Special coverage presented by Surf City - El Salvador Travel - Cover photo: Stairmand is in with a big chance. By WSL/Dunbar 

In addition to the world title, the Pan American qualification and the Bali qualification, one of the most important factors that the Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games has.

The best eligible surfer from Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa will be qualifying for Paris 2024 (as long as they meet the quality requirement of being top 30; if the requirement is not met, it goes to the next surfer not yet qualified who is eligible for this same event).

Therefore, it is important to evaluate what is happening continent by continent:

Oceania

It's pretty easy to point to New Zealand as favourites to take this slot. Australia will qualify its four surfers through the CT, which is the highest ranking.

Although a lot of care can be taken with American Samoa, who had good results in the longboard world championship and are repeating as a team on the board.

Guam has a weak team and the same goes for Mauritius.

Africa

At the men's level, Moroccan Ramzi Boukhiam is the clear favourite to repeat the qualification he achieved in Miyazaki 2019 for Tokyo 2020. His compatriot Teva Bochegua can give him some support.

The thing is that Jordy Smith and Matthew McGillvray of South Africa are practically in via CT.

But other talents from the African continent also enter the fray here, such as Senegalese Cherif Fall, who is surfing very well.

At the women's level, the South Africans enter the fray and are favourites (as in 2019, when Bianca Buitendag qualified): Sarah Baum is the favourite and she will basically fight against her compatriots Zoe Steyn and Danielle Powis.

There is a Moroccan Maryam Elgardoum who does not have the level of those mentioned.

Asia

The Asian qualifiers are going to be very interesting with several talented teams. Japan is the strongest, but Indonesia and the Philippines, to name just two teams, are strong contenders.

Even China has been bringing talents lately and South Korea may surprise.

Europe

This is the toughest qualifier. Without any French players in the men's CT (Huscenot will not get there via the CT), they will be pulling out their teeth here.

Spain, France, Italy, England, Germany, Israel and all the teams from non-traditional countries that bring strong surfers like Belgium, Finland and the Netherlands, just to mention three…

The European qualification is by far the most contested of all in this World Cup.