El Salvador Pro 2025: Day 2.4
El Salvador Pro 2025: Day 2.4
I have a mate who just became fabulously wealthy moreorless overnight. Sold a business to a multinational for life-changing money and to an extent he can now afford to kick the tyres on some major enterprises. We spoke briefly about the WSL and he took the lens of a prospective buyer to it. It wasn't a flattering view. Stalled momentum, top athletes deserting the ship for a variety of reasons, collapse in support at the bottom end, dwindling athlete sponsorship, a triple-tiered competition structure that looks increasingly unsustainable, wavepool events that no-one wants to watch, and now to add insult to injury a contest in El Salvador that is proceeding in such dribs and drabs it barely resembles professional sport.
(WSL/Hughes)
Who would be a buyer for such a slow motion train wreck? They dumped Pipeline as a season-ender to universal acrimony but offered a two-contest Hawaiian leg as a pacifier. They then dumped the one incontrovertibly positive aspect of the tour that gave them momentum to start the year - that being the Hawaiian leg - to surf a windy, desolate tub in the Middle East that absolutely no-one wanted to watch. Burned all their progressive credentials in the process.
Anyway, here we are. Six heats Saturday, six heats Sunday, and a miserly two heats last night [Monday night]. To be fair, they are squeezed into a tight turnaround for Bells and they simply have to maintain some forward momentum. Barring a coin toss to decide heats they needed to send them out into a sleepy Pacific where whole half-hour periods would elapse without a wave threatening the lineup. Riveting viewing it was not. Some takeaways from competition so far.
Tyler heavily on rail, left, and nimbly in the air (WSL/Hughes)
After failing the cut from the last three CT Tours Sally Fitz finds herself in last place on the rankings with two last place finishes and two second lasts. Even allowing for the fact that with an expanded field into 2026, only three female surfers fail the cut this May (top 14 go through to '26 CT), Sally is on the wrong side of relegation.
Back to the Changa, again? Sally has had eight heats this year and hit double-figure totals on just two occasions. Natural competitive architecture should ensure that surfers who aren't making the grade drop off tour – it seems a glitch for them to get right back on again to rinse and repeat. Our Sal still has the Aussie treble to get herself back into the Top 14 - that is probably only one or two more heat wins away and highly likely to happen.
Sal (WSL/Hughes)
Caz Marks is out of the comp, victim of a sleepy ocean in which Isabella Nichols ended up on the best sets of the heat. Caz surfed with greater than normal intensity for mine, especially the opening turns and was just unlucky. Four of the eight heats were decided by a point or less in Challenger Series-style, including wunderkid Erin Brooks.
Erin is cruising in seventh place with a lot of favourable events ahead but she hasn't been the immediate world-beater we expected. Some of that is self inflicted - Brooks' hyper-exaggerated style looks overcooked and she'll need to calm down if she wants to avoid judging burnout in a women's tour where Caity Simmers is state of the art. Brooks is small and surfs small. Too many half-turns and arm wavy snaps. By contrast the diminutive Simmers, surfs much 'bigger'. There's more space in her surfing, more time for the manouevres to breathe.
Erin (WSL/Hughes)
Most of it though, is external. Brooks has been brought back to the pack by average wave quality. She looked superb in good Fijian surf and Snapper tubes - a cut above. In Portuguese closeouts and dead water Punta Roca she hasn't had quite the same intuitive reads. Spending too much time in quality waves and wavepools now looks a disadvantage - as we have seen with Jack Robinson, who in three Final 5 starts at Trestles has failed to make a heat and doesn't look halfway as accomplished in smaller, weak waves as he does in heaving reef surf. Brooks is a less extreme version of that phenomena. Her small stature and fiery competiveness will no doubt overcome that deficit.
Lots of over-coached arm-waving was a constant motif of the Women's Round of 16 - Caitlin Simmers excepted, of course. It made a pointbreak surfer pine for Stephanie Gilmore. Steph could still wipe the floor with the competition at head-high point surf, in the same way Mick Fanning could. The way the tour is going, with retired dads being sent back out on the Challenger, it might not be too long before Mick gets a knock on the door.
