Sunday, June 22nd, Punta 2, Iquique, Chile.
At 7:30 a.m. local time, an amazing fifth day of competition kicked off.
Yesterday, the organizers decided to give the surfers a day off since the weather forecast showed better wave conditions for today. Waking up this morning proved to be a great call. A new swell has arrived on the beautiful coast of Iquique, and Punta 2 woke up with some really good conditions.
So, everything’s set for the Round of 16 in the Men’s Prime Series and the Quarterfinals in the Women’s Prime Series. The level these athletes are showing is just incredible.
ROUND OF 16 / MEN’S PRIME SERIES
We’re now into the knockout stage of the Men’s Prime Series, and for the first time, it’s head-to-head heats — 25-minute battles between the best riders in the world.
The first match featured Chile’s Moisés Silva against Morocco’s Brahim Iddouch. Both surfers decided to ride lefts the whole heat. Moisés controlled the heat throughout, landing two high-scoring waves — an 8.50 and a 7.90 — earning him a well-deserved spot in the quarterfinals. Brahim Iddouch, Morocco’s top rider, put on a great performance but is heading home.
Moisés Silva: “I focused on waiting for the good waves. I managed to connect two that put me in front. I’m still studying, but we’re also working with schools for kids in Arica. We want to keep these young people motivated with the sport and help them develop a good lifestyle. Our goal is to grow the sport through this teaching platform.”
Next up was a highly anticipated heat between the current Iquique champ, South Africa’s Tristan Roberts, and Peru’s Miguel Rodríguez — one of the standout names from Peru this year. Tristan took the win, connecting several combo waves, including a big backflip on the first section and three rolls scored at 8.5. Miguel, who’s been back on tour showing top form, is out.
Tristan Roberts: “The waves were a bit slow, but I managed to get my goals done by connecting some waves. My next opponent is Moisés Silva — an amazing rider competing at home. He’s really strong, so I’m sure it’ll be a great match.”
The third heat is the most anticipated of the day — featuring the current world champ, Armide Soliveres, against two-time world champ Pierre Louis Costes. Both fought for the world title last year until the very last day. It was action-packed, ending with a win for Armide, who scored 8 and 7 points, highlighted by a roll and inverted aerial — showing he’s still in top form and a serious contender for the title. Pierre didn’t get the best wave choices and was disqualified, but he’ll still be fighting for the world crown, as he’s one of the greatest of all time.
Armide Soliveres: “It’s always incredible to compete against my idol. Competing against him motivates me to be better, and I’m really proud. During free surfs, I love trying new tricks and innovating. I also like to change things up in competitions — taking risks with different maneuvers to make it more exciting.”
A highly emotional matchup features two young friends — Arica local Rodrigo Silva versus one of this year’s revelations, Peruvian Cristopher Bayona. Rodrigo started strong with a big backflip, and although he scored well overall, Cristopher was unstoppable this time. Cristopher rode a near-perfect right, with a deep, long tube, and finished with a solid backflip scoring 9.25 — the second-highest score of the day.
Cristopher Bayona: “I managed to get out of that tube — I was lucky and confident. Facing Rodrigo, we have a lot of respect for each other. Competing against him is an honor and a pleasure. We shared a big hug after — we’re brothers of the sea. In the quarterfinals, I’ll face Armide — it’s going to be a great battle. Whatever happens, happens.”
Once again, a great showdown between two legendary Brazilian riders — Eder Luciano vs. Uri Valadao. It was a close heat with lots of action. Uri took the win, performing very well as he always does, and Eder was eliminated after a strong performance and applause from the crowd.
Uri Valadao: “We’ve faced each other many times; this Brazilian heat is a classic. Competing against Eder is always risky but also a real pleasure. More and more Brazilians are showing up on the tour. I didn’t connect with the ocean in Itacoatiara, but I feel really in sync here in Iquique. This is an amazing contest—I love the place, the waves, the locals, and their people”
This was the best of the round, with high scores and jaw-dropping maneuvers. Two local guys who know La Punta 2 really well Agustín Figueroa and the Argentine living in Iquique, Patricio Galay, both came in strong from previous rounds. It’s worth mentioning that Agustín Figueroa scored the first perfect 10 of the competition, pulling off a radical, flawless backflip on the first section of the wave, which judges really appreciated. He also had the highest total score of the entire event—an impressive 18.25. Patricio scored a high total too, with some insane inverted airs that, in any other heat, would’ve easily taken first place. But this time, Agustín crushed every wave and took the win.
Agustín Figueroa:“This is the first time I’ve ever gotten a 10, and it’s at a world event! I’m super happy. It was a bit tough to loosen up, but I’m giving it my all now. Competing on my home wave is a real pride—this wave is amazing, and the level of locals is super high. I feel at home here. I want to thank the Iquique Municipality and everyone supporting this sport.”
Another surprise this year in Iquique. Chajri Badr Eddine from Morocco versus Chile’s Marcelo Faundes, another great local. It was a fierce battle, but in the end, Chajri took it. After a tight heat, he nailed several solid backflips and advanced to the quarterfinals. The Chilean rider left the competition to applause from the crowd—he really put on a show.
