Team France Photo: Pablo Franco

The ninth edition of the 2024 ISA World Para Surfing Championship (WPSC) has come to a close after a massive day of action in ideal conditions at Huntington Beach. Fourteen World Champions were crowned, joining the four victors from yesterday, on an extremely competitive Finals Day that saw performance levels heightened like never before.

France claimed their second consecutive Team World Championship over the USA in a tight battle that has played out across three years. The winning nation took home a total of 10 medals: two each of Gold, Silver and Bronze, along with four Copper. Australia, fielding their strongest team in many years, claimed their first Team Medal since 2017 with Bronze. After missing out on the podium last year, 2020 Team World Champion Spain matched their 2022 performance to claim Copper.

Charlotte Banfield (ENG) took Gold Photo: Pablo Franco

Charlotte Banfield (ENG), Freddy Marimon (COL), and Jocelyn Neumueller (AUS) each claimed their second World Titles. It was back-to-back victories for Banfield, while Marimon and Neumueller returned to the top after many years.

Marimon’s victory was especially sweet, having dedicated himself to learning a different technique than the one that brought him so much success in his younger years, including the 2018 World Title at the age of 13. Now 19, Marimon has improved year-on-year in his new approach, a style that his biggest rival Davi Teixeira (BRA) was able to adapt to much quicker.

Teixeira has been dominant across the past two years, and seemed destined to continue his streak today. Marimon had other plans however, opening with a 9.00. Teixeira found an 8.80 of his own and took the lead late in the heat. But Marimon was directly behind, adding in a 7.93, enough to finally earn his second Gold Medal. The Colombian’s 16.93 heat total locked in just 0.30 ahead of the Brazilian’s 16.63.

“We fought for a whole year,” Marimon said. “A year of dedication, of sacrifice, of leaving things behind for this victory, because I wanted it. It was a year where many doors were closed, but God opened others, which gave me the advantage in this heat. Davi and I have been friends since we were very young and we have a very similar style of surfing. After we changed categories, the level started out even, then he went up. I pushed myself and now we are even.”

Marta Paço, Team Portugal Photo: Pablo Franco

Five multiple-time World Champions extended dominance of their divisions today. Alelí Medina (PUR), Elias Ricardo Diel (BRA), and Llywelyn ‘Sponge’ Williams (WAL) each won their third Gold Medals. Medina’s third win in-a-row has her tied for victories with Melissa Reid (ENG) in the women’s Visual Impairment (VI) 2 category.

Llwelyn ‘Sponge’ Williams (WAL) took Gold Photo: Sean Evans

Victoria Feige (CAN) set the bar in 2022 by becoming the first woman to win four Gold Medals in Para Surfing – a record she has since extended to five. Now, Marta Paço (POR) and Sarah Bettencourt (USA) have joined the elite by each claiming their fourth Gold Medals. Like Feige before them, both Paço and Bettencourt have expressed that watching the rising performance levels and growing strength of women’s Para Surfing competition means even more than their historic medal achievements.

“I just can’t can’t believe I’m a four-time World Champion,” Paço said. “It sounds crazy to me, but I’m so happy. I did my surfing and it worked out. As long as it gives me joy, that’s what I want to do, I want to be here. My goal is not to just get the medal, but also to surf better, surf better waves, show people what I can do.”

Audrey Pascual, Team Spain Photo: Sean Evans

Six divisions saw new World Champions crowned. Pierot Gagliano (FRA), Zoe Smith (ENG), Luciano Silveira (BRA), Audrey Pascual (ESP), Kai Colless(AUS) and JP Veaudry (RSA) each won their first Gold Medals.

For Gagliano, Smith, Veaudry, and Pascual, the victories were long-awaited, while Silveira took the Stand 3 division by storm in his very first event and Colless earned the win in his second attempt. Silveira posted one of the highest heat totals of the competition, a near perfect 18.66 two-wave heat total that included a massive 9.83 single wave score.

Colless was locked in a tight battle with his teammate, defending World Champion Joel Taylor (AUS) all event, continuing a rivalry that began last year. It all came down to the wire, with both surfers waiting on the sand for scores, but it was the younger of the pair, Colless, who ended up victorious, on the back of a 16.76 heat total, to Taylor’s 15.64.

In her fifth Final, Pascual was finally able to get her breakthrough win in a competitive heat that included newcomer Erin Koffel (USA), 2023 Silver Medalist Vera Quaresma (BRA), and two-time World Champion Emma Dieters (AUS), who was recently reclassified into the division. Pascual and Dieters both started with strong rides in the 5-point range, but it was Pascual’s second ride, a 7.83 that gave her a solid lead to carry through to her long-awaited victory.