Caity (WSL/Hughes)
A single excellent ride for the Roud of 16 - that being Caity Simmers 8.17 in Heat 1.
That's about it as far as what's worth catching up on.
Swell is coming so the event should finish on a high note.
Surely they can't get skunked for the Aussie leg? There's only so much fans can take before they need to kick out for a mental health break.
// STEVE SHEARER
Surf City El Salvador Pro Women’s Elimination Round Results:
HEAT 1: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 13.37 DEF. Kirra Pinkerton (USA) 13.10, Nadia Erostarbe (ESP) 11.64
HEAT 2: Luana Silva (BRA) 13.00 DEF. Alyssa Spencer (USA) 11.33, Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 10.00
Surf City El Salvador Pro Women’s Round of 16 Results:
HEAT 1: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 12.67 DEF. Luana Silva (BRA) 11.67
HEAT 2: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 11.97 DEF. Lakey Peterson (USA) 11.47
HEAT 3: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 9.53 DEF. Alyssa Spencer (USA) 7.00
HEAT 4: Bella Kenworthy (USA) 12.16 DEF. Erin Brooks (CAN) 11.77
HEAT 5: Molly Picklum (AUS) 12.57 DEF. Kirra Pinkerton (USA) 11.53
HEAT 6: Brisa Hennessy (CRC) 8.70 DEF. Vahine Fierro (FRA) 8.50
HEAT 7: Isabella Nichols (AUS) 12.30 DEF. Caroline Marks (USA) 9.66
HEAT 8: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 11.50 DEF. Tyler Wright (AUS) 9.53
Surf City El Salvador Pro Men’s Elimination Round Results:
HEAT 1: Bryan Perez (SLV) 14.13 DEF. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 13.10, Edgard Groggia (BRA) 10.90
HEAT 2: Levi Slawson (USA) 13.10 DEF. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 11.47, Liam O'Brien (AUS) 10.33
HEAT 3: Alan Cleland (MEX) 13.84 DEF. Cole Houshmand (USA) 12.46, Ian Gentil (HAW) 11.17
HEAT 4: Samuel Pupo (BRA) 14.07 DEF. Ryan Callinan (AUS) 13.07, Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 11.47
Comments
Good observation re surfing big and small. And the horrible arm waving.
Hopefully we'll get at least one day of firing point waves. We're starved of quality.
The last recap included some bewilderment about Liam O'Brien's lack of success but I'd chalk it up to the same issue.
Brilliant surfer, fast and stylish, good in the air or on rail, however LOB tends to cut a lot of his turns short so they're more of a snap rather than a full face carve. LOB approaches turns a lot like Taj Burrow did, the difference being that fifteen years ago the judging criteria rewarded that speed and spontaneity while rail surfing now means big, full-face turns.
Agreed and I like the over coached style comment, you can also see it with the up and coming competitive surfers too. The torso and arm movements have no real style and you can tell that they've sat down with a coach and watched videos of themselves surfing over and over. They all surf exactly the same now.
'There's only so much fans can take before they need to kick out for a mental health break' I see what you did there, another great write up Steve, with lots to discuss from the opening paragraphs.
Ouch, that was a brilliant little jab, bravo Steve!
Re: Mick Fanning - name me one current CT surfer who would be supremely confident against him in a heat at Snapper? I'm sure all of them are hoping against hope of a MF wildcard.
Along with Josh Kerr qualifying on the Changa...what does this say about the pro/regression of surfing?
How much longer does surfing have at the charitable tax write off tit of a billionaire?
And how long whilst sucking on said tittie before it loses all integrity?
Re: Mick Fanning - name me one current CT surfer who would be supremely confident against him in a heat at Snapper?
Mic was/is a legend and I am not doubting that for one second, but to profess that no one currently on tour would be confident to take him out is a pretty bold statement.
