In photos: the sea taught him to swim, the surfboard gave him a trade, and Punta Roca found its silent guardian in Piry.

For more than two decades, Luis, known as "el Piry," has worked as a surfboard restorer in a workshop located in the coastal area of Punta Roca, within the Puerto de La Libertad in El Salvador. Using materials such as resin, he repairs and straightens surfboards that have been broken or worn down by the sea.

The coastal community of Punta Roca found a silent guardian in Piry, whose daily labor connects the local area to its original surf identity. Having learned to swim in the sea and found his trade through surfing, his ongoing maintenance work serves to keep the local surf culture alive.