ISA World Junior Surfing Championship 2022 Kicks Off in El Salvador
For 10 days, El Salvador will be hosting the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship. 149 juniors will be competing to win the gold, with the winner being crowned on June 5 at the event’s closing ceremony at El Sunzal.
In the header pic: ISA President, Fernando Aguerre (c) and Minister of Tourism, Morena Valdez following today’s press conference with Team El Salvador and Team’s USA’s Zoe Benedetto. Photo: ISA / Pablo Franco
Press Release:
World Junior Surfing Returns as 45 Teams Prepare to Compete for ISA Gold in El Salvador
The 2022 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Junior Surfing Championship is all set to bring junior surfing back to the international stage for the first time since 2019. A record-breaking 419 surfers, representing 45 teams are prepared to perform on their quest for gold, starting on Friday May 27th with the Opening Ceremony.
With 233 boys and 186 girls competing, the championship takes a big step closer to the ISA’s goal of full gender equality at 55 percent male to 45 percent female.
For El Salvador, the World Junior Surfing Championship is more than a sport competition. It’s a national platform to open the country to the globe as a world class destination. It’s also a moment for boys and girls from around the world to gather peacefully through surfing and to celebrate everything the ocean has to give us.
The Opening Ceremony is set to start tomorrow at 4pm at El Sunzal with ISA’s signature “Sands of the World” ceremony. The “Sands of the World” is a significant moment in all ISA events, where a member from each team pours sand from their local beach into a single receptacle, symbolizing the peaceful gathering of nations of the world through surfing.
In today’s press conference, the Minister of Tourism, Morena Valdez, ISA President, Fernando Aguerre and the whole surf team from El Salvador shared their excitement and anticipation for the start of the event.
ISA President, Fernando Aguerre during his message to the Juniors. Photo: ISA / Pablo Franco
ISA President Fernando Aguerre, said:
“Gabriel Medina, Stephanie Gilmore, Tom Curren and many others have been ISA World Junior champions. What you do here as athletes will have a great impact on all of your careers.”
“Enjoy the waves and take care of the ocean, without it there is no surf. This endless resource of happiness that is the ocean needs to be taken care of.”
“Only a couple of weeks after President Nayib Bukele assumed the presidency back in 2019, he got in contact with me and we started talking about working together to develop El Salvador’s future with surfing. Surfing relates to tourism certainly, but it’s also a healthy life path for younger generations.”
El Salvador Tourism Minister Morena Valdez, said:
“I want to thank the ISA and the Organizing Committee for the hard work, and the local athletes for representing us.”
“The impact on the local economy of running this event is huge and it positions El Salvador as a real world-class surf destination.”
Julissa Moody, El Salvador Athlete said:
“I’m super happy to have so many countries represented here and to be competing against the highest level of surfing around the world. Welcome to El Salvador! Enjoy our culture and our waves.”
Zoe Benedetto, US Athlete said:
“I’m so excited to be competing here at El Salvador. The World Juniors is always such a fun competition.”
The 2022 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Junior Surfing Championship will be broadcast live May 27 – June 5 on isasurf.org
The schedule is as follows:
May 27 – Opening Ceremony: 4:00pm, El Sunzal
May 28 – June 5 – Competition at La Bocana and El Sunzal
June 5 – Closing Ceremony at El Sunzal following the close of competition
