As a tropical Caribbean archipelago with several beaches featuring world-class waves on the main island's Northwest Coast and spots ranging from pointbreaks to beachbreaks, surfing has been a popular water sport in Puerto Rico since it was introduced during the 1950s, when it was first massified and professionalized outside the Pacific.The abundance of beaches facilitated the adoption of the sport and by the end of the decade, it was being practiced by young people in most of them. The local circuit was organized in 1965, remaining steady ever since, with the municipality of Rincón hosting the 1968 World Championships during this initial stage. During the 2010s, Brian Toth, Gaby Escudero and Ale Moreda were among the regulars in the local circuit. Arecibo hosted the 2024 World Surfing Games, which registered an attendance of 44,000. Puerto Rico fielded a team composed by Mia Calderón, Havanna Cabrero, Jólari Carreras, Brian Toth, Ricardo Delgado and Dwight Pastrana.
In October 2018, the legislature officially named Rincón "The Capital of the Sport of Surfing" and designated the second week of November as the "Week of Surfing" in Puerto Rico. In 2019, surfing was first incorporated as a sport in the 2019 Pan American Games with Maricarmen Rivera winning the bronze in SUP surfing. The 33rd edition of the Corona Extra Pro Surf Series included the most international competitors and introduced an equal pay system. At the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games, the COPUR debuted the program at this regional event, with Anaís Mendoza and Havanna Cabrero won silver medals and José López bronze at the Surf City beach in San Salvador. In the 2023 Pan American Games, Mariecarmen Rivera won the bronze medal in SUP Racing. Luz Grande won the bodyboarding division at the 2025 PASA Games. History Beginnings First introduced by foreigners in 1960, surfing became popular among Puerto Rican during the decade, growing consistently after first gaining media attention as a fad practiced along skating, which was then called "sidewalk surfing". Initially the group that surfed in the beach near the Capitolio building was seen as a curiosity. The sport was also known as tabla hawaiiana (Spanish for "Hawaiian board") and was practiced by hundreds as early as 1962, but it remained disorganized during its first years. The legislature approved Law No. 19 of June 14, 1965 which forced surfers and practitioners of other aquatic sports to do so at a safe distance from any object or person. Sonny Medina organized the Club de Surfing de Santurce. By November 1965, the Asociación de Entrenadores de Natación organized the Campeonato Estatal de Surfing, a national championship in both the senior and U17 categories, held at Bajamar in Puerta de Tierra, San Juan. Félix Pérez was among the first to become known as a surfer, followed by Anino Irizzary, Manuel Betancourt, José Rodriguez and Guillermo Bermúdez. The event featured 75 surfers and an exhibition by George Kaeo, who had settled in Puerto Rico and was training the Buchanan team. Michael González, José Rodríguez and Bermúdez were the local performers to receive awards in the tournament, that also included experienced talent from abroad. The Compañía Cervecera de Puerto Rico's Cerveza India sponsored the November 1965 event. Hundreds of spectators attended the event, held near the Capitol building, out of curiosity. The FPS intended to match the conditions of Hawaii for the sport.The local beer industry was involved with sponsorship, with the awards being handed at Cervecería de Puerto Rico's Taberna India. In December 1965, the FPS and Cervecería India agreed to continue their sponsorship deal. Irizarry was the first Puerto Rican surfboard shaper, his first surfboard broke on the first wave but he kept improving his craft.
The Federación Puertorriqueña de Surfing was organized and led by José Rodríguez Reyes as a spinoff of the San Juan Surf Association founded a year earlier and by January 1966 held a tournament at Bajamar. Aniro Irizarry won the senior category and Jorge Machuca the junior division. The January 1966 event was sponsored by the Club de Leones de Isla Verde and Cerveza India. In January 1966, a bill was presented ted before the legislature to promote aquatic sports as a tourism venue. By January 1966, the FPS began considering the organization of a large scale event with the world and regional champions of the international circuit. The federation began pursuing the participation of Mickey Munoz, a top surfer from California, in addition to participants from Hawaii and Australia. In February 1966, the FPS held a reunion to discuss the logistics behind the first edition of the Torneo Anual de Pascua Florida event.
In February 1966, Club Waikiki invited Puerto Rico to an international tournament at Lima, Peru Among the first actions undertaken by the FPS was determining how they would choose the athletes that would travel there. The Federación de Escritores de Deportes gave an award to the federation for its work promoting the sport. By the next tournament, held at Bajamar in April 1966, the amount of participants had risen to over 200, with José Rodríguez Reyes winning the senior division. The trophies for the event were handed out at the Taberna India. Under the initiative of Sonny Medina, the Santurce-based Cerveza Corona Puerto Rico quickly began marketing its product towards the surfing crowd. Prior to the 1966 Winter Meetings, the FPS held a press conference. In November 1966, Jorge Machuca won another junior title in a federation tournament, receiving a new surfboard as an award. The following month, the second edition of the Torneo Invernal de Surfing was held at Bajamar beach. González and Machuca repeated among the winners. Cerveza India once again sponsored the December 1966 event.
