Locals Shine in El Salvador

Marks, Toledo win El Salvador Pro; Colapinto maintains his grip on world No. 1 ranking

BY JAKE HOWARD, SAN CLEMENTE TIMES

Another WSL Championship Tour event is in the books, with more big results for local surfers. The Surf City El Salvador Pro wrapped up last week in Central America, and topping the podium were San Clemente residents Caroline Marks and Filipe Toledo. Finishing runner-up to Toledo and holding onto the world No. 1 ranking was another San Clemente hero in Griffin Colapinto, who was coming off a win last month at the Surf Ranch Pro.

“I’ve been super inspired by the younger girls and all the new energy on Tour,” Marks said afterward. “It’s been really cool. I haven’t won a (Championship Tour) since 2021, so I’m just super stoked. This is the best feeling ever.”

In the final, Marks faced former world champ Tyler Wright, but leaning into the power and precision of her topto-bottom backhand surfing, Marks’ relentless attack proved to be too much for the Aussie.

Finding her rhythm in the last few events, Marks earned a third-place result at the Margaret River Pro, followed by a runner-up finish at last month’s Surf Ranch Pro, and now a win in El Salvador. The flurry of big results has her sitting in third place on the WSL Championship Tour leaderboard with a very good chance at qualifying for the season-ending WSL Finals.