Surf City El Salvador – April 26th, 2025 – The 2025 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Longboard Championship kicked off with promising waves and action, and the Philippine contingent saw an early victory as Rogelio “Jay-R” Esquivel secured a first-place finish in Men’s Round 1 – Heat 6. Esquivel outperformed Evan Rogers of Wales and Oliver Janes of New Zealand, earning a direct advancement to Round 2 – Heat 4.
Jay-R Esquivel wins by 2.00 against Evan Rogers and Oliver Janes / Source: International Surfing Association isasurf.org
Delegates celebrate and raise their flags as the Opening Ceremony concludes – UPSA / BJORN PABON
The opening day began with a vibrant Opening Ceremony, uniting a record-breaking 143 athletes from 44 nations, including the Philippine delegation. The traditional ‘Sands of the World’ ceremony and a lively performance from Fiesta Pueblo marked the official start of the competition. Notably, Norway, Poland, Tahiti, and Thailand are participating in the World Longboard Championship for the first time.
The competition continues tomorrow with more action from the Men’s Division, featuring Crisanto Villanueva in Round 1 – Heat 18. The Women’s Division will also commence, with Daisy Valdez competing in Round 1 – Heat 7 and Mara Lopez in Round 1 – Heat 15.
The United Philippine Surfing Association (UPSA) extends its full support to Jay-R, Crisanto, Daisy, and Mara as they represent the Philippines on the world stage. Filipinos across the globe are encouraged to tune in to the official channels of Surf City to witness their progress in the days to come.
Are you interested in hosting a shortboard/longboard workshop for your surfclub or locality?
UPSA is currently seeking partnerships with two additional surf locations to host upcoming Shortboard or Longboard Workshops. Interested parties who wish to host a workshop or individuals interested in participating as attendees are invited to submit an inquiry.
Send us a message on Facebook or Instagram, or email us at hello@upsa.ph for more information.
IMPORTANT:
For all official communications regarding the organization’s programs, activities, and national competitions, please only refer to our official channels below:
UPSA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialupsa.ph
Pilipinas Surfing Facebook: https://facebook.com/pilipinassurfing
UPSA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upsa.ph
UPSA Email: hello@upsa.ph
