TEAM Philippines made quite a splash at the 2025 ISA World Longboard Championships, winning the team bronze medal and another individual bronze medal courtesy of Rogelio 'JR' Esquivel at El Sunzal in El Salvador.
A national team made up of Crisanto Villanueva, Mara Lopez, Daisy Valdez and Esquivel pooled 2288 points to land a podium place behind runner-up USA (2335) and four-time winner France (2865) in the week-long event that lured 143 surfers from 44 nations.
PH surfers movin' up
That performance improved on the Philippines' copper [fourth place] finish in the only other time it competed in the world championships in 2023 - a mean feat for a team that included Lopez, 14, and Villanueva, both products of the United Philippines Surfers Association's grassroots program.
“Taking pride in our athletes JR, King, Daisy and Mara," said UPSA president Dr. Jose Raul Canlas. "Special mention for Mara, who, at 14 years old, has brought prestige to Philippine surfing. Gratitude to our coaches Bjorn (Pabon) and Wilmar ( Melindo) for their outstanding guidance.
"I would also want to thank the POC community for their unwavering support, the PSC for their faith in Phil Surfing and MVP Sports for being a major part of our grassroots program,“ Canlas added.
Bannering the team was Esquivel, who held his own amid clean, three- to five-foot swells on the final day to clinch the bronze medal in the men's competition behind first-time winner Edouard Delpero of France.
Esquivel also improved on his copper finish from 2023,
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