Cabarete Pro – Men’s LATAM Top Contenders

A historic competition in the Men’s Qualifying Series awaits at the Cabarete Pro QS 1,000 powered by Carambola Surf House beginning March 3 – 6. 

This marks the first time the WSL will help bring the beauty and splendor of the Dominican Republic’s island nation to the world.

Nestled in the northern coastline; Encuentro Beach sits within the Puerto Plata province of the island and is open to an array of swell conditions.

Prominently northerly, ENE swells are ideal to activate the reef-sand break of Encuentro which is predominantly a lefthander. 

But, the island is already a destination for travelers and other watersports.

Cabarete Pro – 2022 Surf – LATAM Top 2 Men Contenders:

Jhony Corzo (Mexico)

Mexico has produced a long list of distinguished professional surfers. 

From the late great Oscar Moncada and hellman Coco Nogales to the early aughts standout Kalle Carranza; our neighbors south of the border know their way around a lineup. 

Now there’s a new generation continuing the tradition of talented Mexican surfing alive, and it’s being led by 21-year-old Jhony Corzo.

Raised within a stone’s throw of the heavy waves of Puerto Escondido; Jhony learned how to ride and respect the Mexican Pipeline from an early age—5 years old, to be exact. 

He proved that years of practice, nerve, and pure talent paid off with a 3rd place finish at the 2016 Surf Open League Puerto Escondido.

A mere year later, the regular footer became Mexico’s first world champ when he took home the gold medal at the 2017 ISA World Surfing Games in Biarritz, France. 

During his march to the win, the then 18-year-old Mexican beat a handful of Championship Tour veterans, including consistent tour standout Joan Duru, to secure one of the biggest upset victories in recent ISA history. 

Jhony Corzo also helped the Mexican National team win an impressive 4th place copper medal at the same competition.

Since those celebratory days in France, Jhony Corzo has continued to improve on his already world-class talent.

Manuel Selman (Chile)

Manuel Selman was born in 1989 in Vina del Mar, Chile. 

He was introduced to a range of sports at an early age and excelled in athletics; before developing a passion for extreme sports including skateboarding, BMX, motocross, and snowboarding.

His life however took a different turn when in 2001, aged 11 years old; his family went to live in the Dominican Republic. 

Here he found his true passion, surfing, and just three years later he traveled to the ISA World Championships to represent Chile for the first time.

The powerful goofy-footer started competing on the Qualifying Series in 2011 and over the next decade remained Chile’s highest-ranked surfer. 

While he never threatened to make the CT, he remained a consistent and reliable performer. 

He was considered especially dangerous whenever the waves were powerful and clean.

In 2021, 17 years after first representing Chile, Selman secured his Olympic selection at the Tokyo 2020 Games through his results at the 2021 ISA Games in El Salvador. 

It represented an incredible achievement for the journeyman and a well-deserved accolade for one of Chile’s best surfers.