Lele Usuna is the local favorite at the Rip Curl Pro Argentina and surely every Holy Week he enjoys the event at home but he also has the enormous responsibility of having all the eyes of a country on him.

It is clear that one of his goals as a professional is to be the first Argentine to win a QS at home.

This week, the two-time world champion from Argentina faces the challenge of going for the top title at home and in the following paragraphs he talks about the subject, among other things.

In 2016 you finished second in the tournament, in 2018 Cuchi finished second, last year Josefina was also second, what is missing for an Argentine to finally earn respect at home?
It is a tournament that, even though it is a low-scoring tournament, is of a high level. I think it is because of the number of Brazilians who come to compete here. We all know that there are thousands of good surfers who know how to ride small waves very well and are very fast. In Argentina, there are only a few of us who ride here and just reaching the final is a very important achievement. It is not about what is missing, but about the moment, it will be someone's turn to win the tournament. For now, we both finished second, but the point is to keep trying, keep trying, because one day it will happen.

How did it feel to come second, surfing an event at home?
It was incredible. I was left with a bitter taste because I came second and not first, but getting so far and having everyone applaud me and support me was really nice. It was a great moment even though I came second. Getting to the final is not easy, I got a good result and I'm happy about that.

Now, looking back on that final, what do you think you should have done differently?
I could have taken more risks. Maybe I could have done more risky maneuvers before making a safe run, ensuring scores of six because Nakagima beat me by flying and that's how he got scores of more than seven points and above. That's what I lacked, doing something similar to him.

And what happened in 2017 and 2018 when you didn't get the results you were looking for?
They weren't bad years for me, but they weren't as amazing as 2014, 2015 and 2016, when I reached the finals, won world championships, and was the South American WSL champion, but they weren't bad because that was when I finished better than ever in the QS. In 2018 I finished 109th, which was better than ever. And in 2017 I had the semi in Pipe, where I beat John John, and I also finished seventh in the Pan American Games, and in 2018 I finished fifth in Arica. I had a very good series, beating Lucas Chianca, Aritz Aranburu and Weslley Dantas. And also in 2018 I qualified for the 2019 Pan American Games... They weren't bad years, they were good but not epic like the previous ones, but I'm always looking to improve and get good results.

How important is it for you to have an event in your homeland?
It is very important to have a tournament at home, not only for the comfort but also to surf at home, for the recognition and well, to be 100% ready for the competition… There are many factors in favor of having a tournament at home. It is also very nice to see the level that the kids from abroad bring and see how they surf the waves here.

How does it affect having the fans in your favour? How does it feel? Do they put pressure on you?
No, I think that when you get into the water you leave everything behind. The pressure is there, the anxiety of running that first heat, but once you get through it you block everything out and go for the points, the results and the surfing. It's good to have fans at home, I think it helps more than it puts you down; it puts pressure on the judges more than on the surfers.

What would you say are the main challenges of Biology and Yacht?
The challenges here are always the waves, which ones to catch and which ones not to, or in fact, finding the wave that pushes you and carries you.

In Biology, it's usually a left, but there are also rights. You have to find the one with a wall, which is the most difficult part. And if the Yacht breaks, there isn't much of a challenge anymore, it's just a matter of knowing which one is the right one. When the Yacht is already pulling, when it's already breaking, there are many good waves, many opportunities.

What surfing do you have in mind for this year's event? What are you imagining?
I think that in small waves the important thing is to be flexible, fast and to do the maneuvers with force. That is what we are looking for, and maybe we can also take a few risks..

How do you see the forecast?
At the beginning it looks a bit small and towards the end of the week it looks like a strong southeast wind is coming which will generate some waves. We hope that the Yacht breaks and if not, there will surely be something in Biology. So for Thursday afternoon, Friday, Saturday and Sunday we are expecting some nice, good waves and I think we will be able to enjoy them.

What is your pre-championship routine?
It's more comfortable, more relaxed because I think I have more knowledge of the waves because I play at home. In other tournaments I spend a lot of time surfing in the competition zone, in this one I'm more relaxed, I don't have to surf every day in the morning and afternoon, but one surf per day and it doesn't have to be in the competition zone; I'm relaxed.

You've been surfing really well, but lately it's been really hard for you to get good results. What's your analysis of the situation?
I think I'm surfing better than ever in terms of fluidity and power. These are stages in life where one goes up and down. I'm here to keep giving it my all. As I said before, the results aren't epic, but you also don't see that I've improved my results at an international level, qualified for the 2019 Pan American Games, I was Argentine champion for the third time... There are tournaments where I've had the achievements I wanted to have and we're going to keep going.

At 31 years old, how do you see yourself in professional surfing today? What are your plans in the short and medium term?
I don't feel 31, I feel younger. I surf as much as an 18-year-old, I love surfing, I will never stop doing it because it is what I am most passionate about in life and when the sea is epic I am one of those who spends the most time in the water but at a competitive level I would like to continue this year and next year at full speed as I have been for many years.

We have the Pan American Games in Peru in 2019, which gives us a chance to qualify for the Olympic Games. We also have the 2020 World Championships, which qualifies. I want to continue running the QS, and I will be doing the national championship in many years.

For now the plan is to continue competing, traveling, enjoying surfing and I think that in the long term it means getting more involved with my school projects, bringing people to surf and train and there are other things in mind but surfing will always be in my life.

I will always be grateful to have the opportunity and desire to surf like I did when I was 16 years old.