There’s an eerie calm in Newquay this morning. The Boardmasters is done for another year. Surf contests have been battled. Bands have been danced to. Hangovers may still be ongoing.
The longboarding finished up the event on Sunday with a perfect beach day and fun little waves on offer for the WSL longboarders. After a hard fought day the honours went to Alice Lemoigne and Edouardo Delpero. The top placed Brits were Adam Griffiths who made the semis and Emily Currie who made the quarters. Congrats to all it was a wonderful day’s surfing and a perfect end to another great event.
WSL Press Release
Alice Lemoigne and Edouard Delpero have won the Boardmasters, Cornwall today in clean two foot surf at Fistral beach in front of a packed beach coming to enjoy a picture-perfect summer day.
Reigning World Longboard Champion Rachael Tilly (USA), 18, opened her final count with a near-perfect wave of 9.33 for a long right-hander and multiple gracious nose rides all the way into the beach. Newly crowned 3-time European Champion Alice Lemoigne (REU), 19, took the first wave of the same set, a bigger wave but not as clean with more crumbling sections, not allowing her to fully exploit the clean wave face, for a 7.67.
The fading swell still regularly produced sets as Lemoigne quickly got another opportunity and surfed a very similar wave for another 7.50 and the lead over the American. Not content with her current situation, the French surfer from Reunion Island kept building house, with an excellent 8.83 to further apply pressure on her opponent. Despite multiple efforts, Tilly’s campaign to backup her 9 was vain and Lemoigne added another victory to her solid resume.
“This has been an incredible day, I could have never imagined it to turn out that way,” an ecstatic Lemoigne stated. “I got some good scores along the way and it’s really comforting for the rest of the season. I love coming here every year, we never have such an audience for a longboard event and it’s really cool to see all those people enjoying our show.”
Earlier today, Lemoigne survived a tense battle against good friend and fellow Reunion Island surfer Victoria Vergara in their semifinal matchup, cementing her regional rankings lead to claim her third European Longboard Champion Title.
“To clinch a third European title is absolutely unbelievable, it shows that all the work, the training, the efforts are not in vain,” she added. “ I can’t thank enough my sponsor Daddy Seal that shapes me incredible boards, my trainer, my parents and my boyfriend who support me so much.”
Californian Tilly fell just short of finding a good enough back-up score in the final and takes the runner-up spot. With a win earlier this season in Galicia, the reigning World Longboard Champion completes a fruitful European campaign and will try to keep her momentum going towards her next events on the world stage.
“It’s been a great time competing over here in Europe, I definitely I could have taken this one out as well but Alice surfed great, I was happy to at least post a 9 and put on a good show,” she reflected. “I’ll definitely be coming back next year, these events were really great ran and I look forward to it.”
In the men’s final, Emilien Fleury (FRA), 31, and Edouard Delpero (FRA), 26, got into multiple back-to-back waves and exchanged big scores for most of the final, both threading long nose rides and exploiting every little section with clean drop knee carves.
Delpero made a move for the win with a solid 8.97 on the ten-minute mark as Fleury kept very busy in the lineup, trying to find an equally great ride to try to clinch a maiden event win. Unfortunately opportunities got scarce and ultimately Delpero was carried up the beach, victorious for the first time this season. Delpero had previously dispatched of older brother and 2016 European Champion Antoine in an epic semifinal clash.
“I’m so happy to win here again today, I managed to beat my brother for the first time this year and to surf that final against one of my best mates in a man-on-man heat was incredible,” he stated. “All our European crew has been surfing so well this year again and we’re all super motivated to do well at the World final at the end of the year !”
Fleury with the runner-up position today nets his best result since 2013 when he reached the final of the Real B Voice Pro Longboard in Japan. Unable to find the best waves in the final, Fleury had however been the form surfer all-week, claiming both the highest combined heat total and single wave score of the entire event.
“It got tough by the end there with the high tide and a lot less sets than before, I wish I could have gotten better waves cause I was so close to win an event finally,” he admitted. “Edouard is so strong, especially when it comes to the finals, he chose better waves and deserved to win. I’m still extremely happy with my performance this week and this really motivates me to fight for the title next year and try to put a stop to the Delpero’s supremacy !”
