Special coverage presented by Surf City - El Salvador Travel 

The peace and tranquility of Central America is what I took away most from day 1 of the Surf City El Salvador Longboard Classic. There was a major international event going on and all I could hear in El Sunzal were waves breaking on the pebble stones and the occasional comment from the beach announcers.

It wasn't a stadium atmosphere, it was just another day of peace and quiet at the famous El Sunzal breakwater.

It was a day of surfing without a circus, with waves, which is what everyone asks for in the championships, and a good level.

There were a couple of moments, especially in the morning, where I told myself I wanted to go surfing. I'm honest: I prioritize being able to surf at the events I'm going to cover; what's the point of my job if I don't go in the water myself? I love surfing so much but not so much that it keeps me out of the water.

And it left me out of the water, except for the last 20 minutes of sun when I was able to go surfing and everything turned out too well, bumpy, but always good… A wave in El Salvador is worth more than 10 at home. Unfortunately, that's how it is.

And well, for this event we decided to follow everyone who I understood identifies with the page: María Fernanda Reyes, Matías Maturano and Piccolo Clemente from Peru, Sindy Portillo and Amado de Jesús Alvarado from El Salvador, Chloe Calmón and Luana Soares from Brazil, Dorian Torres from Costa Rica and Nicolás Niki Dora Andrade from Spain.

I don't want to even think about the idea that I'm going to be a Jettatore, but none of them made it to the round of 16 and all of them went to the elimination round.

It was good because we spoke to everyone and no one left upset and refused to give an interview after their “defeat.” They all faced their adverse result and expressed what they experienced; they gave richness to the construction of this story.

All of them are masters.

If I have to be a little critical, I would have given more points to Dorian, Piccolo, Sindy and Matías's first wave...

It was as if the white lycra always had to pay and not get paid.

Dorian was the one who was closest and if a judge gave him 0,1 more, he would win the series… If you want, the least expected on paper was the one who was closest to advancing.

These are simply my impressions of day 1 of this historic event.

I keep wondering if the title of the event includes “classic” because it is going to become a regular stop on the WSL, right?

I leave it raised in these personal visions.