That look when you know you’ve arrived. Photo: Pat Nolan//World Surf League
Kids in Mazatlán, Mexico don’t grow up dreaming of calling the world’s biggest surf contests. The idea is almost unthinkable. Yet Mitchell Salazar has become one of the voices of the World Surf League (WSL), giving children across Latin America an example to follow.
At 31, Salazar has already come a long way. Raised in Sinaloa – a state better known for cartel violence than surfing – he moved to Costa Mesa, California at 22. There, he carved his own way: competing on the WSL Qualifying Series, picking up small (and sometimes unpaid) broadcast gigs, and building a résumé that eventually earned him one of the few coveted seats in the Championship Tour booth alongside Joe Turpel, Kaipo Guerrero, and Strider Wasilewski. Against the odds, he made it.
When he was finally called up to the big leagues to work his first CT broadcast – the 2021 event in Barra de la Cruz, Mexico – it took a bit for the milestone to sink in.
“I realized after the first round, ‘You know what? I’m here,’” said Salazar. “I didn’t know how long it was going to last, but I was going to make it last as long as I could.”
Working alongside broadcast greats Turpel and Chris Cote gave Salazar the validation he needed, but his confidence grew even more while commentating that first event with Mexican surf legend Kalle Carranza – a childhood idol. Once just a face who graced the cover of SURFER magazine, Carranza soon became a colleague and close friend.
Salazar, during his QS days. Photo: Courtesy MS
Four years on, Salazar has become a fixture in WSL broadcasts, working nearly two dozen CT events along with stops on the Challenger Series. In a booth mostly dominated by a homogeneous, monolingual mix of Hawaiians, Australians, and Americans, he stands out with a bicultural perspective and fluency in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Salazar’s list of idols runs long: He reveres Carranza as a Mexican surfing pioneer, admires the surfing of Andy Irons, the discipline of Kelly Slater, the energy of NBA commentator Mike Breen, and the greatness of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. But it’s his work alongside Emmy Award–winning Joe Turpel that has given him a trove of knowledge to hone his craft.
“One of the biggest things I often talk about with Joe is to be your own person,” said Salazar. “When you try to compete too much with others, and you’re not being your authentic self, it takes away from what you’re trying to do. That resonated with me.”
While Salazar has received his fair share of kudos, becoming such a public figure has also brought corresponding criticism. It comes with the territory of doing your job in front of millions.
“I’m not too harsh on myself because sometimes I have to talk about criticism towards the athletes, too,” said Salazar. “The worst thing you can do is go on social media and look into it a lot. You’re going to go down a big rabbit hole. I know what I’m doing, and as long as I’m keeping my employers happy, and the majority of the audience happy, then I’ve done my job.”
Salazar has endured too much to be rattled by petty internet comments. Raised by a single father in Mexico and estranged from his mother, he overcame childhood leukemia before becoming the first in his family to earn a college degree, studying sociology at Cal State Fullerton. He later began a master’s in mass communications but put it on hold as his commentating career took off.
Before discovering surf commentary, he hoped to become a social worker and help kids like himself.
“Growing up in a broken family, I wanted to go into social work,” he said. “I know what it’s like to be in that environment where things aren’t easy or perfect. I want to help people in similar situations. Overcoming that kind of adversity, both with my family and financially, was my biggest challenge.”
The man can still push water around, which makes him really qualified for the job. Photo: Courtesy MS
Beyond live broadcasts, Salazar also talks surfing with Dave Prodan on the WSL’s Lineup podcast. His passion for surfing is palpable, and he says he’s especially excited to watch the CT’s new generation of young surfers bloom. He’s also a strong supporter of the decision to scrap non-elimination rounds in the revamped 2026 CT format.
While Salazar can push serious water with his powerful goofyfoot surfing, his ambitions extend beyond the ocean. He grew up playing basketball and baseball in Mexico, and he hopes to bring his broadcasting skills to ball sports as well. He’s just as comfortable breaking down a roundhouse cutback as he is the mechanics of hitting a baseball.
Even with his success in surfing, Salazar hasn’t forgotten his roots. His father still lives in Mazatlán, where Mitch helps run the family business remotely and makes regular trips to stay connected with his hometown.
Salazar currently works CT gigs on a one-off basis but hopes to secure a yearly contract. Regardless of what comes next, he keeps perspective on how far he’s come.
“The main thing is to enjoy my work and appreciate life,” Salazar concluded. “I don’t take anything for granted. I count my blessings because not many people can say that they do this for a living.”
Mitchell Salazar was never supposed to be a face of surfing. But he is. And just as he once walked through a door opened by Kalle Carranza, he’s now paving a path for the next small-town kid far from the sport’s spotlight to grab the baton and carry it even further.
