Maddie Stanton and Team USA Earn Silver at the 2026 ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in El Salvador

The 2026 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Junior Surfing Championship brought together some of the world’s top young surfers for nine days of high-level international competition, and Maddie Stanton was proud to represent Team USA at one of the biggest events on the junior surfing calendar.

Held from September 4–13, 2026, at La Bocana and El Sunzal in El Salvador, the championship featured 420 surfers representing 56 nations. Competition began with strong surf and continued through multiple rounds of heats before the final day determined the individual and team medal standings.

For Maddie, the event was about more than simply competing. She had the opportunity to represent the United States while serving as Team Captain, helping contribute to a Team USA campaign that ultimately finished with the silver medal in the overall team rankings.

Competing on the World Stage in El Salvador

The ISA World Junior Surfing Championship is one of the most important international competitions for emerging junior surfers. The 2026 event brought together athletes from around the world to compete across the U/18 and U/16 divisions.

Competition took place at two of El Salvador's well-known surf breaks, La Bocana and El Sunzal, with athletes facing changing conditions throughout the event. The official competition schedule ran from September 5 through September 13, with heats taking place from sunrise to sunset.

The opening day immediately set the tone for the championship. The first day featured 54 heats across two competition podiums, with clean four-to-six-foot swell providing challenging conditions for the world's best junior surfers. 

As the competition progressed, every heat became increasingly important—not only for individual surfers trying to advance through the draw, but also for their national teams competing for the overall team medal.

Team USA Battles Through the Competition

Representing Team USA meant competing alongside some of the country's strongest junior surfing talent. Throughout the championship, surfers from the United States advanced through multiple rounds as the team remained in contention for the overall podium.

By Day 8, the team race had become increasingly competitive. The ISA reported that Team USA was still in contention for the gold medal heading into Finals Day, with three American surfers remaining among the competitors advancing toward the final rounds.

That final stretch of the competition brought some of the highest-pressure heats of the event. With surfers representing Australia, the United States, Brazil, Peru, Japan and other nations still battling for results, every wave and every advancement could affect the team standings.

For athletes competing at this level, success is not only about putting together one strong heat. Surfers have to consistently perform through multiple rounds while adapting to the conditions, the lineup and the pressure of international competition.

A Strong Finish for Team USA

After nine days of competition, Australia finished with the team gold medal, while Team USA secured the silver medal. Brazil finished with bronze and Peru earned the copper medal. The official ISA results show the United States finishing second among the 56 nations competing in the championship.

Team USA finished with 6,048 points, behind Australia's 8,078 points and ahead of Brazil's 5,430 points.

The result capped off a highly competitive championship and placed the United States on the international junior surfing podium.

Maddie Stanton’s Experience as Team USA Captain

For Maddie, the competition carried an additional responsibility. In her post following the championship, she shared how proud she was to have served as Team Captain for Team USA during the event.

“So proud to have served as Team Captain for Team USA.”

Being part of a national team environment meant experiencing the competition alongside teammates while supporting each other through the different stages of the event. Maddie described the week as an unforgettable experience, especially competing alongside her teammates and being part of the team environment throughout the championship.

A Memorable Championship for Maddie Stanton

Looking back on the event, Maddie described the experience as one of the most enjoyable weeks of her surfing journey.

While the silver medal was the ultimate team result, the championship represented much more than the final standings. It was an opportunity to compete internationally, represent the United States, surf alongside talented teammates and experience the intensity of a major world championship.



From the opening heats to the final day of competition, Team USA continued to fight through the event and ultimately finished on the podium.

For Maddie, serving as Team Captain made the experience even more meaningful.