Presents Quiksilver y Roxy Argentina - Cover photo: ISA/Reed

Many believe that once a youth career is over, it is difficult to make substantial changes in an athlete's career, as if one is predestined for what one did as a youth; Argentina's Lucía Indurain proves that this is absolutely false.

A few years ago, "Indu" was a very prominent athlete at the national level, with a couple of national titles and always a contender when it came to fighting at home, but when it came to competing in international events it was difficult for her to overcome series that were perhaps easy for her level of surfing.

The pandemic brought about a major turn for her, one of the biggest seen in Latin America in recent years. She went from having difficulties getting through a regional series to being a finalist in one of the most competitive ALAS in history (in December of last year in El Salvador), to being simply one of the best in the world in one of the most competitive tournaments in history (a few weeks ago, also in El Salvador).

Yes, she was left with the bitter taste of being the first to not qualify, but in the grand scheme of things, it is known that she has managed to gain a lot of ground to be an undisputed contender in any event that comes her way.

In the following paragraphs he describes part of the process, the bitter taste of being left at the door but the positive balance of all the progress he has made.

On the one hand it must be really hard to be the first alternate, but on the other hand it must be incredible to see yourself surfing so well and getting into the top 15 in the world. What do you think of everything that happened?
The World Cup was an event that I will undoubtedly remember for the rest of my life. It had everything, a lot of glory and ended with a lot of pain for not having achieved the objective of the Olympic place.

More than all that, having been so close, really so close to having accomplished it, I think that's what hurts the most.

I'm still processing it, obviously, and it still hurts me because of all the influence it has. Because of the times we're living in, the games are coming up and it's going to take me a little bit more time to heal that wound.

But the truth is that I am very happy to have pushed my limits and to have shown that I can do it and that gives me a lot of strength for what comes next. I think I broke a barrier in that world championship, which is helping me a lot and I think it is the beginning of a new Lucía in competitions.

This has to do with one of the questions you ask me later in this interview. I think the pandemic was key for me. Having stopped competing after not so good years of competition, I was not a strong competitive Lucia, but I think that after the pandemic, when I started traveling and enjoying surfing, I started to enjoy what I was doing. You saw it in the world championship, you saw it in ALAS last year in December. In Montañita it didn't go as I wanted but I didn't feel like I was surfing badly. You also have to learn to lose and that the sea conditions are difficult.

Then we went all out in Acapulco where I did pretty well. I couldn't close it out as I wanted but I felt really good competing. I think that step by step I'm gaining a little more confidence and soon Lucía's 100% will start to come out, there's a little more to get out and show in competition.

"I think that step by step I am gaining a little more confidence and soon 100% of Lucía will start to come out, there is a little more to take out and demonstrate in competition"

Are you thinking about Tokyo or have you already gone?
I was left as a substitute, obviously there is a little space in my brain that thinks about Tokyo every day, about the possibility of still being able to be there. The dream is intact, as I say: If it has to be for me at this point the universe will give it to me.

The truth is that I gave it my all and it was very close… If the universe wants to give it to me, it is already in its hands. I just have to wait and have faith now.

Speaking of El Salvador, your performance was incredible, you made the leap from being one of the best in ALAS to one of the best in the world, what happened?
Going out to enjoy 2020 in a different way, in which I rediscovered my good surfing skills, in good, quality waves in which I felt very good, I think that was the path I began to take to start feeling better about myself, with my head, which was the one that always betrayed me in competition.

Having surfed so many good waves and feeling good about my surfing level was something that strengthened my mind a lot and little by little it is now being seen in these first events after the year of pandemic.

"If the universe wants to give it to me, it is already in its hands. I just have to wait and have faith now."

A few years ago it wasn't easy for you to get through a series in a Pan American surfing competition and now you're breaking everything, why did that change happen?
My competitive mindset wasn't my strong point, and it was difficult for me to demonstrate what I had in competition.

That is sometimes 70% of a competitor, the head. Starting this year, I am having the confidence that I have, trusting in myself, knowing that I have the level to beat anyone.

The results are starting to come, the finals are starting to arrive, I still don't have the first places but I'm on the right track and that makes me feel calm, being in constant ascent gives me the peace of mind that we are on the right track.

In Ecuador, again, maybe not everything went as you wanted, but then, in Acapulco it did. What happened?
I take what happened in Ecuador as an experience and a learning experience, and not to torment myself. I think that little by little I am learning to lose and that is super important.

I arrived in Acapulco with my head held high, with a blank slate, and the level was shown. The victory did not happen, but I was calm because the finals are starting to arrive and the top positions will also emerge.

I need to have a little more confidence in myself, 100%, I am trusting much more than before but I still have that 20% that sometimes makes me doubt and that is why I let my sleeves slip away.

What plans do you have from now on?
The Covid issue in Argentina is still quite complicated, there is not much to do in Argentina. We are in the middle of the harsh winter and I think the best thing I can do is stay surfing here in El Salvador.
I'm planning to travel to Nicaragua because I want to learn to pipe and that's a very good place to do it.

I'm going to continue enjoying myself to the fullest. I learned to win and to be calm by enjoying myself. I'm going to continue on this path and the results will come as long as I keep training and staying positive.

"I'm going to continue enjoying myself to the fullest. I learned to win and to be calm by enjoying myself. I'm going to continue on this path and the results will come as long as I keep training and staying positive."

What motivates you on a daily basis?
Lately, I have been motivated by pushing myself and proving that I can really do it. That lit a flame that was fading a bit inside me.

I am motivated to continue improving, to continue letting go of surfing, I change the sizes of the boards and I am feeling very good.

I had a lot of help from Julen Lasa in El Salvador with the measurements of my boards, he knew how to recommend a lot to me, and now that I changed the measurements I feel much better than before.

I think it's a noticeable change and you'll start to see it when I upload material to social media or see myself surfing. I'm super happy with that and more motivated.

"In recent times I have been motivated by pushing myself and proving that I can really do it. That lit a flame that was going out a bit inside me."

In the long term, what is Lucía Indurain's goal?
In the long term, not so long term, we are starting to think about Paris, although I don't give up on the chance of Tokyo. There are three years left and it is a good time to start planning the steps to follow and start setting the objectives and goals that we want to achieve to get to Paris and be present there. Make history there with an Argentine in the Olympic Games and I think that is why we are going.