Quick Read
- Kauli Vaast defeated 2x World Champion Filipe Toledo in his Punta Roca debut.
- World No. 1 Italo Ferreira advanced to the next round despite a knee injury.
- The event is being held at the Punta Roca venue in El Salvador.
Olympic gold medalist Kauli Vaast delivered a statement performance in his debut at the Surf City El Salvador Pro, securing a victory over two-time world champion Filipe Toledo. According to the World Surf League (WSL), Vaast posted an impressive 8.33 score, which proved too much for the 2023 event winner to overcome.
Toledo attempted a late comeback to meet the required 6.54 score, but fell short, allowing Vaast to advance to Round 3. The match-up was one of several high-stakes clashes at the Punta Roca venue. Elsewhere on the leaderboard, World No. 1 Italo Ferreira managed to advance despite dealing with a lingering knee injury, recording a 12.50 total in his heat against Ramzi Boukhiam. Meanwhile, Samuel Pupo, currently ranked World No. 7, secured a dominant win over Joel Vaughan to maintain his momentum in the competition.