If the QS tour does take place this year, the events in Arica in Chile, Mar del Plata in Argentina, and Montañita and Salinas in Ecuador are ready to take place, their respective organizers or representatives of the organization, Guillermo Satt, Sebastián Loustau and Xavier Aguirre, informed DUKE.

“The QS in Arica is prepared and supported, we have ideas on how to carry it out safely and with prevention of contagion, as long as we are in appropriate sanitary conditions, with authorization, we will give it,” said Satt, who added: “There are several events in Latin America: Argentina, Peru, Ecuador and Chile, we will not stop supporting the athletes.”

Meanwhile, Loustau said: “As of today, yes,” when asked about the status of the tournament.

Finally, Aguirre, former president of the Ecuadorian federation and member of a group that organizes events in Ecuador, said: “We are doing the QS in Montañita and Salinas, confirmed.”

The Galapagos event, which appears first on the calendar, from March 4 to 12, is still in doubt.

Meanwhile, the Iqique championship, which has a mix of junior and professional events for men and women, is still awaiting an official response. “At the moment, our city’s energies are focused on facing the local problems we have caused by the pandemic, but we are in regular contact with the WSL. There is still no official information on this matter,” explained Nicolás Carvajal, the event organizer who has just been elected secretary of the Chilean federation.

Finally, the Oaxaca and Acapulco stages, scheduled for May 31 to June 6 and July 1 to 4 respectively, are still in doubt. Their organizer, Gustavo Duccini, told DUKE: “We are working together with the authorities and the WSL to be able to hold the events. It looks like it will be another complicated year for in-person events and we depend on the evolution of the virus and vaccination in each region, state and country.”

And he added: “Brands continue with cut budgets, as well as the authorities, in addition to the health uncertainty. In this health aspect we are prepared with the highest levels of security, health and protocols to carry out events with or without an audience safely. The fact that the QS competitions are regional makes it more realistic, although also, any event in the first semester is a lottery. We hope to be able to carry out at least one in-person event in the first half of this year and most likely from the second half of the year the projects will normalize and we will return with events not only of the WSL. In the meantime, we will continue surfing online in Surf Web Series.”