“We were all hoping for the waves to pick up a bit so we could show our surfing,” Pascual said. “We ended up having so much fun in the water. We all caught great waves and I’m so happy it turned out that way.”

Zoe Smith (ENG) took Gold Photo: Sean Evans

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:

“What an amazing ISA World Para Surfing Championship, held and presented by Surf City Huntington Beach. It was incredible days, great waves. I remember at our very first Adaptive Surfing World Championships, which was the original name, one of the competitors was asked about their hope for the event. Their answer was simple: ‘I hope to bring home hope.’ And that’s what we all bring. We hope that you take hope home.

“We will continue our paddle for Paralympic Surfing. We will continue our paddle for a better world through surfing and para surfing, and we will continue to support this amazing community. Congratulations to every one of you. Thank you to Visit Huntington Beach and big, big thank you to all the volunteers and the staff of the ISA for making this event an amazing history-making event.”

RESULTS

Team
Gold – France
Silver – USA
Bronze – Australia
Copper – Spain

Women’s Prone 1
Gold – Sarah Bettencourt (USA)
Silver – Paloma Onate (ESP)
Bronze – Jonne Moleman (NED)
Copper – Suzanne Edwards (ENG)

Men’s Prone 1
Gold – Kai Colless (AUS)
Silver – Joel Taylor (AUS)
Bronze – Cleuson Araujo (BRA)
Copper – Casey Proud (HAW)

Women’s Kneel / Upright
Gold – Audrey Pascual (ESP)
Silver – Vera Quaresma (BRA)
Bronze – Emma Dieters (AUS)
Copper – Erin Koffel (USA)

Men’s Kneel / Upright
Gold – Llywelyn ‘Sponge’ Williams (WAL)
Silver – Dariel Melendez (CRC)
Bronze – Altair Olivares (CHI)
Copper – Mark ‘Mono’ Stewart (AUS)

Women’s Prone 2
Gold – Jocelyn Neumueller (AUS)
Silver – Sarah Almagro (ESP)
Bronze – Georgina Melatini (ARG)
Copper – Beatrice Duran (FRA)

Men’s Prone 2
Gold – Freddy Marimon (COL)
Silver – Davi Teixeira (BRA)
Bronze – Cliff Gralton (AUS)
Copper – Jose Martinez (USA)

Women’s Stand 3
Gold – Charlotte Banfield (ENG)
Silver – Mireia Cabanes (ESP)
Bronze – Stella Papetti (ITA)
Copper – Ursula Pueyo (ESP)

Men’s Stand 3
Gold – Luciano Silveira (BRA)
Silver – Colin Cook (HAW)
Bronze – Eric Dargent (FRA)
Copper – Naomichi Katsukura (JPN)

Women’s Stand 2
Gold – Zoe Smith (ENG)

Men’s Stand 2
Gold – JP Veaudry (RSA)
Silver – Forrest Weinberg (USA)
Bronze – Nachman Balulu (ISR)
Copper – Philippe Naud (FRA)

Women’s VI 1
Gold – Marta Paço (POR)
Silver – Valentine Moskoteoc (FRA)
Bronze – Carmen Lopez (ESP)
Copper – Juliette Mas (FRA)

Men’s VI 1
Gold – Elias Ricardo Diel (BRA)
Silver – Thomas Da Silva (FRA)
Bronze – Ben Neumann (GER)
Copper – Kirk Watson (AUS)

Women’s VI 2
Gold – Alelí Medina (PUR)
Silver – Ling Pai (CAN)
Bronze – Heloise Lauriol (FRA)
Copper – Lou Mechiche (FRA)

Men’s VI 2
Gold – Pierot Gagliano (FRA)
Silver – Roy Calderon (CRC)
Bronze – Luis Medina (CHI)
Copper – Matt Formston (AUS)

Guillaume Colin, Team France Photo: Sean Evans

The 2024 ISA World Para Surfing Championship (WPSC) moved closer to the medal rounds today in clean conditions on the south side of the famed Huntington Beach Pier. Two-to-three foot lines of swell provided highly contestable waves to decide the finalists of five divisions, along with semifinalists in men’s and women’s Prone 1.

The two top nations of the past two editions of the event, France and the USA, are once again placing themselves at the top of the rankings. So far France, the defending champion, has secured seven medals while three-time champion USA have locked in six.

