After six days of arduous competition in the waves of El Sunzal, Kai Sallas and Honolua Blomfield, both from Hawaii, were crowned champions of the Surf City El Salvador ISA World Longboard Championship 2024.
The current World Surf League (WSL) world champion, Kai Sallas, came strong into the men’s final. In his first boarding he hit a wave of 9.50 points, which not only secured him first place in the heat and the event, but was also the best of the entire contest. Later, Sallas added another 7.83 for a total of 17.33.
The Japanese Taka Inoue was second with 17.10, while the Brazilian Rodrigo Sphaier took third place by accumulating 16.20. The Frenchman Edouard Delpero, who took bronze in last year’s edition, this time had to settle for fourth place.
Sallas, who was also the 2018 ISA world champion in China, confessed that he experienced such a high after his crowning in the WSL last year that he chose to step away from surfing for a while, but this ISA event motivated him to return. to the championships.
The 42-year-old Hawaiian celebrated his victory by saying: “This is dedicated to the 40+ club, I am proof that at this age you can still fulfill your dreams and achieve the goals you have,” in reference to the generation of surfers who are over 40 years old and still active. Furthermore, he assured that he will not retire from the competition and that he will be in Bells to begin the WSL world tour that will end with the finals in El Salvador, in October of this year.
In women, Honolua Blomfield was the winner with a time of 16.50, relegating the American Rachel Tilly to second place, with a score of 15.07. The bronze in the event went to the Japanese Natsumi Taoka (12.77).
The 25-year-old surfer did not hesitate to express her pride after Hawaii’s triumph in both branches of the world competition. “I am very proud of my land,” she said through tears at the end of the fight. “I thank all the people who accompany me, my team and family, and everyone who is watching from Hawaii,” she said.
Among her most notable triumphs are the Women’s Longboard World Champion title in 2017, as well as first place at the Taiwan Open World Longboard Champs and the Turtle Bay Resort Pro in the same year. Additionally, in 2016, she took first place at the Taiwan Open of Surfing and the Duke’s Waikiki Wahine Longboard Pro, cementing her position as one of the best longboard surfers in the world.
Salvadorans fought
Sindy Portillo, beneficiary of our Effort and Glory Program, was the national who went the furthest. Portillo bowed out in the fifth round of the repechage on the penultimate day of the competition.
The Miguel from Miguel was placed in third place in her heat by adding 7.83 points, closing her participation with that result. Ahead of her were Frenchwoman Alice Lemoinge (13.27) and Costa Rican Lia Díaz (10.50).
Portillo improved his participation compared to his performance in the 2023 edition of this competition, where he reached round three in the main bracket.
“Being at home is a lot of pressure, but it’s still very nice too. I always think about my mom and the messages she sends me and that makes me feel better mentally and makes me stronger. As well as listening to all the Salvadorans who come here to support us, that inspires me to give my all in each heat,” Portillo declared during the competitions.
Meanwhile, Claudia Tamacas, who this year became the new Salvadoran talent in this modality, reached the first round of the playoffs.
In the case of the men’s branch, Amado de Jesús Alvarado, also a beneficiary of the Effort and Glory Program, was out of competition in the third round of the repechage after finishing in third place in his heat with a score of 4.17.
The Salvadoran was surpassed by Sam Christianson who achieved a score of 12.04 and the Mexican Jonathan Melendres who also advanced to the round by scoring 12.03.
While Henry Salinas also said goodbye in round 3 of the repechage after scoring 7.53 in his heat and being surpassed by the Spanish Jon Garmendia with 12.24 and the Englishman Ben Howey with 10.27.
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