Special coverage presented by the Heroes of May Iquique Pro 2019

Several of the best surfers in the world will be in Iquique next week to compete in the historic Heroes of May Iquique Pro 2019, QS 3000 that will take place once again in the perfect Punta Uno.

The quota of 144 male competitors was completed and two places were missing to complete the quota of 48 women (this does not include the juniors).

There will be almost 300 competitors battling for four podiums next week.

The following list includes 10 heavyweights:

Dusty Payne

A former member of the CT with an outstanding career, he was in the elite for five years. But his greatest fame came from his performances in Hawaii and for being part of the cast of some of the best surfing videos in history, such as Lost Atlas and Modern Collective.

In January of last year he suffered a very serious surfing accident at Pipeline. He was unconscious for several minutes until he was resuscitated on the beach and spent several months in the hospital until he was back on his feet.

Jack robinson

 

The defending champion of the event returns to Chile in a different position than last year: With a good ranking under his belt as he is now sixth, after winning at Pipe and placing third in Newcastle.

His home in Western Australia is full of waves like those in Iquique and that is why he loves to go to Chile every year and why he wins there and in Hawaii. Surely the change from 1500 to 3000 made him decide to travel with more enthusiasm this year.

Gabriel Villaran

He is one of the most respected big wave surfers on the planet, but he also excels in medium and small waves. He was a finalist for the wave of the year at the WSL Big Wave Awards in 2015, and a member of the elite of world big wave surfing for six years, during which time he reached six finals. He was also a silver and bronze medalist in two ISA world championships.

Koa Smith

He is considered one of the best free surfers on the planet. He is rarely seen competing and when he does it is because the waves are good there, which is probably why he chose to be present in Iquique. Last year in Namibia he surfed one of the most incredible waves in history.

Aritz aranburu

The only Spanish-speaking man in history who was part of the CT never tires of traveling around the world trying to return to where he likes most: A tour where the waves are the way he likes them.

Aritz travels to Arica every year and this year he decided to add Iquique to his test calendar. He will surely feel comfortable on the right-handers of Punta 1 that combine sections of tubes with sections of maneuvers.

Anali Gomez

She was ISA World Champion, WSL Junior World Vice Champion, Bolivarian Champion, Pan American Champion and three-time WSL South American Champion. At 32, she is still in impeccable form and can surprise especially in powerful waves.

Leandro Usuna

He was a two-time International Surfing Association world champion, in 2016 and 2011, champion of the South American region of the WSL and a semi-finalist in the Volcom Pipe Pro. He loves the stages in powerful waves and that is why he returns every year to the Chilean leg of the tour,

Noah Mare McGonagle

World Champion of the International Surfing Association in Nicaragua in 2015. He is currently 92nd in the QS but was once ranked 41st. Raised in Pavones, Costa Rica, he has one of the best backside attacks on the planet.

Carlos Muñoz

He is the Latin American who has consistently managed to be closest to qualifying for the CT in the last five years, always placing in the top 50 or close to that group that concentrates the best in the world year after year.

He was also several times in the top 10 of the ISA world championships and won two QS tournaments and one on the junior world tour.

Sofia Mulanovich

The historic Peruvian world champion managed to win the ISA and WSL titles in 2004 and then became vice world champion on two more occasions. She remains active, competing in different events she chooses to attend. She is good at surfing good waves and that is surely why she decided to go to Iquique.