When the Parque Luis Muñoz Rivera was being built, the planning states included the creation of a boardwalk with beach that was specifically intended to facilitate the practice of surfing. In March 1966, the federation organized the Noseriding Tournament at Pine Grove Beach in Isla Verde, Carolina, with the participation of 30 guest surfers from abroad, the San Juan Surf Association, Hobie Surf Team, Dewey Weber and Company and the Mayagüez Surf Club. The 1967 Torneo de Pascua was the first event to feature a women's division. Having expanded its membership to more than 400 members and eight clubs, the FPS organized its first qualifying events to select the team that would represent Puerto Rico at the World Championships at Rincón. The event featured the participation of 80 surfers in both men's and women's competition, several of which were affiliated with the teams of Isla Verde Surf Club and Mayagüez Surf Club. Rincón also hosted the Eastern Surfing Championship which featured 50 of the top ranked surfers in the United States and local participants such as José Rodríguez, with the International Contest pitting the East and West Coast champions against the Puerto Rican titlists.
The 1968 World Surfing Championships at Rincón In January 1968, the annual event was held at Parada 8 beach at Puerta de Tierra, with the Jorge Machuca-led Hobie Surf Team seeking to revalidate after winning all five of its previous appearances. With six categories, this was the first tournament where the mini-surfboard was used competitively in Puerto Rico and also featured the debut of the Oku Surf Team. In November 1968, the municipality of Rincón hosted the fourth World Surfing Championships at Punta Higüero. The sport also gained popularity at Aguadilla and Atlantic Surfing magazine featured Bridges beach in an article. During the summer of 1968, a team composed by Machuca, Tito Aosti, Mike Burger, and Papo Martínez competed in an event held at Guibia beach in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Cervecería Corona sponsored the World Championship leading up to the event. In September 1968, the FPS held eliminators in four divisions to select the team that would represent Puerto Rico at the event. More were held for youth categories the following month.
The Sub-Director of Fomento Económico stated that the agency's goal was to create a "vocational center" for the sport that covered the west coast of Puerto Rico. In October 1968, the FPS announced that 15 nations had already confirmed.The sport and the favorable conditions to practice it in Puerto Rico was also featured in an edition of the now-defunct Bohemia magazine. The organization of the World Championships involved about 1,500 persons, which operated out of the Mayagüez Hilton. Delegations from 16 countries, including Australia with incumbent champion Nat Young, entered the tournament. Among the oter participants were former world champions Felipe Pomar and Midget Farrelly. A total of 17 countries participated. Eduardo Arena, president of the International Surfing Federation, arrived in Puerto Rico during the last week of October. The administration of the Mayagüez Hilton was proactive in promoting the sport and provided operational headquarters for the event. Cervecería Corona became an early sponsor for the tournament and donated the trophies. On its part, Destilería Serrallés had the event televised.
The Puerto Rican team comprised Jorge Machuca, Tommy Hardy, Rickey Bloomquist and Rogelio Varas on the men's side with Candy Chase and Susan King on the women's side. The first day of competition had to be delayed due to the wave conditions. For Puerto Rico, Fernando Valdés and Tommy Harding advanced to the round of 28. Calm seas caused further delays. On the women's side, Candy Chase finished fifth for Puerto Rico. The heats were televised abroad via the American Broadcasting Company's (ABC) Wide World of Sports. The event granted Rincón, Puerto Rico international sports media exposure. The municipality continued attracting surfers and hippies afterwards. In January 1969, Richard Knorr won a tournament at Guipia beach in the Dominican Republic representing Puerto Rico. Locally, the federation chose representatives per area and scheduled the annual tournaments. Brandy Álvarez (senior), Jorge Machuca (15-17 years), Darel Cabrera (7-13 years), Stephanie Cabrera (women's) and Benjie Meléndez (senior men) were the champions at the Winter Championships. Machuca and Stephanie Cabrera repeated in a tournament held at Puerto de Tierra in March 1969. The Campeonato de Surfing de Pascua Florida were held the following month at Puerta de Tierra, with Richard Sollo (senior), Machuca (junior and open), Greg Saunders (U13) and Susan King (women's) were the champions. The FPS was among the governing bodies that joined government to form a water sports confederation.
Stagnation and reemergence