Cosoleto Goes Back To Back and Torres Wins First ISA SUP Surfing World Title

LES SABLES D'OLONNE, France – Day three of the 2023 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship (WSUPPC) saw two SUP Surfing World Champions crowned. Though smaller surf changed the dynamics significantly, the in-form surfers still rose to the occasion.

Women's Surfing

After earning the highest scores on the two prior days of competition, defending World Champion Lucia Cosoleto (ARG) started out Finals Day with relegation to repechage after a tight Main Round 3 heat that also featured two of the other three finalists, 2019 World Champion Justine Dupont (FRA) and Billie Scott (NZL). The heat closed out with Dupont using her priority to block Cosoleto, inadvertently earning the Frenchwoman a priority interference against Scott and sending both former World Champions into repechage.

The Final was a different story however, as Cosoleto took an early lead and maintained it throughout, slowly building her scores by utilizing her strong backhand, which consistently delivered the highest numbers of the event for the 27-year-old. A last second wave from Aline Adisaka (BRA) made for an exciting finish, but in the end the Argentine joined Emmy Merrill (USA) and Shakira Westdorp (AUS) as the only women with back-to-back SUP Surfing World Titles.

“Wow, I can’t believe it now,” Cosoleto said. “I’m so happy. It’s an honor to be part of this team. I’m happy with my work. It was hard because I was in the repechage today, but I’m so happy and motivated for the next competitions.”

Adisaka won her first silver medal, adding to her bronze from 2022 and copper from 2017. In her third event, Billie Scott (NZL) earned her first medal, the bronze, equalling Stella Smith’s 2018 bronze medal as the best result for New Zealand in SUP Surfing, while Justine Dupont (FRA) collected her third SUP Surfing medal, adding a copper medal to her silver from 2017 and gold from 2019.

Photos: Gold Medalist Lucia Cosoleto (top left), Silver Medalist Aline Adisaka (top right), Bronze Medalist Billie Scott (bottom left), Copper Medalist Justine Dupont (bottom right). | Photos: ISA / Sean Evans / Jersson Barboza

Men's Surfing

Max Torres (PUR) kicked off Finals Day in high gear. The 21-year-old was the first person in the water at dawn and he carried that energy into an active Main Round 4 heat against the two French competitors, Benoit Carpentier and Gabriel Bachelet. Torres claimed an emotional victory in that heat, with fresh memories of French teammates Carpentier and Clement Rosevro knocking him out in a similar round at Torres’ home in Puerto Rico in the 2022 WSUPPC.

The emotional release from that heat win left Torres with his guard down in Main Round 5, from which he was sent into the repechage. After a talk with his father and the team psychologist reset his energy, Torres swept both the Repechage Final and the Main Event Final, utilizing his speed and progression. It was a historic win for Puerto Rico as Torres earned the first WSUPPC medal for his national team.

“It’s sick, you know, there’s a cool interview I was seeing before competing,” Torres said. “It was the ISA 2019, I believe in El Salvador, and there was a little clip and I was like, ‘My dream is to win a gold medal in the ISA,’ and look at me now. I worked hard for this and I’m here now. It feels awesome.”

2019 World Champion Benoit Carpentier (FRA) slowly built throughout the competition and, with today’s conditions playing to his strengths, the three-time medalist was looking solid to take home a second gold medal. The extra speed in Torres’ maneuvers proved no match however, and despite the Frenchman holding the silver medal position through much of the Final, Wes Fry (AUS) was able to jump ahead in the dying moments.

Fry and Kai Bates (AUS) took home silver and copper respectively, both Australians winning their first medals in their second WSUPPC event. It is the first time two Australians have made a SUP Surfing Final since the very first event, Fry and Bates placing exactly the same as Justin Holland and Jackson Close did in that event in Peru in 2012. Meanwhile, Carpentier added to his growing medal collection, a second bronze medal joining his gold from 2019 and silver from 2022.

Photos: Gold Medalist Max Torres (top left), Silver Medalist Wes Fry (top right), Bronze Medalist Benoit Carpentier (bottom left), Copper Medalist Kai Bates (bottom right). | Photos: ISA / Sean Evans / Jersson Barboza

France maintains the lead in the team rankings ahead of Puerto Rico, Spain, Japan and Italy as the competition transitions into the racing divisions tomorrow.

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:

“Congratulations to our SUP Surfing World Champions and to each of the medalists. Every year these incredible athletes continue to push the boundaries. What an exciting few days of competition in beautiful Les Sables d’Olonne.”

Competition will continue tomorrow at La Grande Plage at 10:30 am CEST with the Men’s SUP Technical Race Semifinals.

RESULTS

Women’s SUP Surfing

Gold - Lucia Cosoleto (ARG)
Silver - Aline Adisaka (BRA)
Bronze - Billie Scott (NZL)
Copper - Justine Dupont (FRA)

Men’s SUP Surfing

Gold - Max Torres (PUR
Silver - Wes Fry (AUS)
Bronze - Benoit Carpentier (FRA)
Copper - Kai Bates (AUS)

For more news on the 2023 ISA World SUP & Paddleboard Championships click HERE.