Two former Silver Medalists representing France, Guillaume Colin (FRA) and Eric Dargent (FRA), topped the leaderboards in Sit and Stand 2, respectively. Dargent earned his first Silver Medal in 2016, and has amassed a further three since then, including in 2023. Though he is hopeful to finally take the gold this year, the 47-year-old is just enjoying his time competing in the event.

“I have four silver medals, and now I try to have the gold.” Dargent said. “But I’m just happy to be here. To surf, good sun, good waves with happy people, it’s perfect. I like it.”

Sarah Bettencourt, Team EE.UU Photo: Sean Evans

Team USA co-captain Sarah Bettencourt (USA) topped the women’s numbers for the second time this week. Though she didn’t improve on either of her Round 1 scores, the three-time World Champion was riding high on the energy of the event.

“I’m feeling really good,” Bettencourt said. “It’s absolutely awesome conditions. Every day here in Huntington Beach is just awesome. It’s such a great energy and I absolutely love being here. Super pumped. The camaraderie this year is unreal in Team USA. We’re all here sharing the stoke, sharing the love. We’re just here to support each other and continue to not only advance our individual skills but advance us as a team. Bringing everyone in, showing that we all have that love of the sport, and love of the ocean. Let’s continue progressing the sport to the next level, push each other.”

Suzanne Edwards, Team ENG Photo: Sean Evens

Others in women’s Prone 1 did improve however, including Jonne Moleman (NED), the sole representative from the Netherlands, who is competing in her very first WPSC. Moleman increased both of her scores to advance into the Semifinals, along with Bettencourt, Paloma Onate (ESP), Tracy McKay (RSA), and English teammates Laurie Foti (ENG) and Suzanne Edwards (ENG).

Casey Proud, Team Hawaii Photo: Jersson Barboza

Casey Proud (HAW) takes the lead in hotly-contested Prone 1 division

Casey Proud (HAW) locked straight into rhythm with the pier-bowl left to notch the highest heat total of the day, and of his division for the event. The 2022 World Champion was sitting behind Australian teammates Joel Taylor (AUS) and Kai Colless (AUS) after Round 1, but leap-frogged both on the strength of his 16.94 heat total, made up of an 8.77 and 8.17. Proud was stoked to be able to deliver multiple critical maneuvers on speedy lefts headed into the pier.

“Any time you get a few waves to let you do a combination of major maneuvers with speed, power and flow on the critical part of the wave, of course, that feels good,” Proud said. “Fortunately, I found a couple of waves that gave me some long rides and I could find that flow. There’s so many good guys in this division, your Joel’s, your Kai’s. I’m not going to say no to some high scores. That seed going to the semis, you know, it’s nice to have a high seed.”

The defending World Champion, Taylor, opened with a 7.00 to improve one of his scores from Round 1 and secure the second advancing position. Colless struggled in setting his line through turns and was unable to improve, but stayed in third on the strength of his earlier performance. The two teammates will now face off in the Semifinals against two USA teammates, Jacob Pacheco (USA) and Parker Olenick (USA).

In the first Semifinal, Proud will face two Salvadoran teammates, Jonathan Arias (ESA) and David Chavez (ESA), along with Cleuson de Araujo Soares (BRA). Arias delivered an impassioned performance today, heavily improving on his earlier scores.

Para Surfing’s oldest World Champion, Mark ‘Mono’ Stewart (AUS), storms into Final with excellence

Last claiming victory in 2021, three-time World Champion Mark ‘Mono’ Stewart (AUS) stormed into his eighth WPSC Final with an excellent 16.16 heat total. Battling a sickness in 2023, Stewart missed out on the Final for the first time in the history of the event. But in 2024, battling against an even stronger field, the 62-year-old – who holds the record as the oldest WPSC World Champion – is ready to fight for World Title number four.

“That was fun out there today, unreal, really contestable,” Stewart said. “I had such a bad year last year. It was the worst result I’ve ever had at one of these events. So I really want to make up for it this year. And yeah, I’m feeling great, mate. I’m really looking forward to finals day. Thanks to all the Irukandjis too. They’re performing unreal and it’s so supportive this year. It’s one of the strongest teams we’ve ever had. So I’m looking forward to getting in first of the day and supporting them.”

Joining Stewart in the Final will be back-to-back defending World Champion Llywelyn ‘Sponge’ Williams (WAL), two-time medalist Altair Olivares (CHI) and two-time Stand 3 medalist Dariel Melendez (CRC).

The 2024 WPSC will continue tomorrow with men’s Prone 1 Semifinals at 7:00am, PST, at Southside Huntington Beach Pier.