Surf City El Salvador – October 24, 2024 A historic Finals Day in the 2024 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Masters Surfing Championship (WMSC) saw Brazil crowned as Masters Team World Champion for the very first time. Another day of incredible surf saw four-to-five foot walls lining the long, right point of El Sunzal. The conditions were ideal to crown World Champions from amongst the world’s best surfers over the age of 40.
A clean sweep for Hawaii in all three women’s divisions placed the back-to-back defending champions in second for the Silver Medal, with two-time champions Australia taking the Bronze Medal and France winning their first-ever Masters Team Medal, the Copper.
Brazil claimed medals in five of the six divisions, topped with a Gold Medal for Diego Rosa in men’s Masters (over 40). Roberta Borges and Jojó de Olivença both won Silver Medals in women’s Kahunas (over 60) and men’s Grand Masters (over 50), respectively, with Andrea Lopes and Jacqueline Silva taking home Bronze in Grand Masters and Masters, respectively.
“World Champion, man, I’m so happy, so stoked to be on the top of the world right now,” Rosa said. “I’m so happy for my team. We’ve been working together for the whole week. Thanks a lot to our confederation back in Brazil too. They were working a lot to bring us here, and we’re representing the best form here.”
Rosa’s powerful backhand topped that of two other strong goofy-footers, Gilbert Brown (CRC) and Hira Teriinatoofa (TAH), the two-time ISA World Surfing Games (WSG) Gold Medalist. Brown put up a strong challenge to Rosa, with a late exchange narrowly leaving the Costa Rican short of his required score, seeing him as the Silver Medalist. Teriinatoofa never quite found his rhythm and finished with Bronze. The sole regular-footer in the Final, Tyrell Johnson (RSA), had been a standout all week, but had to settle for the Copper Medal.
Clean sweep for Hawaiian women as Becky Benson, Rochelle Ballard and Melanie Bartels are crowned World Champions
Representing three distinct generations of women’s surfing, Becky Benson, Rochelle Ballard, and Melanie Bartels each had iconic professional careers in their own respect and all three were crowned World Champions today.
Having competed in her first ISA event over 52 years ago, in 1972, and participated as a member of the first-ever iteration of a professional surfing tour in 1976, 67-year-old Benson today became the first-ever women’s Kahunas World Champion. Peaking at No. 3 on the WSL Championship Tour (CT) in 1977, Benson cut her professional career short due to a lack of funding in women’s surfing. The Hawaiian has been extremely appreciative of how much has changed for women in the sport since then, and loved every aspect of competing in the WMSC.
“I can’t believe I’m up here with first place, I’m so happy,” Benson said. “This is the answer of a lot of prayers, so thank you God. And I want to thank the ISA. I want to thank Surf City El Salvador for putting on this amazing event. If it weren’t for my dad, I would not be here right now. I would not be surfing. He supported me all the way, and my mom as well. This is for them. I know they’re watching.”
As with all of her heats, Benson opened early and strong, holding the lead for the duration of the Final. Late in the heat, Benson channeled her days charging Sunset Beach, to earn a 6.17 from a solid wave and put large requirements on the rest of the finalists. Roberta Borges (BRA) and Barbara Roettger (PUR), who first competed against each other in the 1986 ISA World Surfing Championships in Newquay, England, were locked in a tight battle for second. Borges got the nod to win the Silver Medal, with Roettger taking Bronze and Sandra English (AUS) earning her fourth WMSC medal, the Copper.
Ballard, the 2012 Masters World Champion, was the standout in her division, consistently delivering excellent scores, and the Final was no different. Opening with an 8.00 and then almost immediately backing it up with an 8.90, the Hawaiian kept herself out of reach of her three fellow finalists. The powerful backhand of two-time Masters World Champion Heather Clark (RSA) came the closest to matching the precision of Ballard, but the South African had to settle for the Silver Medal, with Andrea Lopes (BRA) taking the Bronze, Siri Cota (USA) the Copper.
Long a champion of women’s surfing, having likely sacrificed a WSL World Title in 2004 to create a powerful advocacy group within the sport, it was fitting that the 53-year-old became the first-ever women’s Grand Masters World Champion.
“I’m so proud of all of it,” Ballard said. “It feels good to get some deeper roots and legs moving in women’s surfing. Everybody from our generation and the generation before us and the generation before that. That’s all paving the road for what it is today. So you can’t ever forget the past, and the roots, because it carries through in the now. And now, it’s important that we all stand together as one.”
