Who Will Win the 2024 WSL Longboard World Title?

On the men’s side it’s similar - Kaniela Stewart would be a favorite to win given his 2023 victory, but he’s coming in ranked sixth meaning he has a big Central American volcano to climb if he wants to bring home his maiden title. In prime position is veteran Taylor Jensen who won two events this year, so dominant he didn’t even need to go to the third in Abu Dhabi. The wave also suits Jensen’s surfing - he’s a powerful surfer and can make the rockiest of seas look silky smooth. But, last year he bombed, going down to John “Johnny the Ripper” Michael Van Hohenstein in the round of 16 so that could be on his mind as he comes in as the top seed. Johnny the Ripper finaled last year and has made two finals this season - he’s due for a win and coming into the event as second seed he could just peak at the right moment. Just below him is Filipino goofy foot Rogelio “JR” Esquivel whose home break in the Philippines is remarkably similar to the wave so has some series reps dealing with the pace and chop. 

Just behind JR is reigning World Champion Kai Sallas who also won this year’s ISA World Championship which was held at the same wave and behind him is Ben “Skindog” Skinner who in 2023 dropped some of the biggest scores of the event and who has headed above nine consistently this whole year. Sitting at number seven is 2018 World Champion, fresh off a victory in Abu Dhabi, South African Steven Sawyer. If there is one person who could pull off a win from seventh seed to take a World Title it would be Sawyer. Sawyer missed the first two events of the regular season and came back for one event in the Middle East and won it. Because Jensen had won the previous two events and hoarded the bulk of the points, Sawyer’s win was enough to propel him into the top eight and give him a shot to claim his second title. He won his first in Taiwan at a wave that also has a lot of similarities to El Sunzal - chunky and bumpy. 

The biggest threat to Soleil’s chance of claiming a fourth World Title in the women’s draw is probably the two surfers right behind her in the rankings. All three of the top seeds going into the finals won an event in the regular season with Alice Lemoigne coming straight off a dominant performance in the pool in Abu Dhabi and Rachael Tilly claiming the US Open at Huntington a few months ago. Frenchwoman Lemoigne has won an ISA World Title at the wave and thrives in powerful conditions, likely due to her years of experience logging waves like St Leu in Reunion. 2015 World Champion Rachael Tilly has had a stellar year, returning to World Title form and looking sharp every heat this season. She also dropped some big scores in El Salvador last year, finding a way to use the power to her advantage to surf with some serious flow. 

Japan’s Natsumi Taoka has had a fairytale season this year and goes into El Salvador ranked fourth. Taoka has spent the last few years on the requalification bubble, being forced to go back to the qualifying series to regain her place. But this year she came out guns blazing, making the final of the first event at Bells and semis at Huntington. Taoka’s quick clean footwork is her biggest strength, even in the big fast chop. Right behind her is France’s Zoe Grospiron who is trending upwards, making the semis at Bells, the final in Abu Dhabi and has earned her stripes in El Salvador making back to back ISA World Championship finals in the location. Behind Grospiron are Hawaiians Honolua Blomfield who can never be counted out despite sitting at sixth seed and Kelis Kaleopa’a who was the biggest challenger to Ericco’s dominance for the last two years. 

So while Errico and Jensen remain the favorites to take the title this year, the race is actually still up in the air. It will be a battle of endurance to see who can withstand and prevail in the long hot paddle and climb their way to the top spot. 

The event will run over a single day from October 9-13.