben Skinner (ENG), 2024 Silver Medalist Taka Inoue (JPN), three-time medalist Edouard Delpero (USA), and former Copper Medalists Rogelio Esquievel Jr (PHI) and Kevin Skvarna (USA) are in hot pursuit as they seek their first gold medal.
5. Longboarding and the Olympic Games
The ISA has long recognized the potential value of longboarding in the Olympic Games. Despite the recent announcement that longboarding will not be on the program for Los Angeles 2028, the ISA is committed to pushing forward stronger than ever towards Brisbane 2032.
6. The History
Longboard was first held as an ISA medal division at the 1988 ISA World Surfing Championships (now the ISA World Surfing Games) in Puerto Rico. The discipline continued as part of the ISA World Surfing Games until 2013, when it was held as a stand-alone event for the first-time in Huanchaco, Peru. 2025 will mark the sixth time the global event will run, set to crown ISA Longboard World Champions in El Salvador for the third year running.
7. The ISA and El Salvador
Surf City El Salvador has become a massive supporter of the ISA. This will be the ninth major ISA event Surf City El Salvador has hosted.
The 2019 World SUP and Paddleboard World Championship, the 2022 and 2024 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, the 2023 and 2024 ISA WLC and the 2024 ISA World Masters Surfing Championship have been joined by two qualifying events for the Olympic Games, the 2021 ISA World Surfing Games, which was the final Surfing qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and the 2023 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games, which was the second qualifying event for Surfing in Paris 2024.
8. Where to Watch
The live webcast will be streamed on www.isasurf.org from April 25 – May 1. Visit our website for results, team rosters, photos, videos, and news pertaining to the competition.
The event can also be viewed live on the ISA’s Facebook page: International Surfing Association.
9. Schedule
April 24 – Press Conference – 10am
April 25 – Opening Ceremony – 10am
April 25-30 – Competition days
May 1 – Finals and Closing Ceremony
10. Social
The ISA will be posting live updates, photos and videos from the competition on social media. Follow along on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Don’t forget to use the official hashtags #ISAsurfing and #SurfCity.