Last Olympic Qualifier To Be Held At Puerto Rican Slab - Stab Mag
1630 Views
The view looking into the right at Margara. Demonstrably different than any other venue featured at the ISA World Surfing Games. Photo: Jorge Rivera

Last Olympic Qualifier To Be Held At Puerto Rican Slab

The 2024 ISA World Games could feature the heaviest waves in the event’s history.

elsewhere // Mar 20, 2023
Words by Christian Bowcutt
Reading Time: 2 minutes

It appears the International Surfing Association is taking baby steps to Teahupo’o.

The International Surfing Association (ISA) announced this week that the 2024 World Games will be held in Arecibo, on the northern coast of Puerto Rico.

The primary wave is slated to be Margara, a lesser-known reef break. In my YouTube searches of the wave, the first thing that pops up are bodyboard edits — bodyboarders being the unsung heroes of slab pioneering.

A taste of Margara. In the first minute of this clip you’ll see enough to understand the difference between 2024’s ISA World Games and every single one before it.

This is a departure from any other wave featured at the ISA World Games. In the past five years the Games have taken place at:

2017: A French beach break.

2018: A Japanese beach break.

2019: A Japanese beach break.

2021: A Salvadoran beach break.

2022: Huntington Beach pier.

2023: A Salvadoran beach break (this May/June).

While these spots offered contestable conditions each year, they were safe and user-friendly. This is because the Games are similar to the World Baseball Classic in that the best in the world, at least initially, compete with those not much better than your average “9-5’er” (like the U.S. facing Great Britain last week).

The ISA World Games features surfers from countries like Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Iran, where surfing is just beginning to take hold. Holding the contest at a wave like HB Pier all but guarantees that any surfer can make the paddle out, catch a wave, and reach the beach unscathed.

The same promise cannot be made in Puerto Rico. As you’ll see in the clip above, the wave is no teletubbie. I’d venture to say that, at its best, the wave is halfway to Teahupo’o’s power. While this will allow countries to dip their toes into the proverbial pond before Tahiti, it will also likely be problematic for those countries who have never sampled a slab before. Should be a fun broadcast.

John Wayne = the International Surfing Association. Kid = developing surf nations. Pond = Margara slab.

Anyways, here’s what’s at stake at this years 2023 ISA World Surfing Games (in El Salvador) and next year’s 2024 ISA World Games (in Puerto Rico) according to the ISA and the International Olympic Committee:

2023 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games: “The Games will serve as the second event in the Olympic Qualification process, with four slots up for grabs for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games (to be held in Tahiti). In El Salvador, the four top ranked surfers by continent for each gender will qualify 1 place each by name”.

2024 ISA World Surfing Games: “The 2024 WSG will see the culmination of two years of Olympic qualification, with a total of 14 Olympic slots up for grabs. Puerto Rico will see surfing history made as the top five ranking eligible men and top seven ranking eligible women claim their slots.”

“National team dynamics will be in full effect for the 2024 WSG, as the top-ranked Men’s and Women’s national teams will each earn an additional slot for their nation. The 2022 WSG in Huntington Beach saw intense action as the Japanese Men’s team and USA Women’s team earned additional slots for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, so be held in Tahiti’s famous Teahupo’o.”

All things considered, 2024 is set to be the most exciting ISA World Games ever run — if there’s swell.

It may be just a baby step to Teahupo’o, but it’s a giant leap for many of surfing’s newest countries.

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Professional Surfing Returns To The Ocean 33% Lighter Than Before

Here’s your Surf City El Salvador Pro preview.

Jun 8, 2023

Toes On The Sand At The 2023 ISA World Surf Games

Gallery: Here's what it looks like to wander around surfing's Olympic qualifier.

Jun 8, 2023

Jordy Smith Just Became Alan Cleland’s Favorite Surfer

Al Cleland, Tati Weston-Webb, and Team Peru find Gold — but México still needs a…

Jun 8, 2023

439 Minutes Of Stab In The Dark

Looking back through seven hours and eight years of unfiltered board testing.

Jun 7, 2023

5 Surfers Qualify For Olympics And 14 CTers Are Out Of The ISA World Games

Plus an interview with Team India on their first time competing.

Jun 6, 2023

Surfers VS Manopause

On aging ungracefully.

Jun 6, 2023

Snake’s Measured Hot Take On The Surf Ranch Imbroglio

'Cop it on the chin and move on'.

Jun 4, 2023

How John John Lost To A Surfer From Germany

The underdogs are barking: here's what's happened at the 2023 ISA World Games thus far.

Jun 3, 2023

SEOTY: This German-Born, Spanish-Speaking Ubermensch’s Clip Is For The Every-mensch

Watch Leon Glatzer make the ocean his Autobahn in "Águila".

Jun 3, 2023

Made Lana’s Special Relationship

Sunset at The Edge with Uluwatu's favourite son.

Jun 1, 2023

4:40

“We Woke Up And A Bear Had Chewed A Wetsuit To Bits”

Didn't know there were so many slabs in Canada, eh?

May 31, 2023

Britt Merrick Becomes Winningest SITD Shaper

Here's how he did it.

May 31, 2023

2023 ISA World Games Preview: Olympic Ballyhoo With 4 New Countries Competing

And why El Salvador’s President says that surfing is “one of the pillars” of the…

May 31, 2023

WSL CEO Erik Logan Responds To ‘Unfair Judging’ Claims In Open Letter

“It is a breach of league policy, for surfers to choose not to engage with…

May 30, 2023

16:36

‘Vertentes’ Is 16-Minutes Of Seamless Surfing And Self-Animated Artisanship

Time off tour has done nothing but good for Tomas Hermes.

May 30, 2023

The Man Who Tortures Surfboards For Science

Here's what Dr. Luca Oggiano and Donald Brink think surfboard manufacturers are getting wrong.

May 30, 2023

Gabriel Medina Gives Scathing Review Of WSL Judging After Controversial Surf Ranch Final

‘The surf community has been mesmerized by the poor clarity and consistency of judging for…

May 29, 2023

Griffin Colapinto And Carissa Moore Lift Lumber At Groundhog Day Rodeo

"There's so much in your control that you almost overthink things."

May 29, 2023
Advertisement