Spanish is becoming more and more popular in the surfing world and this annual survey is becoming more and more successful. It seems incredible that after Sofía Mulanovich and Aritz Aranburu, another surfer from a Spanish-speaking country has managed to qualify, with Brisa Hennessy qualifying for the 2019 elite and setting foot in Tokyo 2020.

It seems unbelievable that Ramón Navarro continues to add to his achievements, that he has that instinct, those balls and that talent to find and surf the biggest waves in the world and in history. And that on the other side of the spectrum, the Argentine Santiago Muñiz achieves another ISA world title in small waves, the fifth for his country.

Colombia appears to be an emerging power that has acquired two North American talents with a Colombian father who is already bringing joy to his people, and who has a superman in Freddy Marimón who breaks the waves and has no legs and only one arm.

Natxo González made it clear that he belongs to the elite and that he also has that instinct that was talked about. For his part, a revolution of groms is taking place in Panama, the potential of this is unimaginable. Peru is a world power that only needs to return to the CT and start adding surfers and Venezuela, which before was fighting tooth and nail for the titles, sunk in a socio-political crisis, shows with warriors like Lolo Bellorin that everything is possible.

Below is a country-by-country summary of the most relevant Hispanic events.

ARGENTINA
Muñiz, two-time world champion, and a new generation that is bringing it all
By Sebastian Chacon – Director of SurfPress
Argentine surfing won its fifth world title, the second for Santiago Muñiz, and dreams of seeking a place in Tokyo. Beyond the obvious, it is worth noting that in the shadow of the great and palpable achievements, the seedbed continues to show signs of maturity at the same rate that the base of the pyramid is growing.

Another good thing about 2018 was the start of the 2019 tour in November, ensuring dates during wave season and without the need to dodge bathers.

Amidst so much economic crisis, surfing continues to be the best therapy. You only have to spend any morning early in the morning at the main (and not so main) spots to realise that culture is much more than a podium or some very neat boards with stickers commanded by surfers who always say the same thing.

CHILE
Ramon's bomb
By Max Petit – Director of Chile Surf
The most important event this year has been the Ramón Navarro wave in Fiji, which caught the attention of the Chilean government due to its worldwide repercussions, so much so that the current president, Sebastián Piñera, called him for an interview.

This allowed the passage of a bill to protect surf breaks and the year ended with an award given to Navarro by the president himself for being one of the best athletes of the year.

COLOMBIA
Freddy Marimón's gold and the Gómez brothers' medals
By Roberto Marulanda, Colombian surfing specialist

Two weeks ago, Freddy Marimón Blanco was crowned world champion in the AS5 division of the International Surfing Association's world championship of adapted surfing, and siblings Isabella and Giorgio Gómez won the Pan American gold and qualified for Lima 2019.

COSTA RICA
A Costa Rican in the CT
By Carlos Brenes – Press Director of the Costa Rican Federation

All the Federation's efforts are now concentrated on the Olympic cycle. The fight for places is being attacked from all the places where they are offered (WSL, ISA and PASA) and that is why the step that Brisa took by entering the 2019 Tour was the most advanced and gigantic at the same time.

An unprecedented and historic event that served a country that produces good surfers but that achieves new successes year after year.

Costa Rica in the WCT!

ECUADOR
Seven qualified for Lima 2019
By Xavier Aguirre, president of the Ecuadorian federation

Qualifying for seven events at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games is more important than winning the ALAS and WSL in South America. We qualified with seven athletes for seven events.

EL SALVADOR
Alejandro Martinez's victory at ALAS in El Tunco
By Francis Chute Hasbun, Salvadoran surfing specialist

Alejandrito grew up under the shadow of the tough guys from Punta Roca, dreaming of being like Poli (Wilver Alvarenga) and Jimmy (Rotherham) and living with the generation that came after them.

He began representing El Salvador at eight or nine years old as a grom. He is the younger brother of Francisco Martinez, who was also selected for the national team. Both are from Puerto La Libertad and locals of Punta Roca and have a good track record for continuing to improve.

This is perhaps the first generation to have grown up under a sports programme from the country's authorities.

Last November he won the junior category, one of the most competitive stages of the entire Latin circuit.