A surfer who came up under the influence of Ballard’s generation, Melanie Bartels (HAW) claimed her first World Title today. Bartels was on fire throughout the event, posting some of the highest scores and delivering passionate post-heat interviews. A two-time WSG Silver Medalist, the 42-year-old was determined to walk away with the Gold Medal in El Salvador.
Facing two WSL World Title runners-up, Serena Brooke (AUS) and Jacqueline Silva (BRA), both of whom she shared time with on the CT, along with ISA WSG veteran Lisbeth Vindas (CRC), Bartels dominated. Though it took a couple waves to find her rhythm in the Final, once she did, her power was unmatched, posting an 8.67 and 7.93, and throwing away a 7.57. Brooke found an early 7.33 and late 6.07 to collect the Silver Medal, with Silva taking Bronze and Vindas earning the Copper.
Eric Graciet takes first-ever Masters Gold Medal for France, Scott Schindler carries legacy for Australia
Building his scores throughout the event, Eric Graciet (FRA) opened the men’s Kahunas Final with his best yet, a 9.33. The 62-year-old maintained control for the entirety of the Final despite strong challenges from 2010 Kahunas World Champion Rodney Baldwin (AUS) and surfing legends Allen Sarlo (USA) and Shuji Kasuya (HAW), to win France their first-ever Masters World Title. Baldwin’s Silver Medal completes a full Kahunas collection that includes Gold, Bronze and Copper from previous events. Sarlo’s Bronze was also his fourth medal, while Kasuya won his first, the Copper.
Whatever success Scott Schindler (AUS) may have had in a professional surfing career was instead parlayed into a phenomenally successful business career. The 53-year-old’s delayed surfing ambitions came to fruition today however, as he became a World Champion for the first time after winning the men’s Grand Masters Gold Medal.
“To pull up a world title at any age, at any level, is really a moment in time that I’m going to have with me for the rest of my life. It’s such a pleasure to surf with such good surfers from all over the world. Even in the heats, the guys are so respectful. Everyone takes their turn, generally, and it’s really a chance for surfing to win rather than hassling and competition.”
Three-time medalist Jojó de Olivença (BRA) opened with an 8.00 to control the first half of the men’s Grand Masters Final. But Schindler had a good start of his own, posting a 7.33. An 8.17 later followed, providing the retired CEO turned firefighter with a 15.50 heat total to claim victory. De Olivença took the Silver Medal, Pablo Diaz (PUR), the Bronze, and Dani Garcia (ESP) won Spain their first-ever WMSC medal, the Copper.
ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:
“El Sunzal, what a place. And what a return of the ISA World Masters Championship. I’m sure you are going to be very, very happy to go home and tell all your friends about the beautiful waves, the beautiful people, the beautiful weather, and the amazing camaraderie of the ISA World Masters Championship.
“This year, I reached out to our friends in El Salvador and we agreed that it was a great time to start the Masters. That mix of competition. Because, of course, everybody wants to win the medal, but at the same time amazing camaraderie, reconnecting with friends, and some new friends. There are a lot of new masters. 10 years without championships has meant that many of the young surfers are now masters surfers. And this is the beauty of surfing. There are so many ways you can surf. But the only thing you should not do is give up on surfing. So I give my greatest congratulations to everybody that participated.”
RESULTS
Team Rankings
Gold – Brazil
Silver – Hawaii
Bronze – Australia
Copper – France
Women’s Masters (over 40)
Gold – Melanie Bartels (HAW)
Silver – Serena Brooke (AUS)
Bronze – Jacqueline Silva (BRA)
Copper – Lisbeth Vindas (CRC)
Men’s Masters (over 40)
Gold – Diego Rosa (BRA)
Silver – Gilbert Brown (CRC)
Bronze – Tyrell Johnson (RSA)
Copper – Hira Teriinatoofa (TAH)
Women’s Grand Masters (over 50)
Gold – Rochelle Ballard (HAW)
Silver – Heather Clark (RSA)
Bronze – Andrea Lopes (BRA)
Copper – Siri Cota (USA)
Men’s Grand Masters (over 50)
Gold – Scott Schindler (AUS)
Silver – Jojó de Olivença (BRA)
Bronze – Pablo Diaz (PUR)
Copper – Dani Garcia (ESP)
Women’s Kahunas (over 60)
Gold – Becky Benson (HAW)
Silver – Roberta Borges (BRA)
Bronze – Barbara Roettger (PUR)
Copper – Sandra English (AUS)
Men’s Kahunas (over 60)
Gold – Eric Graciet (FRA)
Silver – Rodney Baldwin (AUS)
Bronze – Allen Sarlo (USA)
Copper – Shuji Kasuya (HAW)