Historic Waves and Medals at the 2026 ISA World Longboard Championship
From October 16 to 22, the world's best log riders went nose to nose at El Sunzal for the 2026 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Longboard Championship, and it did not disappoint.
Photo courtesy ISA / Pablo Franco
In all, 126 longboarders from 37 nations (Finland showed up for the first time, too) battled it out on the long right-hand point in La Libertad. It was the fourth year in a row that El Salvador hosted the event.
Team France won the team title for the fifth time, more than any other nation in the event's history.
But that wasn't the only history made...
Keep reading to find out how Alice Lemoigne became the first woman to win three ISA World Longboard titles, how a 44-year-old Peruvian legend finally got his revenge at El Sunzal, how Team USA came within 15 points of gold, how a 14-year-old from Puerto Rico won her country's first medal, and what's coming up in El Salvador.
Oh, and if you missed the recap of the historic Juniors event, check it out right here.
Alice Lemoigne Wins a Record Third Gold
Alice Lemoigne. Photo courtesy ISA/Pablo Jimenez
Before the event, Alice Lemoigne already shared the women's record with two world titles. She came to El Salvador to break it.
The 30-year-old from Réunion Island posted a 16.50 in the Main Round Final, the best heat total by any woman all week. She put together long nose rides and powerful turns on waves that ran all the way to the beach.
The Grand Final started slow. Lemoigne grabbed a 6.00 early while the other three finalists waited on the sets, and she never gave up the lead. She added a 7.33 and a 7.40 to lock up the gold.
Her first title came at Côte des Basques in Biarritz in 2019. She won again in 2023, the first time the event was held in El Salvador, and took silver last year. Now she's the first woman with three ISA World Longboard golds, which ties the overall record held by France's Antoine Delpero and Brazil's Marcelo Freitas.
Alice Lemoigne. Photo courtesy ISA/Pablo Franco
Lemoigne said this one meant the most to her because the level of women's longboarding has never been higher, with so many young girls ripping.
"When I was young I told my mum I wanted to be world champ," Lemoigne said.
After her first gold in 2019, her mom told her she'd done it. Lemoigne told her she wanted more.
Piccolo Clemente Gets His Revenge
Benoit "Piccolo" Clemente. Photo courtesy ISA/Pablo Franco
The men's final looked like a hall of fame lineup. Three former world champs paddled out: Peru's Benoit "Piccolo" Clemente (2019), Team USA's Tony Silvagni (2011) and France's Edouard Delpero, the defending champion. South Africa's Sam Christianson rounded out the heat.
Everyone opened with big scores, but Clemente set the pace with an 8.23. Then came a 9.07, the highest single wave of the entire event, featuring his signature hood-ornament hang ten and a string of sharp rail turns. It added up to the highest heat total of the event, and nobody could catch him.
This one was personal. In 2023, Clemente was knocked out in the semis at El Sunzal after getting hurt in the shorebreak. He said he worked hard and prepared for a long time to come back and win here, and he saw the gold as payback.
Benoit "Piccolo" Clemente. Photo courtesy ISA/Pablo Franco
The 44-year-old has now won WSL world longboard titles in 2013 and 2015, ISA gold in 2019 and 2026, and Pan American Games gold in 2019 and 2023. He's also one of the most respected shapers in the industry. This result locks in his spot at the Lima 2027 Pan American Games, where he's never lost.
Delpero took bronze, his fifth medal at the event. That ties him with Clemente and Australia's Harley Ingleby for second all time, behind only his older brother, Antoine, who has six.
Team USA Comes Up 15 Points Short of Gold
Avalon Gall. Photo courtesy ISA/Pablo Franco
Team USA took team silver for the second straight year, and this one was close. The race for gold came down to the final moments, and the US finished just 15 points behind France.
Avalon Gall led the way. The 23-year-old Californian was making her first ISA appearance, but she's no rookie. She's currently No. 1 on the WSL Longboard Tour and finished runner-up for the WSL world longboard title last season. She opened the Grand Final with a 7.17 and held on for silver.
That finish also earned Gall a spot at the Lima 2027 Pan American Games as the top American woman.
On the men's side, Silvagni's silver completed his collection. The 2011 world champ now owns a gold, silver, bronze and copper from the event. He's headed to Lima 2027, too.
France Wins Team Gold for the Fifth Time
Team France. Photo courtesy ISA/Pablo Franco
Since the World Longboard Championship became a standalone event in 2013, France has won five of the seven team titles (2013, 2019, 2023, 2025 and now 2026).
Lemoigne's gold and Delpero's bronze did most of the damage. Newcomer Louis Marchiset posted one of the highest heat totals of the week and finished 7th, and Canelle Lebreton won her first two Main Round heats before an injury forced her out.
Behind France and the USA, Peru matched its 2023 result with bronze, and Brazil took copper. Brazil is still the only team to medal at every World Longboard Championship, but team gold has yet to come its way.
Final Results
Team
Gold: France
Silver: USA
Bronze: Peru
Copper: Brazil
Women
Gold: Alice Lemoigne (France)
Silver: Avalon Gall (USA)
Bronze: Lia Diaz (Costa Rica)
Copper: Estorya Martinez (Puerto Rico)
Men
Gold: Benoit "Piccolo" Clemente (Peru)
Silver: Tony Silvagni (USA)
Bronze: Edouard Delpero (France)
Copper: Sam Christianson (South Africa)
Up Next in El Salvador
The swell isn't the only thing that keeps coming in El Salvador. Latin America's top pros take over Mizata Beach for the ALAS Global Tour from November 9 to 14. In 2027, El Sunzal crowns the WSL longboard world champions March 13 to 21, and La Bocana and El Sunzal host the ISA World Surfing Games, a key qualifier for the LA 2028 Olympics, May 22 to 30.
Meanwhile, the longboarders who punched their tickets at El Sunzal will meet again at the Lima 2027 Pan American Games. Here's who's going so far:
Women: Avalon Gall (USA), Lia Diaz (CRC), Estorya Martinez (PUR) and Chloe Calmon (BRA, provisional)
Men: Benoit "Piccolo" Clemente (PER), Tony Silvagni (USA), Alexandre Escobar (BRA), Jonathan Melendres (MEX) and Surfiel Gil (ARG, provisional)
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