The ninth edition of the 2024 ISA World Para Surfing Championship (WPSC) wrapped up in perfect conditions at Huntington Beach, crowning fourteen new World Champions on an exciting Finals Day.
This final day added to the four champions named the day before, showcasing some of the highest performance levels in the competition’s history.
In the team event, France claimed their second consecutive Team World Championship, narrowly edging out the USA after a close three-year rivalry.
France secured ten medals overall, including two gold, silver, and bronze medals, plus four copper medals.
Australia, entering with one of their strongest teams in recent years, won Bronze, marking their first team podium finish since 2017.
Spain, the 2020 Team World Champion, returned to the podium with a Copper medal, matching their performance from 2022 after missing out last year.
Notable individual performances saw Charlotte Banfield (ENG), Freddy Marimon (COL), and Jocelyn Neumueller (AUS) each earn their second World Titles.
Banfield claimed consecutive wins, while Marimon and Neumueller made triumphant returns to the top of the podium.
Marimon’s victory was particularly meaningful, as he adopted a new technique this season, a departure from the style that won him his first World Title in 2018 at just 13.
At 19, he displayed his improvement, outpacing close rival Davi Teixeira (BRA) in a thrilling final.
Although Teixeira held the lead late in the heat, Marimon’s combined score of 16.93 narrowly edged out Teixeira’s 16.63, securing him the Gold by just 0.30 points.
Five multi-time World Champions further solidified their legacies, including Alelí Medina (PUR), Elias Ricardo Diel (BRA), and Llywelyn "Sponge" Williams (WAL), each taking their third Golds. Victoria Feige (CAN) extended her record to five Golds in Para Surfing, and Marta Paço (POR) and Sarah Bettencourt (USA) joined the elite ranks by winning their fourth titles.
Both Paço and Bettencourt emphasized that the growing competitiveness and skill in women’s Para Surfing is just as rewarding as their individual victories.
Six divisions crowned new World Champions this year. Pierot Gagliano (FRA), Zoe Smith (ENG), Luciano Silveira (BRA), Audrey Pascual (ESP), Kai Colless (AUS), and JP Veaudry (RSA) each won their first Gold.
Silveira, competing in his first championship, made an impressive debut in the Stand 3 division, posting an 18.66 total with a 9.83 single wave score—one of the highest in the event.
Colless narrowly won over his teammate and defending champion Joel Taylor (AUS) with a total score of 16.76 to Taylor’s 15.64, highlighting an intense rivalry.
Audrey Pascual finally clinched her first Gold in her fifth final appearance, besting a competitive field that included Erin Koffel (USA), 2023 Silver Medalist Vera Quaresma (BRA), and two-time champion Emma Dieters (AUS). Pascual’s standout ride, a 7.83, gave her the advantage she needed for a well-deserved victory.
ISA President Fernando Aguerre praised the event, reflecting on the ISA’s journey since its inception as the Adaptive Surfing World Championships.
He emphasized the competition’s message of resilience and hope, promising to continue advocating for Paralympic Surfing and supporting the Para Surfing community.
