Al Cleland found his groove at Punta Roca. Fourteen heats left to crown champions in El Salvador. Photo: Oscar Jimenez//WSL
After several wave-starved Championship Tour events, Punta Roca has been a refreshing change. The WSL’s technical team must be sleeping well with a forecast that can do no wrong. Even a torrential tropical storm failed to derail the El Salvador Pro. Competition resumed today in solid, clean surf, wrapping up men’s round three and setting the stage for the quarterfinals when action resumes Friday.
Between breakout performances and world title implications, there’s plenty to talk about with 14 heats remaining. Here are three storylines to keep an eye on for the final stretch in El Salvador.
Punta Roca broke slumps
For several surfers who had been struggling thus far on the 2026 CT, El Salvador was the antidote to get them back on track. Al Cleland, Callum Robson, and Marco Mignot all made their first quarterfinals of the season at the cobblestone point break.
In Cleland’s case, he said he had felt the support of his fellow Latin Americans. It was the first time he’d passed a heat this season. He took down Griffin Colapinto in round two — a former champion in El Salvador — and Barron Mamiya in round three. Now, Gabriel Medina waits for him in the quarters. Medina’s already taken Cleland down twice this year.
Oscar Berry is the only surfer left on the tour who has yet to win a heat this year.
The women’s draw is a slugfest
While the pumping conditions at Punta Roca have opened the door for new names to advance in the men’s draw, they’ve had the opposite effect on the women’s side. The star surfers have prevailed in good surf.
One side of the draw features two world champ matchups: Caroline Marks versus Molly Picklum and Caity Simmers versus Tyler Wright. On the other side, five-time world champ Carissa Moore will take on Luana Silva, currently number two in the rankings. Moore, coming off a win in New Zealand, looks primed to reassert herself as the surfer to beat after taking a two-year sabbatical from the tour.
The one exception is Anat Lelior, who qualified for her first quarterfinal. She’ll face rankings leader Gabriela Bryan.
Italo’s stitches haven’t stopped him yet
Everyone loves an underdog story. Even though Italo Ferreira is the rankings leader and a former world champion, his status in the event was put in jeopardy when he was run over by a longboard while teaching his girlfriend how to surf. Doctors gave his knee eight stitches just two days before the event window.
But the wrap on his right knee hasn’t appeared to hinder him too much. Even with the injury, he took down Ramzi Boukhiam in round two and Crosby Colapinto in round three. Today, he pulled off a late-drop belly ride that transitioned seamlessly into a bottom turn to top turn.
Italo Ferreira has a third and a pair of fifths in El Salvador, but he’s never made the final. It would be impressive if he managed to do so with stitches in a crucial joint. He’ll face Kauli Vaast in the quarterfinals, and could be on a collision course with Gabriel Medina in the semis if he advances.
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