Be honest. Did you pencil in Matthew McGillivray to beat Kanoa Igarashi, Ethan Ewing and Jordy Smith at the rippable right point of Punta Roca? The 27-year-old from Jeffreys Bay did just that at the Surf City El Salvador Pro this month, earning his fourth semifinal in his CT career.
McGillivray has built a career taking down giants when you’d least expect it. Since the WSL reincarnated the mid-year cut in 2022, he has passed the gauntlet all three times. Even-keeled and affable on land, he’s a thrill seeker of the highest order. He’s willing to freefall into a Teahupo’o cavern and parachute out of an airplane. There’s a certain x-factor to his surfing that makes him an intriguing competitor and personality.
McGillivray is one of three surfers featured in the WSL’s new film, “El Paraiso,” which you can now watch, above. Produced in collaboration with the El Salvadoran government, it features him, Liam O’Brien and Yago Dora exploring several fun-looking cobblestone points. The clips were taken last year after the 2023 El Sal contest.
Below, McGillivray talks to us about learning to pace Punta Roca, his time exploring Central America, representing South Africa at the Olympics and his mentality when surfing against the top dogs.
Photo: Aaron Hughes/WSL
SURFER: You beat Ethan Ewing and Jordy Smith in back-to-back heats at Punta Roca. Both are higher-seeded surfers who most people likely assumed would win the matchup. But you won instead. How do you feel about this underdog perception, and does that play into your strategy?
Matthew McGillivray: Absolutely. I do feel like an underdog, especially in matchups against Jordy and Ethan. I aspire to surf like those guys and I study their clips on YouTube. When you come up in a heat against them, it can be difficult to get your mind around, “How can I beat them in a heat?” But it all comes down to competition surfing. It’s the waves you catch in the 30 minutes that matter. You have to get waves with better shape. Strategically, put pressure on them that might cause them to fall. It’s all about decision-making in those 30 minutes. That’s why contest surfing is so challenging. It doesn’t really matter who you’re surfing against. It’s about your wave selection and how you handle pressure.
I was just trying to surf to the best of my abilities. Not worrying about who I was up against. That’s not helpful for me. As long as I surf to the best of my ability, I try to take the result out of the equation. I’m not worried about winning or losing, I just want to do my best.
How much experience have you had in El Salvador? Did you come here before it was a CT event in 2022?
I came for the ISA World Games in 2021. I came here last year (also for the ISA games) and the last three CTs. It’s all been around the competitions. I’m stoked to be here. There are a lot of righthand point breaks, it’s quite similar to back home.
I know Jordy Smith has threatened to slap anyone who compares Punta Roca to J-Bay, but what are the similarities you see between South Africa and El Salvador?
I would say the consistency of surf and the amount of waves on a short coastline. Also there are very few surfers here. It’s easy to get uncrowded waves. That’s a huge bonus. It’s a great place for a surf trip. There are friendly waves, intermediate spots and advanced locations. And the warm water is such a bonus, too.
Photo: Aaron Hughes/WSL
How do you survive surfing in 89-degree water?
It’s insane. It’s warmer in the water than out of it. During midday you kind of want to stay out of the water just so you don’t get heat stroke. For the competition, you try to conserve energy and stay hydrated. If you’re on a surf trip, you can go mad. If you’re not used to heat, the morning and later in the afternoon are perfect. But the heat is something to get used to, for sure.
What was it like filming for El Paraiso? What did you take away from your time with Liam and Yago?
It was such a cool experience. Getting to hang with them and explore different waves in El Salvador was a real treat. Before that I’d only ever been at the contest wave. But here we got to explore and try these different places. And watching the level of Liam and Yago was pushing me. Also, getting to sit down with them during interviews, and hearing their backgrounds and where they were coming from was cool. We looked at the similarities between our upbringings and how different life is in El Salvador. It was cool to make the comparisons and see how lucky we are to travel to these places. I really enjoyed the project and felt lucky to be included.
Liam and I have been traveling together for the last two years. So we’re good friends. And Yago, we hadn’t really hung out with him much before the movie, so we got to spend proper time with him and learn what he’s like. I didn’t realize how cool he is outside the competition scene. And he’s such a good surfer. So talented, as everyone saw in this contest.
Frame: El Paraiso
Which wave stuck out to you?
Punta Roca is still my favorite, largely because of the speed. It’s challenging, but that’s the fun part. You have so much speed, and there are sections for airs and big turns. On this trip I managed to surf Punta Mango because the government organized a military helicopter to take me, Liam and Rio Waida. It was crazy. These two military choppers landed in a field behind Punta Roca, picked us up and dropped us off on the coast just for a surf mission. We got some fun waves. I’d love to see it on some bigger swells because I can see the potential. The shape might be better than Punta Roca. Might have to come back for a surf trip.
For this recent event, did you have someone in your corner to talk about heat strategy?
Yes. Liam and I brought a friend over from Australia named Hinata Aizawa. He’s 23 years old and from Burleigh Heads. He was doing competitions in Australia, but now he’s doing some surf coaching. We brought him here to be a bit of a sounding board but also to help us strategize for heats.
Frame: El Paraiso
What’s your relationship like working with Britt Merrick and the Channel Islands team?
Britt’s been at nearly every event this year, which is huge just for making sure our boards are dialed in. He can make adjustments on models if he sees something. Firsthand feedback from Britt has been super helpful. He’s been developing a model with Joao Chianca for the past few years and I’ve been riding that. It’s based on a Stab In The Dark model, the CI Pro. But I think Joao will rename it soon. So we’ve been experimenting. It’s got a great balance of speed and drawing critical lines in the pocket.
The Olympics aren’t far off. What are your thoughts about representing South Africa on such a big stage at Teahupo’o?
I’m so excited for the Olympics. It’s such a huge opportunity to fulfill one of my childhood dreams that I never thought I could achieve through surfing. But now all of a sudden, it’s possible. It’s such an honor to represent my country. I’ve been praying I don’t get hurt this year because I really want to make sure I get to the event. So far so good! The CT event last month showcased what the wave has to offer. Hopefully, it’s pumping again and we can really show the world what surfing has to offer.