“The Queens” Showed up at Mar de Campeones

The mystique of La Punta at Cavancha Beach came alive once again with the opening event of the regional Mar de Campeones circuit, a championship that every year brings together a large part of northern Chile’s bodyboarding scene. In the middle of that atmosphere, Queen Of The Wave riders Viviana Araya and Paloma Freyggang once again left their mark in the water during an intense day on the beaches of Iquique.

The event, organized by the Local Bodyboard Sports Association of Iquique, once again confirmed the important role the region plays within Chilean bodyboarding. There, Viviana Araya once again proved why she is considered one of the current leaders of the discipline. The Iquique rider reached the final of the Open Women category and finished in third place, adding important points while continuing the consistency she has shown over the past several seasons.

“I wanted first place. I always want to win. But getting third place in this circuit, on this wave and with this level of competition, tells me I’m on the right path,” Vivi says about her performance in the opening event of the championship.

The current national champion also highlighted the level of competition seen during the event and the growth bodyboarding has experienced in Iquique. “Every year the level gets higher. Local bodyboarding keeps growing, with more young riders coming out of the regional scene, which makes the competition even more intense. This first event was no exception, the water was full of hungry riders,” she adds.

Vivi also emphasized the atmosphere surrounding the championship and the importance this circuit has within the local scene. “Mar de Campeones never disappoints. The energy on the shore, the riders giving everything in the water and the demanding conditions make every maneuver count twice as much. These are the kinds of events that remind you why you love this sport,” she says.

Meanwhile, queen and legend Paloma Freyggang decided to compete during the final stage of her pregnancy, entering the water with the goal of securing points in the regional ranking before the birth of her baby. Even so, the rider stood out during the event and managed to reach the semifinals, showing both her experience and her special connection with the ocean during a very meaningful moment in her life.

The conditions did not favor her tube-riding strategy due to the high tide, but that did not stop her from enjoying the experience and continuing to share the water with the community around her.

“I wanted to take advantage of this event because the next one will probably happen around the time my baby is born and I won’t be able to compete. Beyond the result, I’m happy because I managed to earn points and live through something really special. I had never competed this pregnant before, so it’s definitely an experience I’ll remember forever,” Paloma says about her participation.

With this opening event in Cavancha now complete, the Mar de Campeones circuit is already looking ahead to its next stop at Las Urracas. Meanwhile, the girls of Queen Of The Wave continue proving that bodyboarding is also built through passion, strength and the different stories every woman carries both inside and outside the ocean.