Huntington Beach’s Bailey Turner secured the girls’ under-16 gold at the 2025 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship, posting a two-wave score of 13.07 to edge out local favorite Catalina Zariquiey by 0.20 points. The win not only etched Turner’s name among surfing’s rising elite but also spotlighted Costa Rica’s emerging talent, as young Ticos held their ground against top competitors from around the world.
Turner, 16, from a family deep in surfing roots, delivered her best ride late in the final—a 6.30 that sealed the deal over Zariquiey’s 12.87. Australia’s Lucy Darragh took bronze, with Hawaii’s Zoey Kaina in fourth. This performance helped push Team USA to a silver medal in the overall standings, trailing champions Australia and ahead of Brazil and hosts Peru.
The championship drew close to 450 athletes from 57 nations to this powerful reef break south of Lima, serving as a key proving ground for future pros and Olympians. Latin American spots like Punta Rocas increasingly host these events, giving Central American teams a chance to measure up against established powers.
For Costa Rica, 14-year-old Carden Jagger from Playa Grande in Guanacaste stood out in the boys’ under-16 division. He pushed through to the round of 16, finishing 19th out of 120 surfers—the top result for any Central American in that category. Along the way, Jagger scored a notable victory over Tanner Sandvig, a standout from the U.S. National Scholastic Surfing Association’s southwest region.
Jagger shared his thoughts in a local interview: “I’m proud to help Costa Rica step up from our last showing at the Junior Worlds.” He aims to keep building the country’s reputation in international contests. Fresh off Peru, Jagger returns to the U.S. for an NSSA event in California, where he tops the junior rankings with 6,861 points.
Costa Rica fielded a complete junior team, with surfers from both coasts advancing deep into the competition. According to the Federación de Surf de Costa Rica, eight Ticos reached at least the third round.
Highlights included:
- Romeo Stone from Nosara, Guanacaste, who captained the group and won consecutive heats in boys’ under-18, scoring 10.13 to beat rivals from France, India, and Barbados. He advanced to round four and placed in the top 28.
- Amets Garai, making his world junior debut, who claimed back-to-back wins in under-16 with a 9.73 heat total, finishing 25th.
- Kian Jirón, 13, from Limón, who competed up an age group in under-16, moved through early rounds, and ended 73rd in a field of 120—a strong entry into ISA events.
In the girls’ under-16, Tamarindo’s Lucía Cristi and Zoe Ruiz both hit round three, with Cristi at 25th and Ruiz at 37th after tough matchups against Australia, Brazil, and New Zealand.
Erika Berra from Cocles in Puerto Viejo reached round three in under-18 girls before a narrow loss. Mikela Castro from Cieneguita, Limón, handled a demanding lineup in under-16, riding up to eight waves per heat. Both contributed to the team score. On the boys’ under-18 side, Dencell Reyes from Santa Teresa and Ethan Hollander from Dominical each picked up repechage victories, tying for 37th and adding 300 points each.
These results show Costa Rica’s juniors sharing the lineup with tomorrow’s top surfers. As nations gear up for the World Surf League and Olympics, Ticos like Jagger prove they can compete at this level. The event wrapped with Australia repeating as team champions, but for Costa Rica, the progress signals a shift in the region’s surfing scene.
