URBIZTONDO BEACH, San Juan, La Union, Philippines (Thursday, January 22, 2026) – Day three of the World Surf League (WSL) La Union International Pro World Longboard Tour qualifier saw Finals Day match-ups determined in bumpy three-to-four-foot swell at Monzaliza Point. Women’s Quarterfinals and men’s Round of 32 were completed, seeing the initial field of 120 whittled down to the final eight women and 16 men, all battling for the two 2026 Longboard Tour wildcards available per gender.
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Ophelie Ah-Kouen (FRA) opened a stacked heat with the highest single-wave score of the women for the day, a 7.83 (out of a possible 10). A familiar face on the Longboard Tour for over 15 years, Ah-Kouen drove through a strong carve to connect critical nose-rides, including two hang-tens, and earn her high score. A small backup was enough for the Reunion Islander to hold on for the heat win despite coming up against the two surfers holding the highest heat totals of the women’s division so far, fellow veteran Maria Fernanda Reyes (PER) and rising star Cash Hoover (USA), along with free-surfing standout Ambre Victoire Damestoy (FRA). Hoover posted a solid 6.50 of her own, but also struggled to find a backup. The 16-year-old managed to hold onto second place however, eliminating Fernanda Reyes and Victoire Damestoy.
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“I was so lucky to start with a 7.8,” Ah-Kouen said. “I wanted to start well, so I tried to focus on that and then see what would happen after, but then it was a very slow heat. So it was a good point for me to take the first one. The fact is that I’m expressing myself surfing, I like the vibes and the movements. So every time I’m enjoying and I’m trying to feel free on my wave and do whatever I want.”
Momentum Continues for Malia Ilagan as Women’s Semifinalists Are Decided
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A second confident heat win for 2025 Longboard Tour Rookie Malia Ilagan (USA) saw her move into the Semifinals along with good friend Alana Johnson (HAW). Ilagan controlled the heat from the start with a pair of rides in the high 5-point range. Meanwhile, Johnson was in a much tighter battle against Mare Robroch (NLD), who maintained second place for much of the heat before a last-minute 5.00 from the Hawaiian saw her claim the advancing position. Though raised in the USA, Ilagan’s parents are both from the Philippines and the 19-year-old has been enjoying her time competing in La Union.
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“The waves aren’t nearly as clean as they look,” Ilagan said. “They’re kind of closing out here and there, sectioning off and a little bit bumpy. Trying to find one of the ones that line up really well and give you the section all the way through are really hard to find. I got really lucky and was able to pick off a couple that lined up pretty okay for me. I honestly was having a lot of fun in that heat. I had one of my good friends, Alana [Johnson], she also ended up advancing at the end. We’ve been competing together and it was honestly just fun to share the lineup with her and a bunch of other girls and, like a lot of people have mentioned, just having the lineup with four other people.”
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Former event winners Natsumi Taoka (JPN) and Kaede Inoue (JPN) both advanced through their respective Quarterfinal heats, with Taoka posting the highest heat total of the round, 13.57 (out of a possible 20). 2025 Longboard Tour Rookie Ginger Caimi (ITA) progressed behind Taoka, while local 14-year-old Mara Lopez (PHL) joined Inoue in securing a Semifinal berth. After holding the highest single-wave score for the majority of her heat, Lopez was only able to find a backup in the closing moments to hang on. Her older sister, Ashlee Lopez (PHL), narrowly missed out in the previous heat, falling short by just 0.20.
Esquivel and Ebueza Siblings Shine as Local Favorites Flood Men’s Quarterfinals
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The Filipino dominance in the men’s division continued into a second day, with local La Union surfers claiming half of the 16 positions available in the Quarterfinals, including seven of the eight surfers in the top half of the draw. The first three heats of the Round of 32 saw two Filipino surfers advancing through each, with Rogelio Jr Esquievel (PHL) and June Esquivel (PHL) again setting the pace. The brothers both claimed excellent scores, an 8.33 and 8.17, respectively, the highest of the day. Their similar heat totals of 15.33 and 15.07 also topped the round. When competition resumes, the pair will come up against each other in the same Quarterfinal heat, along with fellow local and 2025 Longboard Tour Rookie Jomarie Ebueza (PHL).
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Ebueza placed second to his younger brother, Justin Ebueza (PHL), allowing the duo to also move into the Quarterfinals together, securing Justin’s career-best result. In their heat, which featured a third local in Rj Chico Lopez (PHL), as well as Kydon Larrabee (USA), Jomarie posted the highest single-wave score of a 6.83, while Justin’s 11.43 two-wave total took the win. Though taking inspiration from his brother, like the majority of the local community, Justin ultimately looks up to the elder Esquivel brother, Rogelio Jr.
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“Jomarie does give me tips, but ultimately it’s still Jayr [Rogelio Jr Esquievel] that is our idol, Jomarie’s and mine,” Justin Ebueza said.
A third excellent score of an 8.00 was earned by another local, Perry Ventura (PHL), who stole the heat win from Julian Schweizer (URY) at the last minute. The event runner-up in 2025, 24-year-old Ventura stayed extremely patient in a match-up that also featured Tianyang Wang (CHN) and Lukas Skinner (GBR). Catching his first wave a third of the way through the heat, Ventura held that single score of a 4.17 through the second third before increasing to a 4.53 and moving into the second advancing position. It was Ventura’s third wave, caught in the last 90 seconds, that finally allowed him to deliver the critical backhand nose-rides that he is known for, seeing him levitate through an extended hang-ten between powerful carves to take the win.
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“With that wave, I waited for that kind of section there,” Ventura said. “It’s actually so hard to choose the good waves. But I just said, ‘I got this, so I need to wait, and have patience to get a good wave and good scores,’ and then that’s it. I had a shot and then I got an 8. I’m so happy that I made it. My coach Carla [Zamora] is always advising me to be patient and wait for the good waves, because she said, like it’s only two waves, two scores only. And then because it’s a 30-minute heat, I said, ‘I need to wait for a good one, be patient.’ I’m super happy because a lot of Filipinos advanced to the Quarterfinals.”
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While Schweizer is the only non-Filipino in the top half of the draw, Crisanto Villanueva (PHL) remains the only Filipino in the bottom half of the draw. Villanueva won his heat that also saw Gavin Idone (USA) advance, while Edgar Calvo Jr. (PHL) drew an early interference in the following heat, seeing Jack Tyro (NZL) and Taka Inoue (JPN) progress. Meanwhile, in the final heat of the day, Andrew Esquivel (PHL) was unable to overcome an in-form Ben Skinner (GBR), who moved into the Quarterfinals ahead of Jonathan Melendres (MEX).
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The only men’s Round of 32 heat to not feature a Filipino saw three Americans battling with Brazil’s Yam Wisman (BRA). Tony Silvagni (USA) continued to celebrate his engagement that took place during the first day of competition with a second solid heat win, while Tommy Coleman (USA) built throughout the heat to take the advancing position away from Kai McPhillips (USA).
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The La Union International Pro will be held at Monaliza Point at Urbiztondo Beach, San Juan, La Union, Philippines, from January 20-24, 2026.