With more than 4,500 miles of epic Pacific coastline, Mexico is a surfers paradise. Check out the latest edit to drop featuring the irrepressible Jamie O'Brien and skimboarder extraordinaire Brad Domke as they search for pits south of the border.
The QS1,000 Animal Pro and LQS1,000 BFGoodrich Longboard Pro were completed today at Boardmasters Open in clean two-to-three foot surf at Fistral beach. The events faced an extremely difficult forecast and had to shorten the formats and use double-banks to run the entirety of the 84 heats in two days of competition.
Competitors enjoyed really fun conditions yesterday and today, culminating with the finals held on a hot summer afternoon in Cornwall with the four deserving winners hoisting their trophies in front of large and enthusiastic crowds.
Local Pro Takes On European New Guard
Stop No. 2 of 10 in the 2022/23 European Qualifying Series, the Animal Pro counts towards surfers’ efforts to qualify for next year’s Challenger Series. It’s early days but every result counts and the points earned today could go a long way by year’s end.
Bitor Garitaonandia (ESP), Thomas Ledee (FRA), Marco Mignot (FRA) and Jobe Harriss (GBR) reached the Animal Mens Pro Final with big performances yesterday, and fought it out for the win this afternoon. Harriss, the local surfer from Cornwall has competed in this event since 2012 and today faced three up-and-coming talents starting to dominate at the regional level.
In the Final, French Caribbean surfer Ledee started off the strongest with the best score of the heat as his first wave and kept a strong hold on the lead to claim his first-ever QS win, in his first-ever QS Final. Coming off an equal 5th place in his last event, the young surfer from St Barthelemy is building a strong case as one of the emerging forces in French surfing. This result rocketed him into first place of the regional rankings early in the season.
“It’s awesome to win, especially in small conditions, I really didn’t expect it,” Ledee admitted. “I’m definitely more of a power surfer but I was really focused on each heat and trying to do my own thing, so I’m glad it worked out. I’m off to the next two French events extremely motivated and my goal is to qualify for the Challengers so I’ll keep working towards that.”
Garitaonandia placed second, Harriss third and Mignot took fourth in the Final.
Iberian Women’s QS Final a Common Clash
Ariane Ochoa (EUK), Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri (ESP), Yolanda Hopkins (PRT) and Laura Coviella (CNY) all made the Final courtesy of dominating form through yesterday’s never-ending rounds. Hopkins was defending her title as she won the event in 2019 the last time it ran, Ochoa and Gonzalez Etxabarri are both common faces in the latter stages of events and Coviella cracked her glass-ceiling to reach a career-first Final on the WSL tours.
In the Final, the Portuguese Olympian Hopkins dominated proceedings wire-to-wire to claim her career-second win on the QS, and back-to-back at Fistral after her 2019 title. Her powerful brand of surfing was on full display with crowds lining up the ocean’s edge to take it all in up close.
“It’s such a whole vibe here I’m loving it,” Hopkins said. “People are super excited and very supportive. Yesterday was tough, I didn’t even have my own boards but I was feeling all the support and the waves were fun. I’m super happy to take my second win here again in Newquay.”
Gonzalez Etxabarri placed second, Coviella third and Ochoa took fourth in the Final.
Rookies Take On International Stars in Men’s Longboard Final
Current World No. 4 Ben Skinner (GBR) and multiple event winner Edouard Delpero (FRA), two of the best longboarders in the world, took on rookies Nicolas Andrade (ESP) and Frederico Carrilho (PRT) in the LQS1,000 BFGoodrich Longboard Pro Final.
This event is the first of the season for European longboarders and with currently no other stage confirmed, the result at Fistral carries massive importance in the race to qualify for the World Longboard Tour.
In the Final, the Spaniard Andrade took the world by surprise with an incredible ride on a long left punctuated by a beautiful hang-ten soul arch to post an excellent 8.67, the highest single score of the entire event. Andrade backed it up with a 7.40 and delivered a massive upset against the undeniable crowd-favorite Skinner and Delpero.
In his first-ever WSL event, Andrade managed to top some of the best surfers on tour to take out the win in spectacular fashion.
“My very first WSL event I can’t believe it!” an ecstatic Andrade said. “The Spanish federation helped me to come compete here, I’m here with good friends and the vibes are great. Coming here I was hoping to do well but to come out with the win is quite surreal. That wave that came to me in the Final was amazing, a beautiful wall, I just tried to stay calm but I knew it could be the winning wave.”
