Jamaican surfers gear up for brutal waves at ISA World Games

LA LIBERTAD, EL SALVADOR:

The world’s surfing elite have descended upon the pristine right-hand point break of La Bocana, as the International Surfing Association’s (ISA) World Surfing Games (WSG) kicks off in Surf City, El Salvador today.

Among the 297 athletes from 61 nations chasing glory are Jamaica’s three-man contingent, poised to make a splash and climb the global rankings from their current position of 37th.

The competition is fierce, featuring a who’s who of the sport. The line-up includes 22 Olympians, headlined by Paris 2024 gold medallist Kauli Vaast of France and Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Amuro Tsuzuki of Japan.

They are joined by legends of the event like Australia’s four-time WSG gold medallist Sally Fitzgibbons and Argentina’s two-time champion Leandro Usuna.

But, for Team Jamaica, the focus is on redemption and progression. The journey begins early this morning with the nation’s second-ranked surfer, Javaun Brown, paddling out in the very first heat of the competition. He will face Spain’s Luis Diaz and Panama’s Jean Carlos Gonzalez.

For Brown, the venue holds a forgettable memory from two years ago, where an early exit in the opening round meant he had to drop down to the repechage round. This time, he is determined to write a different story.

“This time around, I’m going to give it more than my all, so I would say 110 per cent. I’m going to push through as best as possible and surf like I normally surf when I’m free surfing.”

Later today, the team’s top seed, Elishama Beckford, will enter the fray in heat five. He is set for a tough battle against Spain’s Yago Dominguez and another Panamanian, Teo Gale Grani. Forecasted larger swells have done little to dampen Beckford’s confidence.

“The waves are going to be a bit bigger, but I am prepared. I am looking to put on a show despite the bigger waves and tougher conditions, as I have surfed this spot around four times now, so I am more familiar with the conditions.”

Rounding out the Jamaican effort on Sunday will be Ackeam Phillips in the 45th heat. His strategy is a study in focused simplicity as he prepares to take on Spain’s Ruben Vitoria and Panama’s Kai Gale Grani.

“I am just going out there to catch the best waves in the set and do what I came here to do. The boards I am surfing feel good under my feet, and that will help me to execute.”