As some of you may already know, the International Surfing Association (ISA) World Masters began with an opening ceremony this past Saturday on April 6, 2013. Surfers and sponsors from 20 countries traveled to Montañita, Ecuador to participate in this world-class surfing tournament. The ceremony started with a parade down the beautiful streets of Montañita where thousands of spectators cheered and waved. The parade ended at the Concha Acustica stage with two participants from each team standing in front of the crowd representing their country.
You might be surprised to hear that the International Surfing Associated was originally founded back in 1964 as a way to govern world-class surfing tournaments. In addition to traditional surfing, the organization also governs bodyboarding, kneeboarding, longboarding, tandem, skimboarding and bodysurfing. While the ISA is a rather old organization, it wasn’t until 2007 when they decided to launch the World Masters surfing tournament. Today, the World Masters is known as the “Olympics” for the sport of surfing.
ISA President Fernando Aguerre expressed his gratitude and admiration for Montañita, Ecuador by saying “I am very happy to see the love of Ecuador’s people for the ocean, and I have high hopes for this championship and that it marks the relationship between people and the ocean.” This is the first time the ISA World Masters has been held in Ecuador, but it probably won’t be the last. Surfers saw excellent waves in the 4-6 foot range during the first day of the World Masters tournament. Wayne Monk of South Africa came away with the highest score during the first day with an impressive 14.57 score, beating out Roni Ronaldo Da Rosa of Brazil.
Day two of the ISA World Masters tournament was full of thrills and spills as well. Wave sizes were roughly the same as the previous day with 4-6 swells that offered ideal conditions for most surfers. The clouds were gone, the sun was out, and the wind was minimal. Layne Beachley scored a near-perfect 19.87 as she rode a monster wave inland. This along with her previous high score cemented her in first place for the women’s division. Robert Reid of the Grand Kahuna division also came away with an impressive score on his final run.
Today is day three of the ISA World Masters, and it’s still anyone’s game. The tournament begins at 7:40 am and will continue throughout the day. Stay tuned and check back in with our blog for more details on the ISA World Masters.