Day 4 delivered everything: champions crowned, fresh faces, rematches, world-class names, and breakout talent.
Monterrico, Guatemala â July 7, 2025 â After a morning that crowned the first champions of the PASA Games Guatemala 2025 in bodyboard, it was finally time for longboarders and SUP surfers to paddle out. The waves were smaller than previous days, but El Rosario remained a punishing beachbreak: broken leashes were everywhere, and more than one competitor had to swim to shore for backup gear.
That same lineup greeted the eventâs youngest athlete, JoaquĂn Rosato. Born in 2011, the Argentine discovered SUP just two years ago after switching from shortboard. His fearlessness and potential earned him a spot on the national teamâand plenty of affection from his older teammates. âIâm not used to big surf. At home the waves are tiny, so these are probably the biggest of my life, but I felt incredible with everyone cheering,â he said. It took effort to punch through the whitewater, but he managed it and carved a solid cutback on a left, drawing cheers from the beachâmore than many of his rivals could muster in El Rosarioâs tricky surf. Fear? âNone. Iâve done the mental work, seen a sports psychologist, hit the gym, and trained ten straight days with the team.â
Rosato now sits in the quarterfinals alongside heavyweights like Peruâs SebastiĂĄn GĂłmez and Puerto Ricoâs Maximiliano Torresâthe 2023 ISA World SUP & Paddleboard championâwho put on a clinic, smacking the lip on vertical sections. In the womenâs draw, three delegations advanced both athletes directly to Round 2, dodging repechage: Peru (top-seed Vania Torres and MarĂa Celeste Ruiz), Argentina (sisters Cecilia and LucĂa Cosoleto), and Brazil (Aline Adisaka and Kilvia Cardoso). Theyâre joined by Ecuadorâs Xiomara Bowen and Puerto Ricoâs Jazmine Dean.
Three Chileans Reach Menâs Shortboard Semis
Chile has already made history in menâs shortboard: of eight surfers still standing, three wear the Chilean flagâEaster Islandâs Roberto Araki, Maitencilloâs Noel De La Torre, and Puertecilloâs Reimundo Berry. The latter two had to finish a heat that was interrupted yesterday by a technical glitch. National coach Gerald Ălvarez urged them to âreset, stay positive, and prove they belong.â It worked; both advanced. âWeâre not celebrating yetâyes, itâs historic, but our real goal is the long-term Olympic cycle,â Ălvarez said.
Longboard Men Finally Hit the Water
After four days of waiting, the longboarders got their turn. The script went to plan: Uruguayâs Julian Schweizer, Brazilâs Carlos BahĂa, Argentinaâs MatĂas Maturano, and El Salvadorâs Amado Alvarado posted the top performances and skipped repechage. Locals Carlos Escobar and Abner Rivera were less fortunate, dropping into the elimination roundsâcrucial heats if Guatemala hopes to stay in the overall points hunt.
Top single-wave score: Edwin NĂșñez (PAN) â Bodyboard â 8.00
Top heat total: Edwin NĂșñez (PAN) â Bodyboard â 14.77
Watch every heat live at www.pasasurf.org
About the Event
The PASA Games Guatemala 2025 Surf Festival is produced by ASOSURF, the ConfederaciĂłn Deportiva AutĂłnoma de Guatemala, and the Guatemalan Olympic Committee, with essential support from the Municipality of Taxisco (Santa Rosa), Naturalmente Santa Rosa, Hoteles Dos Mundos, Hotel PazĂfico, Johnnyâs Place, El Faro Hotel, Hotel El DelfĂn, Dulce y Salado Hotel, Mangoya Jungle, Hidravida, Maya Jade, Hawaiian Paradise, Hotel San Gregorio, Maya Internacional Transporte TurĂstico, Utz Tzava Beach Hotel, Marbella Ecolodge, Hotel Honolulu, and One Pixel.
About PASA â Pan American Surf Association
Founded in 1992, the Pan American Surf Association (PASA) oversees and promotes surfing across the Americas. An affiliate of the International Surfing Association (ISA) and recognized by Panam Sports, PASA runs all continental qualifiers for the Pan Am Games, drives the sportâs Olympic pathway, and supports the growth of national federations while championing surfing as a healthy lifestyle for the next generation throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and North America.
You must be logged in to post a comment.