SPAIN
Natxo González on the world big wave tour
By Javier Amézaga, editor of 3sesenta magazine.

Natxo González's performance in Nazaré was particularly impressive, especially the tube he did in the semi-final, which earned him a ten and which will surely be one of the key waves of the year for big waves around the world.

I am very involved in the world of big surfing and it is very important to me. We will have Natxo in the world elite for another year and with aspirations to win the world title if he continues his progress.

MEXICO
The multiplied return of international tournaments to Puerto Escondido
By DUKE editorial staff

The departure of the WSL big wave world tour brought with it a multiplier of international tournaments held there. The tournament went from one to two: The Puerto Escondido Cup and the MexPipe Warriors in memory of Oscar Moncada brought several of the world's best to the powerful beach break in two epic events.

In terms of international results, Jhonny Corzo and Shelby Detmers managed to get into Lima 2019 and the calendar of QS events and local tournaments continues to be well packed with tournaments.

Yes, it is necessary to see a Mexican climbing positions in the QS.

PANAMA
The groms standing out at world events, Samanta x 12 and Oli at the Wave of the Winter
By Patrick Castagnet, former national champion, surfing specialist from his country

It is not easy to determine a specific event that was the most relevant for Panamanian surfing, but it is worth highlighting that the country's groms have been standing out in an exceptional way in world and local events in other countries. Izzy Elizondo, Tao Rodriguez, Kai and Teo Gale have won or made finals in tournaments are some of the names worth highlighting.

Samanta Alonso won her 12th national title and came close to Gary Saavedra's mega record.

At the beginning of the year, Santa Catalina local Oli Camarena went to Hawaii and caught a nice wave that was in the Surfline tournament, the wave of the winter.

Finally, it is no small feat that 36 instructors have been certified in ISA Level 1 courses.

PERU
QS, Lima 2019, high performance center and Felipe Pomar
By Michel Romero, Peruvian specialized journalist

1. The good Peruvian participation in the QS this year, if I remember correctly, must have been the best national season in recent years.

2. The first classified to #Lima2019 along with the fourth regional team championship.

3. The green light "finally" -thanks to the confirmation of private investment- for the construction of the High Performance Surfing Center.

4. That at 75 years old Felipe Pomar continues to dominate huge waves.

PUERTO RICO
Punta Borinquen is the new World Surfing Reserve
By Otto Flores, professional surfer

Save The Waves has selected Punta Borinquen, Puerto Rico, as its 2019th World Surfing Reserve. The protected area will be eight kilometers of coastline between Crash Boat and Surfers/ Survival Beach, home to several world-class wave breaks, and will receive environmental, cultural and economic protection. The reserve is expected to be ready by spring XNUMX.

This project will be carried out in conjunction with the Olita Foundation, a Puerto Rican non-profit organization that works to help families escape poverty.

URUGUAY
Morosini champion, Schweizer and Madrid qualified for Lima 2019 and a comment for the USU to help protect the sea
By Nicolás Albano, editor of MoreSurf, a magazine from that country

Regarding the competitive aspect, Francisco Morosini won his first national title, which was something that was expected and happened in 2018. It cannot be overlooked that Julián Schweizer and Lucas Madrid have qualified for Lima 2019 and that the latter is on his way to Tokyo 2020.

I would like to mention something that has to do with caring for the environment and the care of the beaches, which are the ones that give us the waves: I think that the Uruguayan Surfing Union should have mentioned the issue and in that way done its part by generating awareness about everything that has to do with caring for the coastal strip that has deteriorated so much in this last year. There was no voice from the USU to collaborate with what has to do with that which directly affects the sport.

VENEZUELA
Francisco 'Lolo' Bellorín, 2018 Pan American champion
By Maria Alejandra Peña, Venezuelan specialized journalist

Venezuela is a country that is currently going through one of the most difficult times in its history, and Venezuelan surfing has also received and endured all kinds of blows and setbacks. However, at the end of the year, the local athlete from Choroní, against all odds, managed to be crowned champion at the Pan American Surfing Games and thus put Venezuela at the top of Latin American surfing, a place it had not enjoyed for a while.