There's this guy called Italo something?
another one called Yago
mmm this guy call Toledo
Medina (When he returns)
Ethan Ewing
Barron Mamiya
Griffin Collapinto
Snapper only exists in our imaginations until the sand returns. Anyone with airs on lock would fancy their chances
Integrity walked out the door with JJF and Medina… or when the 2 time champ couldn’t catch a wave in a heat at pipe?
Yeah … big vs small in the way you describe is a good descriptor that seems to capture it … and the ‘space’ that creates in the kinda surfing caity (and I think jjf) do that sets them apart at the moment
I'd add EE to that list.
I get the feeling that many of the event locations are due to how much the local Govt/Business will chip in to cover costs...... Abu Dhabi, Portugal, El Salvador ?
Its a commercial reality, but its a long way from the Dream tour
Margs wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t so heavily buffed by taxpayers.
No slight on you Steve but that’s gotta be your most lacklustre contest report ever.
Feeling for ya man!
You can tell it’s slowly and painfully draining your energy away… Tough gig this one.
The time zone difference, shit-house waves and no John John has led me to not watch one second so far.
Ha, yep, just spending his days snelling hooks, mumbling Tasman Low incantations and staring intensely at Squirty McSquirtface on the Surfers Sth cam.
god the pics of the chicks are sick! sal's finner, tyler's air and hack, sheeeeeeeesh
Hey Freeride, speaking of styles… I’ve been enjoying your write ups for years, and I’ve recently been reading ‘Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail’. I couldn’t help but notice how similar your journalistic styles are. Is Hunter S Thompson an idol of yours or is it pure coincidence?
That’s an underrated gem of a book.
That my fav Hunter S book, but it's been 30 years since I read him.
Bit of Peter Drouyn about that opening shot I reckon.
Good analysis. Yep, if you put Mick back on tour, besides maybe a couple of events to find his rhythm, he'd be Australia's best on tour and probably take out t a world title in his first year back.
As for Sal, ya know i love her, but yeah....i don't think she's the most switched on in a heat. I've watched her a few times this year and she makes some really mystifying mistakes with priority. Maybe in her heyday, her talent was enough that she could cruise through a heat without worrying too much about tactics, same as the changas, but even her last heat the other night, she refused to catch set waves, even with priority and went the medium ones, only for the following wave to be twice the size and someone tearing it up. Not sure if she's ever had a coach? Her dad? But yeah, her contest savvy...well it aint savvy. Hope they get some decent swell cos i've watched nearly an hour straight of people bobbing up and down without catching a wave.
im pretty sure she would be getting coached every other day SR. i would be shocked if she was not.
yeah bummed for sal, shes certainly got plenty of ticker
She seems to not have much control over her performances- over surfs and falls a lot which loses heats.
Then safety surfs on key set waves and loses heats.
Yep^...and yep! ^^
Poor Sal. Sigh....
:)
"Surely they can't get skunked for the Aussie leg?" Steve, I'm banking on it. Heading to Vicco tomorrow and it's been pumping already. The WSL curse is my dream
Before & after Easter ...
https://www.weatherzone.com.au/models/charts/gfs/aus?chartCode=prmsl_thk...
The keyhole at snapper still 2m deep.
Rocks for 20-30m off the shore. There is nothing happening with the sand movement there - whispers they might replace it with Burleigh ……
Mmm.... interesting.
Locals will be stoked.... unless they receive a slice of the pie, of course.
Not that I doubt you at all Solitude, but ahhh, are you able to fill in the source of said whispers?
Sorry can’t say. Someone right in the know.
Personally, I’d be very surprised though - I’d say just industry gossip.
They doll out this ‘can’t have it in nsw’ garbage every time - yet they have and probably will (dbah).
I think south straddie would be good alternate but as we know these events are very, very NON mobile in the modern day - as is quite event in Peniche, Bells and Margs where they persist by running in dog shit or the inferior main spot where it can be pumping down the coast.
