Playa Hermosa Hosts High-Level Showdown at the Garabito Surf City Pro
- Ayelet Fuentes Guerra
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
The QS 2000 crowned two new champions in its inaugural edition, while Chilean surfing delivered a strong performance with Manuel Selman reaching the quarterfinals.
The Garabito Surf City Pro QS 2000, held at Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica, concluded its inaugural event with two champions from the United States: Alana López in the women’s category and fellow American Hayden Rodgers in the men’s division.
With waves ranging from four to six feet, the competition brought together leading international surfers and delivered high-level action, with the decisive rounds highlighted by impressive maneuvers and outstanding scores.
In the women’s division, Alana López defeated Ella McCaffray in the final with a combined score of 15.17 points to 14.03, earning her third Qualifying Series (QS) victory. The young American surfer showed consistency throughout the competition and celebrated one of her most important wins of the season.
López had previously defeated Puerto Rican surfer Story Martínez in the semifinals, while in the quarterfinals she narrowly overcame Costa Rican Leilani McGonagle in one of the day’s closest heats.
In the men’s division, Hayden Rodgers and Lucas Cassity faced off in a final that became one of the standout moments of the championship. Rodgers managed to come back after Cassity made the stronger start and eventually unleashed his full aerial repertoire.
The American earned a perfect 10 from all five judges before adding an 8.60, reaching a total of 18.60 points to claim the title in this inaugural edition. Cassity finished runner-up with 14.67 points.
Rodgers reached the final after defeating Kai Kushner in the semifinals, while Cassity advanced by overcoming Jett Schilling. The eventual champion had also faced Chilean Manuel Selman in the quarterfinals, one of Chile’s leading representatives.
The Chilean surfer and Olympic representative finished among the top eight at the Garabito Surf City Pro after advancing through the early rounds of the QS 2000, where he met American Hayden Rodgers in the quarterfinals.
In a heat held in good conditions at Playa Hermosa, Rodgers posted 12.67 points, while Selman responded with 9.67. The score was not enough to advance, bringing his campaign to an end and leaving him in fifth place overall.
Despite being eliminated at this stage, Selman once again demonstrated his ability to compete at the highest international level and secured an important result against a highly competitive field. Chile was also represented by Paloma Santos, who reached the round of 16, and Roberto Araki, who advanced to the second round of the men’s draw.
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