Chajri Badr Eddine: “I’m really happy. Marcelo is a great competitor; he does really good backflips. I got lucky because sometimes the right gets tricky with low tide, but in the last few minutes, I managed to do some backflips and turn things around. Thanks so much to all my sponsors for giving me this opportunity.”
Last heat of the round. It was a showdown between two heavy hitters—local young gun Joaquín Soto, who was second last year and the top Chilean in the IBC tour, against none other than Brazilian Gabriel Braga, who finished third in the world last year. Gabriel says he loves La Punta 2, and you can see it every time he surfs there. Joaquín gave it his all until the very last second, but Gabriel’s performance was outstanding—staying calm throughout and making the most of every wave. He pulled off two beautiful inverted airs that earned him the qualification.
Gabriel Braga: “It was really tough against Joaquín; he’s a great local and knows the wave well. I played my priority right and got lucky. Now I’m going all out in the quarterfinals. Thanks to everyone who supports me!”
QUARTERFINALS / WOMEN PRIME SERIES
Only the top 8 competitors remain in the Iquique Bodyboard Pro 2025. So, anyone who advances in these women’s matchups is guaranteed a spot on the podium.
The first heat of the day was between Brazilian Blanca Simoes and the young Chilean girl, 15-year-old Constanza Soto. The Chilean started super strong, already pulling off a radical 6.5 roll after just 5 minutes, showing she was there to compete. Blanca Simoes then took the lead for most of the heat, but right at the end, the young Iquique girl surprised everyone again with a brutal roll scored at 8.5 — the best score of the day in the Women’s division. This secured her a podium spot for her country after many years.
Constanza Soto said, super excited: “I’m so happy, this is a dream. I didn’t expect this at all, I can’t believe it. I thought I was already out, and in the end, I managed to catch an 8.5 wave. I recommend to all the girls to try this sport and stay consistent because that’s the key to reaching your dreams.”
The second heat featured two Japanese riders, both showing incredible skills. Namika Yamashita, currently ranked #1 in the IBC rankings, went up against Yuka Nishimura, one of the rising stars in the category. It was a tight heat, but Namika took the win, catching a good roll on her third wave scored at 7 points. Yuka Nishimura was eliminated, but she’s definitely establishing herself as a new top rider in the Women’s Prime Series.
The third heat was a battle of titans — none other than the youngest world champion in the history of our sport, Alexandra Rinder, against the experienced Maylla Venturin. Both have been competing flawlessly. It’s worth noting that Maylla kept a lot of pressure on her opponent for half the heat, but Alexandra is super motivated and focused on winning her third world title. She was unstoppable, scoring the best total of the day in the category with 16.5 points.
Alexandra Rinder: “I’m really happy. I caught a lot of waves and did a bunch of maneuvers — I had so much fun. It’s incredible to be on the podium. I’m really focused on the semifinals. Thanks so much to everyone who’s supporting me here in Iquique and to my family.”
The last heat of the day was a real showstopper. Five-time world champ Neymara Carvalho from Brazil faced her fellow countrywoman, the great rider Nicolle Calheiros. Neymara pulled out all her tricks, but this time, Nicolle was solid. On her first wave, she caught a big, aggressive roll scored at 8 points — a crucial wave that helped her secure the win and make it onto the Iquique podium.
Nicolle Calheiros: “Going up against the five-time world champ is a lot of pressure, but we’re both here representing Brazil. I’ve managed to show some of my surfing here in Iquique. I’m super happy to be on the podium, representing my country Brazil and my city Rio de Janeiro. I’m really emotional.”
It’s been a day full of surprises, high-level surfing, excitement, and the best bodyboarding show in the world.
Tomorrow, the technical committee has scheduled an early check-in for competitors at 7:00 am local time.
Stay tuned because tomorrow could be the final day of the competition, and the new champions of the Iquique Bodyboard Pro 2025 will be crowned.
Thanks to all the sponsors and partners for making this possible.
PRESENTED BY:
@municipalidad_iquique
ORGANIZED BY:
@Cormudepi
SPONSORED BY:
@Zofri_sa
@Erizosurfbrand
@hotelcavancha
@kine_vitta
@IbisIquique
COLLABORATORS:
@clubheaven.cl
@redsaludcchc
@salvavidas_iquique
@chiringuitocavancha.cl
@lajuanaiqq
@agua.manantial
@mariadelmarcafe
@erizosstore
You can follow the event live and everything related to the IBC World Tour through the following channels:
Website: ibcworldtour.com
Instagram: instagram.com/ibcworld_tour
Facebook: facebook.com/ibc.world.tour
TikTok: tiktok.com/@ibcworldtour
Youtube: www.youtube.com/@IBCWorldTour
#municipalidad_ #Cormudepi #Zofri_sa #Erizosurfbrand #hotelcavancha #kine_vitta #IbisIquique #clubheaven.cl #redsaludcchc #salvavidas_iquique
#chiringuitocavancha.cl #lajuanaiqq #agua.manantial #mariadelmarcafe
#erizosstore
#ELMEJORREEFURBANO #IBCWORLDTOUR2025 #IQUIQUEBODYBOARDPRO2025