Discovery in El Salvador: Because man does not live on the right alone

Bryan Pérez presents his secret courtyard of tubular left-handers; “There are left-handers, lots of them, you just have to look for them,” he says in an interview


November 26, 2020
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Presents Surf City El Salvador  - Water photos by Jorge Carranza. Land photos by José González

For a professional who travels around the world surfing waves of all kinds, being a local to one of the best right-handers on the planet like Punta Roca can be a disadvantage for the obvious reason that unfortunately not all countries have the same wave. And what's more, it only breaks in one direction.

Facing this problem, and as a dedicated professional that he is, Bryan Pérez went out into the land of the right to look for lefts and as he says, he was “amazed” by the waves he found.

And the photos are surprising: Bryan is a big guy and he stands up for left-handed shots.

So, yes, in El Salvador there are many perfect right-wing parties, some of the best in the world… But there are also good left-wing parties.

Below Bryan tells a little about them.

Bryan riding a Salvadoran barrel, on the other side of the one he is used to at home. "There is a left, of course I can't say the name, which is quite similar to Puerto Escondido, it's a great tube, a beach break and it breaks on the sand. Left and right tubes, super, super strong, heavy," he says in the interview. All water photos by Jorge Carranza

In the end there are more lefts than we thought in El Salvador... And more tubulars, what can you say about this wave?
Yes, we have a lot of amazing waves. The country is known for its right-handers, there are points everywhere, but there are also super good left-handers that are incredible.

I have taken the time to look for different waves and I have found some incredible lefts, with tubes and sections for maneuvers, you can do everything in the waves.

And it's also very consistent, there are always waves. I'm really amazed by the waves we have, they're incredible and they don't only happen at the points but also on the lefts.

The truth is that I am very happy to have this paradise, with waves to the left and to the right. It is a blessing.

"The truth is that it makes me very happy to have this paradise, with waves to the left and to the right. It's a blessing."

What does it feel like to have surfed abroad?
There is a left, of course I can't say the name, that looks a lot like Puerto Escondido, it's a great tube, a beach break and it breaks on the sand. Left and right tubes, super, super strong, heavy, but they are incredible tubes that you can even stand on.

What is the bottom line, how dangerous is it?
There are some with a rocky bottom and others with sand, which are really good. They are not that dangerous, they are just stronger, but anyone can get the tube of their life there.

Do you ever go to compete on lefts and you're lacking it? Or, thanks to waves like this one, or like La Bocana, you're confident that your backside is fine?
The ALAS is coming, which will be on the left, and the World Cup will be on two podiums, Bocana and El Zonte, so there will also be a left.

The truth is that with everything related to the quarantine, where we cannot leave the country, I have realized that my backside has improved a lot and I have surfed quite a few left waves here that have helped me improve my backside and trust it.

My backside is improving every day, I always put in hard training so that it is equal to the frontside.

With these lefts that we have in El Salvador, one can improve a lot, so I am focused on La Bocana and going all out.

Almost nobody in the water, tubes, tubes and more tubes. El Salvador and its leftists. Jorge Carranza
It must be taken into account that Bryan is quite tall, he is without hands on the wave and he has a good amount of height to spare. The discovery has him "admired" and with good reason. Photo: José González

How much time do you spend left and how much time right?
(Laughs) It's very complicated because we always have right-hand swells that don't stop on the right. I think I spend most of my time on the right, but when I have a competition that is on the left, I focus only on surfing on that side and thus improve the little details that I have.

I surf rights most of the year, 80% versus 20%. But during certain times of the year like November, December, January and February I go to the secrets to surf more lefts.

Are there more leftists lost in El Salvador?
Yes, there are more points and lost beach breaks in El Salvador. There is a beach called La Perla that has a super good left, there are secret spots that, since we are used to the points, we are always there, but I like to go exploring and surf different waves.

Looking for left-wingers, more left-wingers is what we need and the truth is that we have a lot of them. La Bocana, in El Zonte, there is an incredible left-winger that can be seen in the last video I uploaded.

There are left-wing parties, many of them, you just have to look for them.

Left tubular made in El Salvador. In a 2020 in which it was thought that everything had been seen, this was missing. Bryan Pérez on track from the backside at his home. Photo: Jorge Carranza
And it also has ramps to fly just the way Bryan likes.
"My backside is improving every day, I always work hard to get it to be the same as the frontside. With these lefts that we have in El Salvador, you can improve a lot, so I'm focused on La Bocana and going all out," says the number 1 surfer in Salvadoran surfing. Photo: Jorge Carranza
Bryan in the foamball of a solid Salvadoran left. Photo: José González
Despite this quality of waves, Bryan says: "I surf rights most of the year, 80% versus 20%. But during times of the year like November, December, January and February I go to the secrets to surf more lefts," meaning that the rest of the days it should be easier to get that left breaking alone.
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