All photos by ALAS/Barreiro

Local Costa Ricans Jason Torres and Rachel Agüero, along with Peruvian Catalina Zariquiey, Ecuadorian Maxi Sáenz and Argentine Thiago Passeri were the grand champions of the third stage of the ALAS 2023 tour, the Costa Rica Surfing Pro, which took place in small waves on the famous Jacó beach.

Torres, an eternal ALAS competitor who had not been active in competitions in recent years, found victory again at home. In the grand final he beat the defending ALAS champion JJ López (VEN), the qualifier for Santiago 2023, Oli Camarena (PAN) and another local Beto Muñoz (CRC), in that order.

In the women's category, the champion was another local, Rachel Agüero, who made the most of her power surfing so that the judges awarded her more than her compatriot Rubiana Brownell, leaving Puerto Rican Mia Calderón in third place and another Costa Rican in fourth place: Lía Díaz.

The only double champion of the event was the talented young Peruvian giant, Catalina Zariquiey, who won in the under 14 and under 18 categories.

In the Under 18 category, the Peruvian defeated Mexican surprise Sydney Ott in second place. Gwendolyn Adams (USA) and Perla Rojas (ARG) came in third and fourth, respectively.

Meanwhile, in the Under 14 category, Zariquiey placed Gwendolyin Adams (USA) in second place, who repeated the finals, Costa Rican Mikaela Castro in third place, and Peruvian Fernanda Alegre in fourth place.

Another who made it to victory and the final was Thiago Passeri from Argentina who won the under 14, leaving Victor Camarena (PAN) in second, Mike Prada from Venezuela in third and Kai Wolsbeck from the United States in fourth.

Passeri placed fourth in the under 18 category, which was won by Ecuadorian Maxi Sáenz, with Costa Rican Ethan Hollander in second place and Brazilian Samuel Joquinha in third.

The ALAS tour has completed three stages, the rankings have not been updated but it is known that in the under 14 category, which debuted in Costa Rica, the leaders are Passeri and Zariquiey.

Specifically, Zariquiey, with his results in the three categories in which he participated, took the lead in Open, in Under 18, and as mentioned, in Under 14.

The following dates of the tour have not yet been confirmed, but it is known that it will end with the most important stage of the year in the wild east, El Salvador.

Final results:
Junior Under 14 Women
1- Catalina Zariquiey PER 9,97
2- Gwendolyn Adams USA 8,67
3- Mikela Castro CRC 6,77
4- Fernanda Alegre PER 3,87

Junior Under 14 Men
1- Thiago Passeri ARG 12,50
2- Victor Camarena PAN 9,73
3- Mike Prada VEN 9,53
4- Kai Wolsbeck USA 9,40

Junior Under 18 Women
1- Catalina Zariquiey PER 12,43
2- Sydney Ott MEX 10,40
3- Gwendolyn Adams USA 7,67
4- Red Pearl ARG 6,50

Junior Under 18 Men
1- Maximiliano Saenz ECU 13,90
2- Ethan Hollander CRC 12,77
3- Samuel Joquinha BRA 12,53
4- Thiago Passeri ARG 9,00

Open Women
1- Rachel Agüero CRC 12,20
2- Rubiana Brownell CRC 10,80
3- Mia Calderon PUR 9,94
4- Lia Diaz CRC 8,00

Open Men
1- Jason Torres CRC 12,70
2- Jose Joaquin Lopez VEN 10,84
3- Jean Carlos Gonzalez PAN 9,87
4- Alberto Muñoz CRC 8,93