Today’s results cement Delpero’s second place overall in the European rankings and propels Fleury up to second ahead of Ben Skinner.
Newquay local Adam Griffiths (GBR), 28, claimed Britain’s best result today at Fistral with an excellent equal third place as his great run at the Boardmasters was halted by Fleury in the semis. He had previously eliminated good friend and fellow Cornish surfer Skinner in their quarterfinal matchup.
“I’m really stoked with the third place today, it’s my first event of the year as I had a couple of injuries keeping me out of the water this year I didn’t have too much luck,” he analyzed. “I had a really good heat with Skindog earlier today, it’s always nice to beat him, we’ve been traveling and competing together for ages and he normally beats me.”
The musical side of the Boardmasters Festival will also conclude tonight at Watergate Bay with one last night of festivities. More information on the full festival lineup at boardmasters.co.uk.
Following the completion of the Boardmasters, Cornwall this week, surfers will now move on to South-West France for the upcoming Men & Women’s QS1,000 Médoc Océan Lacanau Pro from August 16-21.
Longboarders have now completed their four European events of the 2016 season and will look forward to representing their region at the Jeep World Longboard Championship, China presented by Wanning next December.
Final Men’s European LQS Rankings:
1 – Antoine Delpero (FRA) *** European Champion
2 – Edouard Delpero (FRA)
3 – Emilien Fleury (FRA)
4 – Ben Skinner (GBR)
5 – Martin Coret (REU)
Final Women’s European LQS Rankings:
1 – Alice Lemoigne (REU) *** European Champion
2 – Victoria Vergara (FRA)
3 – Carole Lormant (FRA)
4 – Kathleen Barrigao (PRT)
5 – Francesca Rubegni (ITA)
The Boardmasters, Cornwall are scheduled from August 10-14, 2016 at Fistral Beach, Cornwall – England. For all results, photos, video highlights and press releases, log on to worldsurfleague.com.
The Boardmasters, Cornwall are supported by Surfers Against Sewage, Carve Mag, Corona, Relentless, Cornish Orchid, The Stable and MagicSeaWeed among others.
BOARDMASTERS MEN’S LQS FINAL RESULTS:
1- Edouard Delpero (FRA) 16.57
2- Emilien Fleury (FRA) 15.57
BOARDMASTERS WOMEN’S LQS FINAL RESULTS:
1- Alice Lemoigne (REU) 16.50
2- Rachael Tilly (USA) 13.10
BOARDMASTERS MEN’S LQS SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Emilien Fleury (FRA) 17.83 def. Adam Griffiths (GBR) 15.07
SF 2: Edouard Delpero (FRA) 17.70 def. Antoine Delpero (FRA) 17.40
BOARDMASTERS WOMEN’S LQS SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Rachael Tilly (USA) 17.93 def. Natsumi Taoka (JPN) 9.64
SF 2: Alice Lemoigne (REU) 11.90 def. Victoria Vergara (FRA) 11.66
BOARDMASTERS MEN’S LQS QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Adam Griffiths (GBR) 16.00 def. Ben Skinner (GBR) 13.56
QF 2: Emilien Fleury (FRA) 18.33 def. Josh Le Marquand (JEY) 10.50
QF 3: Edouard Delpero (FRA) 15.67 def. Ben Howey (GBR) 12.87
QF 4: Antoine Delpero (FRA) 16.70 def. Sam Bleakley (GBR) 11.90
BOARDMASTERS WOMEN’S LQS QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Rachael Tilly (USA) 15.66 def. Emily Currie (GBR) 9.24
QF 2: Natsumi Taoka (JPN) 15.00 def. Carole Lormant (FRA) 7.56
QF 3: Victoria Vergara (FRA) 12.70 def. Lindsay Steinriede (USA) 11.23
QF 4: Alice Lemoigne (REU) 12.87 def. Jenny Briant (GBR) 5.97