Your insider is on the money. Just been announced by the WSL..
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2025/04/09/gold-coast-pr...
They were. I’m a fan of the decision
Great review & photos, could add some 'spice' and make things nice.
Maybe WSL marketing is aiming at the test cricket fans viewing after summer is over....
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-energy-drinks-bad-for-you
"In 2023, Red Bull alone racked up sales of about 7.34 billion U.S. dollars".
Reference & deference above.
Future @Netvillian.NVA.con
zoiks... remember when the Trestles Finale was the problem? good times.
Erins backside bottom tun with arms spread remind me of Terry Fitz, but with way less style
Sal's fin missing in that photo
Good eye!
Ahh, true!
When Florence proclaimed he was taking a year off from the tour, I wrote on this site that I’d be taking a year off from watching the WSL. So far, I have been true to my word.
Looks like I picked the right year to stop sniffing glue.
Beggars the question, has pro surfing gone as far as it can go? Maybe irrespective of who holds the reigns there are still going to be rotations galore, cookie-cutter styles, and the same approach to wave riding over and over again. Maybe I'm getting old and out of touch, but if boards didn't have sponsors' stickers on them, I'm not sure I'd be able to tell who's-who. Actually, even now I can't really (excluding John John), and I don't care to know.
forgettable is the right word for it
Wonder why they haven't had Nayib Bukele in the booth or on one of the mics yet? Like they do with that Mayor of Supertubos fellow every bloody year, or with whoever the WA Health Minister happens to be come 'Margies'. A bit of arse licking and shameless marketing for the benefit of whoever stumped up the cash. Or just to fill up the dead air of a twenty minute lull. Nayib seems eminently deserving of a chat with Joe, after all he's done for the Woz. Still time. Maybe on finals day. Really cool how you've got your travel safety rating to Level 1 Mr. President, talk us through that. This is such a mellow cool country. We've been kicking back, enjoying the waves, the great food, and the really cool people of El Salvador. I mean, how did all that... it just seemed to happen for you guys here, so fast, right? Tell us about the really cool relationship you have with your shaper, Donald Trump. Those east coast guys've got such a cool vibe, that's a really tight crew down there in Florida. How did you guys meet, what kinda input do you have, and how did you guys develop such a cool understanding? As we see Caity Simmers styling out of that cool Punta Roca barrel, going off speed and kinda casually claiming that wave, in that really cool and casual way that only Caity can. She even raises her arm, with that cool new tattoo, acknowledging the really cool support of these great fans on the beach. Can you join the dots for us Mr. President, tell us about your really cool relationship with tattoos? You guys really appreciate tattoos here, and surfers think tattoos are really cool too, so so cool to see all the cool things different cultures have in common as we get to experience all types of cool and different cultures right across the world. And on the subject of tattoos, we're hearing a lot of exciting talk right now about the new Private Prison Systems Technology you guys're putting in place here. Just how cool was it to work so closely with Kelly on that project? Tell us about the passion and the cool ideas Kelly brings to the table? He's interested in so many cool things, and his mind is so cool, the way it works. I mean, we all knew he was passionate and about what he brings to the table as far as the whole Bitcoin revolution goes, but we never even knew he'd gone so deep into Prison Systems Technology, I don't think anyone had any idea, until we woke up one morning and the whole world saw it on Instagram, and we all had our minds blown. And he doesn't even have a tattoo. But his mind is so cool. And how cool is Kristy Noem and the Alien Enemies Act? As we see the young phenom Erin Brooks in the Red Bull Athlete Zone. We have the coolest Red Bull Athlete Zone on the entire planet here Mr. President, and it's so cool that we can show it to the whole world. I'd just like to... we all wanna say thank you Mr. President, thank you for all that you do.
That was so cool.
Well El is now getting interesting due to the fact that there are actually GOOD waves for the pro's to display their talents on!!! It makes all the difference between GR8 viewing or a Yeah/Nah maybe I'll check out the highlights later on type scenario!