El Salvador Swell Lifts Portugal’s Surf Queens Toward LA 2028 Dreams

The Atlantic swell crashing over El Salvador’s La Bocana this week has already produced a standout storyline for anyone with a Portuguese address in their passport—or simply in their heart. Yolanda Hopkins and Francisca Veselko have powered into Round 3 of the ISA World Surfing Games, each posting heat totals that turn heads far beyond the competition site. For expatriates who now call Portugal home, the early fireworks are also a reminder of how deeply surf culture shapes the country you’ve adopted.

Why this tournament still matters after Paris 2024

An Olympic berth is no longer on the line—the qualifying window for the Paris Games shut more than a year ago—but the World Surfing Games remain the sport’s most democratic global event. Results here dictate seeding for future qualifiers and, more importantly, gauge who might represent their nations at Los Angeles 2028. Portugal finished only 11th in 2023; insiders at the seleção insist a Top-8 finish is the objective this time. The stakes, in other words, are real, and the strong opening by Hopkins and Veselko has injected early confidence into a squad that also features Teresa Bonvalot, now navigating the repechage bracket.

Hopkins: experience meets execution

Born in Faro and raised on the Algarve’s wind-brushed points, Yolanda Hopkins arrived in Central America as Portugal’s most seasoned campaigner. She banked a 14.34 on Day 1—then the highest women’s heat total—and followed up with another convincing win in Round 2. Her backhand snaps looked especially sharp, a technical note worth storing away because the right-hand reef at El Sunzal, where later rounds will unfold, rewards precisely that approach. Hopkins’ post-heat comments were terse but telling: the goal is to “surf smart, not just strong,” a nod to her Olympic experience in Tokyo where heat strategy often trumped raw flair.

Veselko’s coming-of-age performance

Lisbon native Francisca Veselko, just 22, is surfing with the composure of someone ten years older. She logged a 14.83 on the opening day—best of the women—and then soared to a combined 16.74 in Round 2, posting the first excellent two-wave score of the entire female draw. Coaches have long touted her rail game; what’s new is the aerial confidence she unveiled on Monday, stomping a clean reverse that forced commentators to recalibrate her ceiling. Around the Portuguese camp she’s affectionately called “Kika,” but rivals are learning her full name fast.

What the next heats look like

Official heat sheets for Round 3 had not been released at press time, yet the seeding math is clear: both Portuguese women will avoid each other and, for now, the heavyweight Australians. Conditions are forecast to hold in the 1.5-2 m range with a slight offshore, ideal for power carves that suit Hopkins and Veselko alike. Should either stumble, the double-elimination format grants a safety net, though the repechage route can mean surfing three or four extra heats in a single day—energy-sapping in the tropics. Bonvalot’s presence there already underscores how thin the margin can be.

Why expats are part of the story

Portugal’s coastal renaissance has lured thousands of internationals to towns such as Ericeira, Peniche and the Algarve, where surf schools double as language classrooms and visa-run advice boards. When Hopkins speaks of representing everyone who feels Portuguese, she is nodding to that mosaic. For newcomers contemplating a permanent move, the visibility of athletes like Hopkins and Veselko on the world stage spotlights a nation that treats surfing not as a pastime but as cultural currency. Local municipalities invest in wave-forecast apps, beach clean-ups and junior leagues; expat parents find that weekend surf clinics are as common as football camps. Watching the livestream this week is more than fandom—it’s a crash course in how your adopted country punches above its weight on water.

How to follow from Portugal—or anywhere

The ISA provides free HD streams at isasurf.org starting at 15:00 Lisbon time daily, with multilingual commentary options. RTP Play typically rebroadcasts Portuguese heats in prime time, while the World Surf League social channels offer condensed highlights if you’re short on data. For those craving the communal buzz, bars in Cascais and Porto’s Foz district have announced projector screenings whenever Portuguese surfers paddle out. Just remember the seven-hour time difference when you order that late-night tosta mista.

Whether you arrived in Portugal for a tech gig, a golden-visa retirement, or simply to chase Atlantic peelers, the nation’s surfers are carrying the flag this week so you don’t have to. Hopkins and Veselko are proving that small-nation swagger travels well—and their next heats might tell us how far.