Australia was crowned Team World Champion at the 2025 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Surfing Games (WSG) on Monday September 15 AEDT. The ninth straight day of pumping waves in Surf City El Salvador saw La Bocana offering up powerful four-to-six-foot peaks to decide the medallists.
Dane Henry (AUS) and Janire Gonzalez-Etxabarri (ESP) won the men’s and women’s individual gold medals, respectively. Gonzalez-Etxabarri’s victory marked the first-ever WSG gold for Spain.
Henry’s win, alongside bronze medals for Morgan Cibilic (AUS) and Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), secured the team victory for Australia. The medallists were complemented by Ellie Harrison (AUS) in fifth, Milla Brown (AUS) in 11th before her withdrawal due to injury, and Callum Robson (AUS) in 19th.
Milla sustained damage to her MCL and had to withdraw from the event, which was, as she stated ''pretty tough but lots of learning, onto the next!!!''
Bungan Boardriders' Milla Brown during Day 5 surfing. Photo: ISA / Sean Evans
Callum Robson won his first two rounds, then came third in the Round 4 heats. On Day two Callum posted two scores in the 8-point range in his opening heat for a 16.67 heat total, the highest of the event so far.
Callum Robson, Team Australia, Day Two. Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez
Already the most successful nation in WSG history, Australia broke a 14-year drought to win their sixth team gold medal this year, and their 16th WSG team medal overall. Having claimed four of their six team silver medals in the intervening years, the team was thrilled to once again stand atop the podium. As the reigning Team World Junior Champion, this years' win backs up their 2024 junior victory, also won in Surf City El Salvador.
See 2024 report: The Irukandji's Win Eighth Team World Championship And Two Individual Gold Medals At The 2024 ISA World Junior Surfing Championship
Dane Henry (AUS) became the first man in the modern era to win the WSG as the reigning ISA World Junior Champion. The 19-year-old follows in the footsteps of Tom Curren (USA), who won the 1982 WSG while still holding the junior crown from 1980. Only two other men — Gabriel Medina (BRA) and Jordy Smith (RSA) — have won gold medals at both the World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC) and the WSG.
“That is a crazy club to be a part of,” Henry said. “The whole time I had belief in myself that I could do it. My surfing’s been feeling spot on. I really wanted to really shine in the Final and I’m really glad that I got the opportunity to do that. Competing against guys like Kauli Vaast, Morgan [Cibilic] and Douglas [Silva], you’ve got to pull out the best. I have a really special connection with this place and this competition now. I felt really in my element, which definitely pushed me through and helped me get the win.”
Opening his Final with a massive full-rotation aerial, Henry locked in an 8.67 before backing it up with a 9.50 on a long right-hander at La Bocana. His combined heat score of 18.17 put him beyond reach of his opponents and etched his name into surfing history.
Utilising a similar formula to his 2024 WJSC victory at the same location, Henry attacked the La Bocana rights, opening the men’s Final with a lofty full rotation that earned an 8.67. He soon added exceptional variety on a long right for a 9.50, building a massive 18.17 heat total that left Morgan Cibilic (AUS) and Douglas Silva (BRA) needing a two-wave combination.
Four further excellent scores were posted over the 30-minute match, three of them from Kauli Vaast (FRA), the only surfer able to challenge Henry’s lead with a single wave. The Olympic Champion’s vertical backhand attack came closest to Henry’s numbers, but the Australian stayed out of reach, even as Vaast landed a backhand full rotation to close the Final.
“This win means everything,” Henry said. “To represent Australia and stand on top with this team is the best feeling in the world. We believed in each other all week, and to bring it home for the Irukandjis is so special.”
Dane Henry, Team Australia / Photo: Sean Evans
Veteran and 2025 Team Captain, Sally Fitzgibbons, continued to build on her remarkable career, adding a sixth ISA World Surfing Games medal — a bronze — to her unprecedented haul of 4X golds and 1X previous bronze. Fitzgibbons remains one of the most winningest surfers in ISA Surfing history, and reinforces her reputation as the anchor of the Irukandjis.
