Between May 2 and May 9, 2026, Mazatlán hosts another edition of the Mexi Log Fest, one of the biggest longboard events in the world. For those who aren't yet familiar with the championship, this is the perfect time to understand what happens there and why the event matters. And for those who follow Lufi, there is a connection to this story that goes deeper than it seems.
What is the Mexi Log Fest?
The Mexi Log Fest was born in 2015 from a simple idea and a legitimate frustration. Israel Preciado, known as Izzy, was 18 years old and had his visa denied to compete in the United States. Instead of giving up, he flipped the logic: if the world's best couldn't come to him, he would bring the world's best to Mexico.
More than a decade later, the Mexi Log is exactly that. Over 160 athletes of 30 nationalities, a festival that mixes music, art, yoga, and surf clinics for children, and a competition with rules that defend the essence of classic longboarding: mandatory single fin, no leash, boards over 9'2" and 15 pounds.
These rules are not a whim. They eliminate shortcuts and put the surfer back to what longboarding has always been: wave reading, body control, connection with the board. Those who win the Mexi Log win by surfing, not by equipment.
What happened in 2025
The 2025 edition took place in Mazatlán, at Playa Los Pinos, over six days in May. Conditions were varied throughout the week, with days of small waves that tested the competitors' reading and style. The event ended with the sea improving and the final day featuring overhead sets and clean conditions.
Chloe Calmon won the women's division and made history as the first surfer to win the Mexi Log twice. Rogelio Esquivel Jr, known as Jay R, took the men's. And for those who know Lufi, this result has a meaning that goes beyond the podium.
Jay R Esquivel: the champion who has a board with his name
Rogelio Esquivel Jr, Jay R, is a Filipino surfer with an unmistakable style. But the connection with Lufi began before the Mexi Log, on another trip, in another ocean.
Years ago, Lufi Bento went to the Philippines. More specifically, to the La Union region, where he was welcomed by the local community with that hospitality you never forget. It was there that he met Jay R: a talented surfer with a joyful soul and an easy smile. The friendship that was born on that trip was so strong that Jay R joined the Lufi team.
Back at the studio, Lufi designed a shape and named it after the region that left such a mark on him. The La Union pays homage to the people and the place. And the surfer who inspired this story just won one of the biggest longboard events on the planet.
Playa Los Pinos: the championship waves
Playa Los Pinos is a left-hand point break that runs the entire length of the beach to the bay, with a rocky bottom and waves that arrive with long-period swells coming from the southwest. It is the type of wave that classic longboarding demands: a smooth entry, a face that extends for a generous distance, and consistent enough speed to work the board without rushing.
It’s not a punishing wave. It’s an inviting one. You drop in, find your trim, walk to the nose, and have time to do everything calmly. What varies is the size: in some editions, the sea is generous, while in others, as during parts of the Mexi Log 2025, the small-wave days put the surfers to the test in a different way. Style does not depend on wave size.
Which Lufi board for waves like Los Pinos?
A long, clean point break wave with a consistent face calls for a longboard that takes advantage of every section without forcing anything. It’s the day to glide, not to push.
The La Union is the most direct answer, and the connection is almost poetic. The pig shape with a square tail, 50/50 rails, and a concave from the nose to the middle was developed for exactly this type of wave: technical noserides, expressive turns through body weight shifts, and long-line surfing with plenty of style. On a face like that of Los Pinos, the La Union goes from trimming to hang ten effortlessly.
The California Dream also fits well. The Californian outline with a narrower tail delivers quick rail-to-rail transitions and stability on the nose, which is an advantage on a wave with a longer face where you have time to work the entire board.
For those who want a bit more versatility without giving up the glide, the Noosa Secret is another option. Developed after a season in Noosa Heads, Australia, one of the most classic point breaks in the world, the shape was made for this type of spot: all-around, easy to surf in any position on the wave.
A Brazilian beach with this spirit
If you want to feel something close to what Los Pinos delivers, Praia do Silveira in Garopaba, Santa Catarina, is the closest reference in Brazil. It’s a rocky-bottom point break with long-faced waves and conditions that have already earned it the title of World Surf Reserve by the Save The Waves Coalition.
Silveira doesn't deliver Los Pinos all year round, but on good winter days, when the south swell arrives organized and the winds are favorable, the wave that opens up there has the same spirit: generous, clean, and made for longboarding.
Why follow the Mexi Log 2026
The Mexi Log is not just a championship. It is one of the few competitions in the world that actively defends what longboarding has always been before it turned into performance: style, wave reading, connection with the sea, and community.
With Jay R on the Lufi team and Chloe Calmon as a two-time winner of the event, 2026 arrives with high expectations. The championship takes place from May 2 to 9, again at Playa Los Pinos in Mazatlán. If you want to follow it closely, follow the official Mexi Log profile on Instagram: @mexilogfest.
And if the Mexi Log made you want to surf a long wave with a longboard that respects tradition, talk to us on WhatsApp. The right board makes all the difference.
