Lucca Messinas, the Peruvian surfer of the moment who dreams of the WSL World Tour

Lucca Mesinas live an extraordinary present. The Peruvian surfer never tires of shining on the waves of various seas around the planet and is now very close to fulfilling a new dream: qualifying for the 2022 World Tour of the World Surf League (WSL).

The gold medal won at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games meant a very positive and important turning point in Messinas’ career. Since then, the Mancoreño has continued his successes and demonstrated this in the last Olympic Games.

Lucca was a member of the Peruvian delegation that was present at Tokyo 2020 and was precisely the one that stood out the most. The 25-year-old surfer brushed the Olympic podium after finishing the competition in fifth place, which earned him a diploma.

The adventure of Messina continues and in recent months has been representing Peru very optimally. In fact, .

“Lima 2019 gave me great motivation and then all this pandemic happened, which had a long time for championships. I did not relax and took advantage of that time to prepare more, improve my surfing and that helped me when I returned to competitions, because I felt confident and physically well. All this has helped me to have good results this year (2021) “, explains Messinas in dialogue with El Comercio.

At the end of September he did not have the desired start at the US Open, where he finished in 17th place. However, the Mancoreño managed to recover in the October dates that were played in Portugal and France, where he finished in ninth and fifth place, respectively.

Thanks to its great performance,.

There is only one day left in the event and Lucca has a great chance to make history. Between November 26 and December 7 in Hawaii, the national surfer must minimally reach the quarterfinals to ensure their classification.

“Hawaii is one of the hardest places to race. But we have a month to prepare and I will focus on that. Then I’ll go have fun, hit it hard in all my ‘heats’ and try to change the points I have, because there are four events, but only the best three count “, says the national surfer.

If this feat is achieved, Messinas will become the first Peruvian, in the male branch, to reach the Championship Tour (CT) in all of history. In ladies, only Sofia Mulanovich was present in the professional elite of the WSL and even won the world title in 2004.

, in case the Tico Carlos Muñoz lost the quota that he currently maintains together with Messinas “, he clarifies Michel Romero, journalist specialized in the subject.

“The classification, in addition, would show that our very high level in surfing -which at one point was reached by Sofía- finally ends up leveling at the male level (something that always eluded us for multiple reasons”, estimates.

The best Peruvian surfer today?

The successes of Lucca Mesinas speak for themselves. It is maintaining its level at the highest level and representing the country in the best way abroad. For many, he is the best Peruvian surfer today and there are plenty of reasons. However, his teammates are not far behind and are on a par with him.

For Patrick Espejo, a sports journalist, what Messinas is achieving should not go unnoticed. “In the last 20 years, he is probably the best surfer that Peru has. At present, there is no one who is achieving the results that he obtains based on his merit, his preparation and his effort “, opines.

. Hopefully I can keep going further. With him comes a very good group, with Miguel Tudela, with Alonso Correa, guys who are also reaping good results “he adds.

For his part, Michel Romero considers that it is difficult to define the best Peruvian surfer today, taking into account that Messinas’ present is just as good as that of Tudela and Correa, who are also competing in the Challengers. “There is an additional factor to these assessments: being connected to the waves during the heats. Some call it the competitor’s ‘momentum’ “says the journalist.

Following that line, it is more difficult to try to choose the best surfer in history. Romero appreciates that this sport, over the years, has undergone many changes at a tactical, technical and regulatory level. The evolution of surfing has been inevitable, so each part of history has had a type of competitive representation. Therefore, the success of the current Peruvian generation carries a very positive meaning that comes from years ago.

, and that following what was developed by their predecessors, they are about to fulfill the dream of reaching the competitive level of the CT. In conclusion, it would be an achievement that, although it is true, could have a particular face, like that of Lucca, it ends up being an achievement of the evolution of Peruvian surfing itself “, assures Romero.

the same Lucca Mesinas he was also encouraged to answer this question. The 25-year-old surfer is aware of his enormous talent, but also that of his compatriots. For this reason, he does not believe himself to be better than the others, but he does highlight the importance of staying with the best possible performance during competitions.

“I don’t think I am the best surfer in Peru right now. Both myself and Correa, Tudela, De Col, and other surfers in the country who are also there at the top, I think we all have a very good surfing and each one specifies something that is better than another. We all have a good level. Sometimes it’s just trying to get results and be consistent ”, indicates.

Be that as it may, the good time of Lucca Mesinas no one can argue. He is about to make history, but he prefers not to overthink that situation and enjoy what is coming in Hawaii. Meanwhile, the Mancoreño hopes that the successes will continue and give more joy to the country he loves so much.