San Javier mayor José Miguel Luengo and sports councillor Sergio Martínez have welcomed Mario Alcaraz to the mayor’s office following his second place in Spanish under-18 surfing while representing the Murcia regional team.
The council reported the reception on 3 November. The 16-year-old studies at IES Mar Menor and achieved the result at the regional teams championship held in Santoña, Cantabria, in September.
A runner-up finish at Berria beach
The competition took place from 4 to 6 September at Berria beach, as part of the Spanish championship organised by the Spanish Surfing Federation.
In the men’s under-18 category, Catalonia’s Ferran Sancho won the title ahead of Murcia representative Mario Alcaraz López, with Alejo Linares and Teo García Cajide completing the top four.
Murcia finished sixth in the overall regional team standings with 15,551 points, in a championship won by the Canary Islands that brought together different disciplines and age groups.
Alcaraz had already become Murcia’s regional surfing champion in 2025, winning both his under-16 category and the open category.
From his first trips to national competition
His involvement in surfing began during a trip to Cantabria when he was eight. Recounting the championship, he explained that he has competed since that age and is used to managing the pressure of twenty-minute heats.
Describing the Santoña final, he said he achieved his best score in the last minute thanks to a wave that received high marks from the judges.
He also said the different types of waves he trains on in Murcia help him adapt to difficult conditions, and expressed his satisfaction at contributing points to the regional team.
During the reception, Luengo congratulated the teenager and highlighted the effort and discipline behind sporting results, alongside his commitment to both sport and his studies.
Competing at a world championship with the Spanish national team is among Alcaraz’s next sporting goals.
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