Skinner placed second, Delpero third and Carrilho took fourth in the Final.
Lemoigne Continues to Steamroll Competition in Women’s Longboard Final
Alice Lemoigne (FRA), Raquel Bento (PRT), Maya Glasenapp (REU) and Carlota Jauregui (ESP) met in the BFGoodrich Longboard Pro women’s Final and once again the French surfer from Reunion Island Lemoigne absolutely destroyed her competition.
The former runner-up in the world, a now 4-time winner at Fistral who has 9 wins on the WSL tours, Lemoigne put on a flawless performance with two huge scores for her graceful and technical long rides on the nose of her longboard.
“I’m not having my best season on the world tour in Manly and Huntington so that win today is a great booster for morale,” Lemoigne said. “I love coming here, we always have lots of fun, the weather was incredible and waves were really fun again this year. I was stoked to see younger girls rip too, they really impressed me and I look forward to competing again with them.”
Bento placed second, Glasenapp third and Jauregui took fourth in the Final.
With the completion of the Boardmasters Open, the race to the European QS and Longboard titles continue, here are the current rankings’ leaders:
European Men’s QS Top 5:
1 – Adur Amatriain (EUK)
1 – Thomas Ledee (FRA)
1 – Bitor Garitaonandia (ESP)
1 – Kai Odriozola (ESP)
5 – Sam Piter (FRA)
5 – Leon Glatzer (DEU)
European Women’s QS Top 5:
1 – Yolanda Hopkins (PRT)
2 – Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri (ESP)
3 – Alys Barton (GBR)
4 – Rachel Presti (DEU)
5 – Teresa Bonvalot (PRT)
European Men’s LQS Top 4:
1 – Nicolas Andrade (ESP)
2 – Ben Skinner (GBR)
3 – Edouard Delpero (FRA)
4 – Frederico Carrilho (PRT)
European Women’s LQS Top 4:
1 – Alice Lemoigne (FRA)
2 – Raquel Bento (PRT)
3 – Maya Glasenapp (REU)
4 – Carlota Jauregui (ESP)
Surfers will be heading down to France soon to prepare for the next event on the 2022-23 European Qualifying Series, the Caraïbos Lacanau Pro, starting Tuesday, August 16, 2022.
Possibly best day for vibes, sun and surfing for decades at Boardmasters yesterday.
The Animal ProBoardmasters Open WSL surfing events kicked off in a building swell and glassy conditions to run a mammoth day of competition. The QS1,000 Animal Mens and Womens Pro completed 52 heats to decide the events’ finalists, with high-performance surfing and large crowds enjoying a picture-perfect summer day at Fistral.
The Animal Womens Pro Final will feature the 2019 winner Yolanda Hopkins up against Ariane Ochoa, Janire Gonzalez Etxabarri and Laura Coviella. The Animal Mens Pro will have a new winner as none of the four Finalist have previously won at Fistral, the showdown between Bitor Garitaonandia, Thomas Ledee, Marco Mignot and Jobe Harriss promises fireworks!
Longboarders will kick off their BFGoodrich Longboard Pro campaigns super early Friday morning, and we could wrap both competitions by the end of the day tomorrow!
Event organisers Christian Surfers UK are very excited to be hosting the 30th annual Jesus Surf Classic at its traditional venue of Croyde Bay in North Devon.
Plans are well underway for the weekend of 17-18 September to be full of fantastic surfing action, a skate park and live music, as well as plenty of refreshments and other attractions. Eight surfing categories range from Under 12s through to Over 35s and over £2000 worth of prize money is available. There will also be a Big Move skate contest, which is something we have missed over the previous few years.
“Registration is now open and we would encourage all those interested to get your entries in as soon as possible as we know most divisions will sell out very rapidly. You can enter via this link and previous competitors will also receive an email including this.
“The last couple of years have been a little frustrating because of Covid and then last year’s inclement weather preventing the running of the junior divisions, but this year our prayers are that it would be an amazing celebration of the event, with all divisions being held and the skate park set up ready to be used for the weekend.
“Plans are also afoot for a Saturday night celebration involving food and music. Throughout the weekend there will be the chance to look back over the 30 years of the event.
