Photo: WSL/Thomas Lodin

WSL Statement: LOS ANGELES, Calif./USA (Wednesday, March 9, 2022) – Joel Tudor has been suspended following conduct detrimental to the integrity of the WSL per the WSL Rule Book, which includes the violation of the following provisions: sportsmanlike conduct (14.02), damage to surfing’s image (14.04), and verbal assault (14.08). The duration of the suspension is currently under review.

It is believed there is some connection between a now deleted Insta post by World Champ Joel, and the possible dissolution of the on the Longboard Tour, and him questioning the equality in pay for the longboard ladies amongst other things.

This story is unfolding.

Surfing England is proud to announce the brand-new Surfing England Junior Surf Series.

We’re stoked to announce the brand-new Surfing England Junior Surf Series for 2022.

The series will see us working in collaboration with our amazing Affiliated Surf Clubs and two new sponsors, Eola and Animal. The series will see 5 stops across the county and then a series final at a destination TBC!

The focus of the series is to provide a fun introduction to competitive surfing for u14s, working with our clubs and the amazing people who make grassroots surfing activity happen. Surfing England are providing some financial and practical support to get the series off the ground, as part of our wider goals to see more contests running in 2023 and beyond.

Club and date list (dates being locked in!):

Croyde Surf Club Saturday 26th March, Croyde Beach, North Devon.

Bude Waveriders Sunday 12th June, Widemouth Bay, Bude.

Newquay Boardriders June

Porthleven Surf Club September

Tynemouth Surf Club October

Finals Late October

This year is planned as a pilot, testing the one-day format, and building the collaboration between our clubs and Surfing England, that will lay the foundations for growing the series, increasing the age range and number of events in 2023 and beyond.

‘We’ve worked hard to bring this junior series to life and it’s amazing to be working in collaboration with our clubs. We should see hundreds of groms participating and for many it’ll be their first taste of competitive surfing – who knows how many future champs will be starting out at a Junior Surf Series comp this year!’ Ben Powis, CEO at Surfing England.

We’re as excited as the groms to see this series kicking off and have to give a huge thank you to our series sponsors for helping make it happen. The wonderful people at Eola are super passionate about getting people active and provide booking systems for activity providers and surf schools around the county. Animal, a legendary brand from the beaches of the Southwest, are our other series sponsor and the crew there have relaunched with a massive focus on sustainability and ethical sourcing.

FAQs

Sounds amazing – how do I enter?

Entry for each event will be via the host surf club. The announcements on entry opening will be made in advance via club and Surfing England social media, with instructions on how to enter. Spaces will be limited due to the volume of heats that can be run in one day.

What if I don’t belong to a surf club?

The events are open to all. Each club can reserve 50% of spaces for members, the rest are available on a first come, first served basis. Get in quick as we expect high demand.

Can I volunteer or help out?

Yes! These events are only possible with the help of many volunteers. Please contact the host club direct if you want to help out at an event.

What’s the format?

4 divisions: U14 boys, U14 girls, U12 boys, U12 girls with a max 24 heats (20-minute heats) running through the day. Ages are as of 1st Jan 2022 (following ISA guidelines on age categories). A maximum of 16 surfers in each division.

Why does the event not cover U16’s and U18’s?

This is a pilot year for the series, starting with a one-day event format. Our aim is to grow the series so next year we run an additional peak or across a full weekend, and can add in U16 and U18 divisions.

Will the events be using LiveHeats so that we can follow if we can’t be there on the day?

This depends on the club. Some will likely use LiveHeats, others might ops to run on paper tabulation with print outs of progressions. The main focus is the Club is comfortable in how they run and for those that wish to try LiveHeats the option is available.

Will there be an overall tour winner?

The winners of each age division will be invited to a finals day at the end of October – full details on the exact date and location TBC.

Anything else I should know?

All participants need to be members of either the host club or Surfing England – so if you’re not a member, get signed up!

Surfing England Membership includes personal accident insurance for surfing worldwide (including wave pools!), as well as great discounts and the latest news direct to your inbox. Junior Membership is just £18/year. Click here to join.

More queries?

Please ping us an email to [email protected]