The fun surf continued for day five of the 2026 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC), with clean three-to-four-foot peaks dotting the lineup of La Bocana and El Sunzal continuing to produce its reliable long walls. The remainder of Round 2 in U/16 Girls and U/18 Boys was completed before all of Boys U/16 Round 2 and the first 11 heats of U/18 Girls Round 2 were run.
By day’s end, over half of the field had been eliminated – 238 of the original 420. Though the majority of returning medalists continued their solid runs, defending U/18 Girls World Junior Champion Sol Borelli (ESP) was eliminated in one of the last heats of the day as a result of standout performances from Victoria Muñoz Larreta (ARG) and Emma van der Huls (NED).
Australia, Brazil, and Peru Solidify Shared Rankings Lead With Full Teams Intact
With just 13 heats remaining in Round 2, all in U/18 Girls, the teams race has come into further clarity, seeing three nations emerge at the top. Australia, Brazil, and Peru are still carrying all 12 surfers, with Australia and Peru already confirming all but one through to Round 3, while Brazil’s three U/18 Girls are yet to surf their Round 2 heats. After earning their first WJSC team medal in almost 15 years at home during the 2025 event, Peru have shown up in a big way in their return to El Salvador, especially as they set themselves as one of the three teams to move forward as a complete unit. Event newcomer Lucca Barrientos (PER) topped the U/16 Boys scoring for the day, posting both the highest single-wave score, a 7.83, and the best two-wave total, 13.83.
“I’m feeling amazing, I had two good waves and I’m so stoked,” Barrientos said. “My strategy was to go for the lefts first, but they weren’t working, so I grabbed a right and it felt good, so I stayed with the rights. Then I got a sick left at the end too. The water felt like it wasn’t that good, but when I see it back, the waves were actually really good. I was singing Wonderwall by Oasis before I paddled out. I’m very happy. I just wanna surf again, it was so sick out there.”
Arisa Ishii Returns to Surf City El Salvador as Serious Medal Threat
In 2024, a 13-year-old Arisa Ishii (JPN) charged through the draw of her first ISA event, placing 9th in the U/16 division after narrowly being eliminated by the two surfers who went on to win the gold and silver medals in 2025, Sol Borelli (ESP) and Catalina Zariquiey (PER). Now 16, Ishii returns to Surf City El Salvador as one of the frontrunners to challenge for a medal. For the second heat in a row, Ishii put the field on notice, today scoring the only excellent number of the U/18 Girls draw, an 8.17.
“Two years ago at my first ISA here in El Salvador it was really good, and now I’m back and coming back stronger,” Ishii said. “I believe in myself and train mentally and physically. Getting an excellent score just builds more confidence. The experience here with Team Japan has been powerful.”
Also taking heat wins in U/18 Girls for Japan was Kanon Takahashi (JPN) and Lei Kubota (JPN), while their U/16 Boys, Yujiro Takai (JPN), Taito Wake (JPN), and Taro Matsuno (JPN) achieved the same clean sweep. Raito Sato (JPN) and Kaisei Adachi (JPN) won their respective U/18 Boys heats, with Taro Takai (JPN) also progressing. Meanwhile, in U/16 Girls, Minatsu Ishida (JPN) and Riri Yamamoto (JPN) advanced, while Kokoro Baba (JPN) suffered a painful loss yesterday in a low-scoring heat that saw just 1 point separating all four surfers.
New Zealand Builds Momentum With Fresh Team and Experienced Guidance
New Zealand was one of only six teams to have carried their full contingent into Day 5. With two-time Olympian Billy Stairmand (NZL) coaching alongside former competitor Daniel Kereopa (NZL), the largely new team is hoping to translate fresh excitement into a deeper push. Though they lost their first two surfers today, all three U/16 Boys, Jesse Frazerhurst (NZL), Sol Fritchley (NZL), and Zeke Pragert (NZL) won their heats, as did Alexis Owen (NZL) in U/18 Boys.
The first Kiwi to win a WJSC medal in almost a decade, Owen, claimed the copper in the U/16 division the last time the event was held in Surf City El Salvador and has returned largely in support of his 13-year-old sister Zara Owen (NZL), who is also already through to Round 3. Alexis found one of the best waves of his division today, driving through multiple powerful carves to earn an excellent 8.00.
“I was on Heat 3 on the first morning in really tricky conditions so it was good to be able to find a decent one today to build some confidence and get in a rhythm,” Owen said. “I got fourth last time I was here, so I know how long and intense it can be in the heat, especially coming from Dunedin to here. It’s my fourth time doing this event, but it’s the first time here for a lot of the team, so there’s fresh eyes and fresh excitement from everyone. Our coaches Billy [Stairmand] and DK [Daniel Kereopa] and the team manager are all doing a really good job as well. It’s been awesome.”
Competition will continue tomorrow, Thursday, September 10, at 7:00 a.m. CST with U/18 Boys Round 3 at La Bocana and the remaining heats of U/18 Girls Round 2 at El Sunzal.