Surf City El Salvador – September 12, 2026
Finals Day was defined on the penultimate day of competition at the 2026 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC). With competition now down to the single podium at La Bocana, the cobblestone peak offered clean three-to-five-foot surf as the Semifinalists were determined in the U/18 Girls, U/18 Boys, and U/16 Girls divisions, joining the U/16 Boys Semifinalists, who were decided yesterday.
Australia Strengthens Chances to Three-Peat With Eight Surfers Into Finals Day
Team Australia continued its dominant run to guarantee at least the silver medal. Carrying eight surfers into Finals Day – two in each of the four divisions – compared to three competitors overall for their closest rivals, USA and Brazil, the back-to-back defending champions have all but secured their three-peat. It’s not set in stone yet, however, Team USA are still in contention for the gold medal, while Brazil, Peru, and Japan continue in the fight for the remaining medals.
The first heat of the event to include two Australians resulted in the day’s only elimination for the team. Featuring teammates Talia Tebb (AUS) and Eliza Richardson (AUS) against Sofia Arteda (PER) and Zoe Panettiere (USA), it was a highly consequential matchup for the teams race. Panettiere opened with the best score of the heat, a 6.00, but struggled with her backup, while Tebb built a narrow lead. Richardson soon secured a solid number of her own, but across three separate attempts could not complete a backup ride. Panettiere held onto second to boost USA’s medal chances, while Arteda’s elimination halted Peru’s climb up the rankings.
“It felt good out there, got a couple of alright waves, stoked to get through another round,” Tebb said. “It’s a bummer my Aussie mate Eliza [Richardson] couldn’t get through. She’s surfing so well, big shout-out to her. We’ve actually been staying in a room together which has been good fun, and I’m sure she’ll still bring the vibes and energy for everyone else in the draw. We have a good connection and it’s pretty special to share some heats, just a bummer we couldn’t both get through.”
Lucy Darragh (AUS), the 2025 U/16 Girls bronze medalist, closed out the day with the highest single-wave score for the girls today, an 8.17. The WSL Challenger Series competitor advanced ahead of Takihei Ellacott (TAH) into the Semifinals, where the pair will join Tebb, Panettiere, Valentina Escudero (PER), and Alani Morse (NZL) to contest for the Final.
Jett Maughan Leads Finals Day Field as Dylan Donegan’s Title Defense Comes to Dramatic End
A rollercoaster of a day played out for defending U/18 Boys World Junior Champion Dylan Donegan (ESP), who creased his board on the first wave of his Round 5 heat, before injuring himself on his first wave in Round 6. The first surfer in WJSC history to win the gold medal across the two divisions waited over three-quarters of his 20-minute U/18 Boys Round 5 heat to catch his first fateful wave. An intense battle for second place then played out across the final few minutes between Donegan and Michael Monteiro (ITA), who had also struggled to lock in a decent score while Jett Maughan (USA) had run away with the heat. With the clock ticking down, Donegan activated, first locking in small scores on single maneuvers, before finally finding the one he was after, closing out with a 6.57 to secure advancement.
Ryan Martins, Team Brazil. Credit: ISA / Pablo Jimenez
In the heat prior to Donegan’s unfortunate Round 6 exit, Maughan had continued his dominance to post the event’s highest heat total, 16.57. A crisp three turns down the line on a long right earned the first excellent score of the day for Maughan, an 8.17, before the 17-year-old closed out the heat with a lofty air reverse for an 8.40.
“I’m so stoked right now, my surfing is feeling great,” Maughan said. “I had two good scores on the board and I was just like, last wave of the heat, time was almost up, I might as well have just gone for it. No one went on it and I was just like, ‘All right, I’ll take it.’ The rights were so good in that heat, and as a regular footer they’re just so fun. I’ve just been so nervous, so to finally get to Finals Day is just insane. I’m so happy. The plan for tomorrow is the same. Same board, same strategy, same everything. Same trunks.”
After posting the top numbers of Round 5, 2025 U/16 World Junior Champion Ocean Lancaster (AUS) progressed in second behind Maughan, with Tiago Sorrentino (MEX), John Muller (BRA), Ryan Martins (BRA), and Ben Zanatta Creagh (AUS) rounded out the Semifinals for the division. Sorrentino’s performance guaranteed the best WJSC result for Mexico since Alan Cleland’s (MEX) U/18 Boys silver medal finish in 2019.
Victoria Muñoz Larreta Advances as Key Eliminations Shake Team Race
Topping the performances in U/18 Girls Round 5 was Argentina’s Victoria Muñoz Larreta (ARG), who built from a single hit that earned a 5.67, to a 7.17 for a long right to take a commanding victory in an otherwise tight heat that had major implications for the teams race. With Brazil’s Luara Mandelli (BRA) securing second, Team USA’s Olivia Storrer (USA) and Hawaii’s event standout Skai Suitt (HAW) were both eliminated – a big hit for both teams, especially after Victoria Duprat (USA) and U’ilani Nakao (HAW) were also knocked out in the following heats. For Muñoz Larreta, a WJSC veteran in her final year, the result guaranteed she will at least equal her 5th place finish in U/16 Girls achieved in 2023.
“I’m so happy. I feel really good in these waves and making it to Finals Day is really good,” Muñoz Larreta said. “I took two rights and those were the best waves. I feel really good with these conditions and I think this is the best place in the world. I want to thank the team that was out there supporting me. Now just keep going with everything and keep enjoying this place.”
Leihani Zoric (AUS) and Zoie Zietz (NED) also claimed Round 5 wins to secure their place in the Semifinals, with Kanon Takahashi (JPN) and Stella Green (AUS) advancing behind them, respectively.
Competition will continue tomorrow, Sunday, September 13, at 7:30 a.m. CST with U/16 Boys Semifinals at La Bocana.
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