By Antonio Sotillo*

More than 25 years ago it was difficult to imagine that this long southern country could become a world surfing power. There were stories told by a few people and a few reports in printed magazines about totally unknown, inhospitable, cold places, where only adventure seekers went looking for new waves to surf, but the truth is that deep inside the genotype of a giant creature was brewing that would awaken and earn respect in the world.

But for me there is a master formula that is the key to becoming a world power in surfing, this is: PM = Courts + Talents + Organization2

As for courts: Chile is full of extraordinary natural surfing stadiums all along its long coast, with perfect waves, on both rocky and sandy bottoms, point breaks, beach breaks, giant waves, power waves, tubular waves, etc. Places like Arica, Iquique, Conquimbo, Pichilemu, Chañaral, Algarrobo, Reñaca, Constitución, and many more, show that God blessed Chile as a Hawaii in South America.

As for talents: With the start of ALAS in 2002, a Chilean appeared, perhaps the most famous internationally at that time: Manuel Selman. He started on the tour at a very young age and made a professional career that he continues to do today on the WSL world tour, representing his country with excellent results. He, by the way, spoke to us about mutant waves and unimaginable places.

Then there are Diego Medina and Cristian Merello from Pichilemu, good riders of big and medium waves. And from the Chilean desert, Tristán Aicardi, who participated in the Alas Tour for several years with good results.

Guillermo Satt, who comes next with his young age and excellent modern surfing combined with the power to ride big waves in his country, was the leader of the ALAS tour and currently competes in the WSL.

But I do not want to leave out Chilean athletes who have given a lot to talk about, such as Maxi Cross, Nico Vargas, Danilo Cerda, Belko Suarez, Roberto Araki, Leo Acevedo, Camilo Hernández, and for the female gender, the competitors Sofia Borques, Jessica Anderson, Trinidad Segura, and new stars like Lorena Fica, Paloma Santos, Pomare Tepano and others. The quarry is very large!

But the tip of the iceberg of this country's talents comes from a fishermen's son who rode giant waves, who, without social media at the time, was like a mythical Jedi, who appeared surfing waves that no one dared to as if he were a living legend and who ended up being one, and who made the name of his nation heard throughout the world.

None other than Ramón Navarro, he in 2009 took the biggest wave surfed at Eddie Aikau and became a legend. It was then that Chile began to sound more strongly worldwide (it is worth remembering that Diego Medina had won the XXL in 2006 for that bomb surfed at Punta de Lobos).

Among many other feats, Ramón does one that puts him at the top of the news in our sport; riding a giant wave in Cloudbreak, Fiji that left everyone speechless.

Additionally, his tireless ecological campaign to save Pichilemu and its surrounding areas from being destroyed by pollution and uncontrolled urban development has led him to play a double global role, to the point that even the current president of Chile met with him personally just a few days ago.

Regarding Organization2: And here is the catalyst that is as important or more important than the previous two because without it the results that Chile is having now would not be achieved.

And that is when the Chilean Surf Federation forms a new Board of Directors, led by Paula Muñoz, who unites all the regions of the country.

This was not an easy task in such a vast country full of clans and localities that were fiercely contested among themselves; on the contrary, the new Board established a training campaign for certified judges and trainers, a basic tool for the development of any sport.

Paula Muñoz, its president, takes advantage of the fact that for five years almost all the ISA world championships are held in Latin America, which facilitates Chile's participation. The federation also takes advantage of ALAS, WSL, and multi-sport events such as the South American Beach Championships, the Bolivarian Beach Championships, and the last two PASA Pan American Championships in Peru.

All this makes Chile grow at a competitive level with results never seen before at individual and team level.

There is a strategic advisor that few mention and he is largely responsible for all the success that Chile is achieving in organizing itself towards a solid federation. I am referring to the graduate in History, event producer and announcer for ALAS and ISA, Juan Pablo “Mono” Barrientos.

Chile is growing like a snowball and if the equation remains (PM=C+T+ O2) there is still a lot to see.

The resources of waves and talents are almost infinite and as long as the federation has unity as a tool, they will continue to reap positive results, with a president who, despite the cancer that afflicts her, we and the other directors continue to see her constantly in activities, doing hard work for Olympic and Paralympic surfing.

And when asked: has the monster woken up? It definitely has, and it's hungry!

Antonio Sotillo is an authoritative voice on Latin American surfing. He was a driving force behind its growth as a founding member of the Latin American Association of Professional Surfers (ALAS) and president of the Pan-American Surfing Association (APAS) from 2004 to 2006. He was also president of the Venezuelan surfing federation for several periods, including the golden years of surfing in that country.