First event in history announced in Chiloé

The Rip Curl Pro Search has a waiting period until November 30th. The guest list has also been released. The organizer says he is not concerned about making the waves of that place known to the world.

October 16, 2018

For the first time in history, a surfing championship will be held on the Isla Grande de Chiloé, 1300 kilometers south of Santiago, becoming the southernmost event in America and one of the southernmost in the world, the Chilean organizers of the Rip Curl Pro Search reported in a press release and in contact with DUKE.

The event has a waiting period set until November 30. The exact locations where it could take place were not disclosed, but it is known that there are plenty of perfect waves in the area: “There are various locations with great potential, some even unexplored, that perfectly meet the standards required for the competition,” said event director Juan Pablo Barrientos.

Asked if he did not see a risk in exposing the place to being known and then becoming popular, he said: "I don't know for whom it can be bad if a place is filled with people to practicing sports, will not be the case in Chiloé, If it ever gets filled with foreigners, it will be because of Chilotes and that would be fantastic… If more Chilotes practice surfing it would be wonderful. I don't think more people will come than there usually are, it is a wave that is very difficult to find in the best conditions and the weather is usually extreme.”

“Enough of promoting the idea that waves have owners. The spots are for everyone,” he added.

The event celebrates its 11th anniversary this year. It was held last year in Portofino and was won by the Uruguayan Luisma Iturria. The previous year, which took place in Caleta Pellines, was won by the Brazilian Gabriel André.

Alejandro Fuenzalida testing the waves in the south of his country. Photos: Rip Curl/Carlos Gallardo

The 28 guests are:
1. Guillermo Satt
2. Lorena Fica
3. Camilo Hernandez
4. Antonio Eudes
5. JC Lombardi
6. Momo Aicardi
7. Thomas Villegas
8. Maxi Cross
9. Nicolas Undurraga
10. Chris Cabezas
11. Nicolas Vargas
12. Leonard Acevedo
13. Alejandro Fuenzalida
14. Francisco Alvarez
15. Marcelo Rodriguez
16. Manuel Selman
17. Tomas Bock
18. Cristobal Montecinos
19. Christian Merello
20. Ramon Navarro
21. Diego medina
22. Martin Passeri
23. Simon Salazar
24. Luis Maria Iturria
25. Paulo Moura
26. Alvaro Malpartida
27. Lele Usuna
28. Rafael Tapia