Barbadian Surfer Tommaso Layson wins two titles at Puerto Rico Surf Pro

Puerto Rico: Seventeen-year-old Tommaso Layson, a Barbadian surfer, achieved a major breakthrough in his competitive career by winning both the Under-18 boys’ and Open Men’s championships at the La Marginal Surging Pro in 2026 in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

The teenage surfer marked the double triumph on October 12, establishing himself as one of the outstanding players at the sixth stage of the ALAS Global Tour 2026. After winning the titles Layson stated that “I can’t believe it. I was already happy to have won the Under-18 title and I went into the Open final thinking I had nothing to lose and just had to enjoy myself. Winning another title was incredible”

Layson’s accomplishment is significantly remarkable as he claimed victory in the open men’s competition by defeating competitors with greater experience along with claiming a victory in the under 18-event.

The event has played an important role in his progression leading Layson to compete in professional competition and strengthening Barbados’ representation at the event, primarily in Caribbean and Latin American surfing.

Layson established a quick impact in the beginning of the competition on October 9. He registered a heat total of 15 points in the under-18 category which was the top combined score for the opening day.

He also registered an 11.73-point total in the first round of the men’s open competition, establishing a leading score in a particular category for the day.

According to the ALAS Global Tour’s official reports released on October 12, Layson competed in 12 heats over four days, winning 11 of them. His only runner-up result came in the under-18 semifinal event. He posted scores above 10 points in all 11 heat wins, demonstrating performance across every round.

Layson scored an aggregate of 11.06 points over six waves in the open men’s final, beating Ecuadorian surfer Alex Suárez by a lead of 1.16 points, who recorded 9.90. The triumph also helped Layson to directly qualify for the surfing competition at the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. This marked an opportunity for a Barbadian teenager to compete for his nation at a significant global sporting stage.

Layson now has an opportunity to compete for a major global milestone ahead of his qualification for Lima 2027. His impressive performance in Puerto Rico demonstrates a solid foundation for the next stage of his career.