"Our team really connected through our values of how much it means to us to represent our nation. Every individual athlete, coach, and staff member woke up every day ready to take on the challenge. Out of every ISA medal I've won, this is the one that stands out. I couldn't be prouder, and this memory will stay with me forever." Sally Fitzgibbons said
Sally Fitzgibbons during the Finals surfing. Photo: ISA / Sean Evans
Morgan Cibilic during the Finals surfing. Photo: ISA / Pablo Jiminez
2021 Championship Tour Rookie of the Year, Morgan Cibilic, also delivered a huge performance on the world stage, securing his best ISA World Surfing Games result to date with a bronze medal in El Salvador.
"This event was epic, and the waves were so much fun — it was the perfect setup for a competition. It’s the first time in such a long time that Australia has won gold, and I’m super proud of our team. We had such a strong connection, and I’m really excited to see what every team member achieves in the future with their surfing." Morgan Cibilic said
Ellie Harrison during Semi finals (Round 6). Photo: ISA / Sean Evans
ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:
“Today, as I was standing on the stairs watching the finals, one of the athletes from Vanuatu stopped by and told me, ‘These were the best two weeks of my life.’ It was the first time Vanuatu competed at the World Surfing Games, and that memory will stay with them forever. Moments like this are what make our work so meaningful.
“I want to thank President Nayib Bukele for believing in surfing as part of the future of El Salvador, and for believing in the ISA. These past six years have been incredible for El Salvador, for the ISA, and for Olympic surfing. Thank you also to Morena Valdez, and to the amazing hosting team.
“Many years ago, Duke Kahanamoku dreamed that surfing would one day become an Olympic sport. People said it would never happen, but today his dream is a reality. As we begin the third Olympic cycle for surfing, we honour Duke’s vision. He believed in surfing, and he believed in aloha — and in our own way, we are all ambassadors of aloha. We came here in peace, we spent these two weeks in peace, and now we return home in peace. That is the true spirit of surfing. Long live surfing, long live love and peace in the world.”
ISA President Fernando Aguerre. Photo: ISA / Pablo Franco
El Salvador Minister of Tourism Morena Valdez said:
“We are so excited to have the United Nations of surfing here in El Salvador. To be with all of you at the ISA World Surfing Games makes us so proud. Every year this event leaves us with something special, and for me, the most important takeaway is the friendship that grows among our nations.
“For El Salvador, surfing is more than a sport. Together with the ISA and through the vision of President Bukele, we believe surfing is a path to social, economic, and human development. Hosting the World Surfing Games is not only about competition; it is about building opportunities, friendships, and a stronger future through surfing.”
The Irukandjis’ win in El Salvador is the first since 2011, ending more than a decade of close calls, including four team silver medals since their last gold, and signals the start of a new golden era for Australian surfing.
Adam Dufner, 2025 Team Australia Coach, reflected on the collaborative team atmosphere of The Irukandjis:
"It has been a privilege and an honour to coach and support this amazing team of incredibly talented athletes and wonderful young individuals! This event has been a highlight of my coaching career!"
Sally Fitzgibbons. Photo: ISA / Pablo Jiminez
Final Team Standings
- 1st – Gold – Australia – 3935pts
- 2nd – Silver – Peru – 3143pts
- 3rd – Bronze – Spain – 2943pts
- 4th – Copper – France – 2743pts
Individual Results
- Dane Henry (NSW) – 1st – Gold
- Sally Fitzgibbons (NSW) – 3rd – Bronze
- Morgan Cibilic (NSW) – 3rd – Bronze
- Ellie Harrison (VIC) – 5th
- Milla Brown (NSW) – 11th
- Callum Robson (NSW) – 19th
About the ISA World Surfing Games 2025
The 2025 ISA World Surfing Games was staged at La Bocana and El Sunzal, two world-class breaks on El Salvador’s coastline. The event draws the best surfers from over 50 nations, competing for individual titles and national team glory.
Since 2022, the ISA Worlds have been integrated into Olympic qualification, making them a direct pathway for surfers aiming to compete at the Games.
About the Irukandjis
The Irukandjis name was generously gifted to Surfing Australia by the Yirrganydji people of North Queensland. The team’s tagline — ‘Deadly in the Water’ — comes from the potent Irukandji jellyfish, reflecting both the cultural heritage and fierce competitive spirit of Australian surfers.
All elite Australian surfers, across Olympic, longboard, big wave, adaptive, SUP, junior, and masters disciplines, compete internationally under the Irukandjis banner and colours.
