Cover photo: Luis Eduardo with Arena after defeating Gabriela Bryan. Photo: WSL/Diz

An important part of Arena Rodríguez's strong performance over the past few years is due to Luis Eduardo Escudero. The young coach has managed to instill in his athletes values ​​and strategies that work and ultimately yield positive results.

It is worth mentioning that one of Lucca Mesinas's great companions towards the CT, among other achievements, was Luis Eduardo.

This time it was another CT, and with a different athlete. The powerful, clean, and well-grounded Arena Rodríguez, who surfs in a way the judges love, attacking critically, carving out an impeccable line; she and Rio de Janeiro, one of the most interesting stages.

Luis Eduardo lived a different story on the sand, while Arena performed well in the water and defeated the world number 1, Gabriela Bryan.

And, she had her starring role on the big screen because the first person to greet the surfer after winning was the coach himself.

Below, she shares her experience of the entire process and what's next for the series with Molly Picklum.

How did you find out they called her and that you were going to Brazil?
Arena got off the plane after arriving from Australia and the WSL wrote to him saying they had given him the wildcard. Minutes later, he called me and said, "Luis, I have something to tell you." And I said, "So, what was it? Everything okay?" He left me in suspense for a few seconds, and he said, "I've been invited to the CT." And I said, "What! Wow, how incredible!"

And he tells me that we have to change our tickets because we were heading to the South African challenger and we had to move quickly to come to Brazil first.

"It was really exciting because she's been working really hard for this kind of thing."

It was incredibly exciting because she's been working incredibly hard for this type of thing. She's a super disciplined girl who trains hard, dedicated and passionate about her sport, and this is the fruit of her effort and discipline.

What advice did you give him?
We were very in sync. I have a very open relationship with Arena in the sense that we always discuss things during training and everything we plan for her.

I have my role as coach and she has that of athlete, and we always talk to see what is best for each moment.

At this point, when he found out, I told him we were going to live the experience to the fullest. Not just in the heat, but in every situation that happens day after day, because it's a different format with the lay days. So, we'll see what we can do to stay connected to the championship. Normally, an ISA or a Challenger or QS are consecutive days, and at most, you rest for one day.

We're already resting for more than three days, so we're looking for things to do without getting tired, without mentally exhausting ourselves, but at the same time, always focused on the event. And, we're happy and content with this type of competition.

How did you experience the first series, where things didn't go well, and the second series, where you beat the world's No. 1 team?
Heat 1 was the second heat of the day. We warmed up in the morning, did the entire routine exactly as expected, but there are always a few details that change in these types of events, and well... I think Arena still placed really well, but details like wave selection and the positioning of the surf suddenly made us a little difficult. Besides, it was her first heat, but something about Arena surprised me: she didn't do well in her first heat, but she came out happy (laughs). And I was like, "Arena, you're a very consistent heat, what happened just now? This doesn't normally happen to a consistent surfer."

And between laughs, we returned home and each of us began to analyze our mistakes and we discovered that if we managed to do so, we would do better in the elimination round heat, which was with the number 1, Gabriela Bryan, who was breaking through in free surfing.

"In that heat, we strategized well. Arena was well connected to the beach. We changed certain routines and details, and she did well. She was focused on her heat; she knew what to do from the start. Outside the water, we developed a strategy for positioning and what to do in each situation. And Arena, very connected, knew what to do and how to solve it."

In that heat, we played it straight. Arena was well-connected to the beach. We changed certain routines and details, and she did well. She was focused on her heat, knowing what to do from the start. Outside the water, we developed a strategy for positioning and what to do in each situation. And Arena, very connected, knew what to do and how to resolve it, and what to do in each moment. In fact, in the end, she could have been more focused on marking, but the beach was so big that she couldn't find her, but she still knew how to block certain situations.

I thought it was incredible because he said, "OK, I train for this, I belong in this world, and I have to race like one." And I think he did really well because the conditions were incredibly difficult.

All the pro surfers were talking about how rough the surf was. She handled it well, and it's admirable, and I'm super proud of her.

What are you doing these days off?
We're training as much as we can because there are really very few waves, and we're also training for the South African challenger because we're going to arrive just in time, practically without training.

We're training and having a good time, living the whole CT experience because I feel like this type of event isn't just about competing and returning home, but also about seeing each situation to learn, knowing what's good to do and what isn't, and getting the most out of this championship, not only in each heat but in the event itself.

How do you see the confrontation with Molly Picklum?
Every heat here is tough; passing a heat is a touch of glory, especially when you're a wildcard. The heat with Molly Picklum has to be taken very calmly; we don't have to feel inferior; on the contrary, we know Arena can compete with anyone. The sea conditions are the same for everyone, and I'm sure the important thing here isn't for her to think about Molly, but rather for her to race well. The result will depend on how she races first.