We’ll update as plans develop but very much look forward to seeing your in mid-September. A huge thank you to all the volunteers who will be supporting the event along with local churches; Parkdean for hosting it; and the RNLI and other partner organisations for their involvement.?
For any further specific questions contact [email protected] Updates will also be on the website www.christiansurfers.co.uk
A massive Finals Day crowned Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW), Ezekiel Lau (HAW), Kelis Kaleopa’a (HAW), and Taylor Jensen (USA) victors at the Vans US Open of Surfing, Stop No. 4 of the World Surf League (WSL) Challenger Series, and Vans Duct Tape Invitational, respectively. Sakura Johnson and Lau took critical wins at the halfway mark of the Challenger Series season in their mission to rejoin the Championship Tour (CT) while the second of three stops for WSL Longboard Tour tighten the World Title race with Kaleopa’a and Jensen emerging victorious.
Hawaiians staked their claim on Finals Day with representatives in every Final today. Sakura Johnson found herself against Australia’s former CT elite Callaghan. Callaghan’s opening 5.67 (out of a possible 10) pushed her into an early lead as Sakura Johnson fought back to take a slim lead heading into the twenty-minute mark. Then, the 17-year-old, 2022 CT rookie found her chance under priority and unloaded her powerful forehand on the shorebreak for a 6.93. As time expired, Callaghan wasn’t given another opportunity and Sakura Johnson was chaired to her second Challenger Series victory.
“It’s been a long week here at Huntington, but I have all the support and everything I need, I’m healthy, I’ve been training for this, I’m super fortunate to take the win,” said Sakura Johnson. “It gives me a ton of confidence (winning the event). This is one of the biggest events we have on the Challenger Series, everyone is here watching. I’ve always wanted to win a comp out here and I’m super stoked I was able to do it today.”
A brilliant ending to the event began with Sakura Johnson taking on event threat and now Challenger Series No. 5, Sophie McCulloch (AUS). But, Johnson notched another 9.00, her second of the event, with a 15.50 (out of a possible 20) heat total and backed it up in the Final to move up the rankings to No. 4 as she looks to requalify for the CT.
The men’s Challenger Final kept everyone on the edge of their seats as Lau and Chianca went wave-for-wave until the last seconds. Chianca controlled the first half of the heat with big, committed turns on the outside. But, with about ten minutes left, Lau made a comeback, throwing two large turns out the back to earn a 6.90 and take the lead. Chianca answered back with a powerful layback and inside hack, scoring a close 6.23. With one minute left, Chianca had one more opportunity to better his score but fell short, making Lau the new men’s victor of the Vans US Open.
“I’m so stoked, I’ve always wanted to win the US Open, it’s been an event I’ve watched since I was a young kid,” said Lau. “Andy Irons won a few years back, he was my role model, and this is for him and Sunny and all the Hawaiians. When Bettylou won her’s (Final heat) I was like, it’s up to me now, I gotta put this away.”
The South Shore, Oahu competitor had to overcome event standout Eithan Osborne (USA) in a stout Semifinal clash with Lau holding the explosive competitor at bay. Now, the Ultimate Surfer winner moves up to No.4 on the Challengers Series rankings with this landmark win.
Jensen Earns Another Huntington Beach Event Title, Entering into World Title Conversation
Eventual runner-up Stewart got the Final underway against three-time WSL Longboard Champion, Jensen, and a showcase of world-class longboarding ensued. Jensen notched a near-excellent 7.67 for the heat’s first noteworthy score before a crucial exchange provided the Oceanside, California competitor a 6.17 back up. Stewart, in that exchange, earned a 6.00 and needed a 7.84 to catch Jensen. The dying seconds provided one last opportunity for the Hawaiian to answer back, but to the elation of Jensen, he fell short of the requirement.
“I tried to pick clean rights, make sure I got the reform, finish strong and put it all together, said Jensen. “These are all the best surfers in the world. I’ve had a couple bad results so to get a win here close to home sets me up for going to Malibu and I’m happy with where I am.”
Jenson is now tied with Harrison Roach going into Malibu at No. 1 as he searches for a historic fourth World Title. He landed in the Final after overtaking emerging talent Kaimana Takayama (USA) in their Semifinal battle. This marks an emotional win for Jensen as the last time he claimed a win in Huntington Beach was 2015 at the North America Longboard Championships and now his youngest daughter witnessed her father win firsthand.
Kaleopa’a Goes Back-to-Back at Vans Duct Tape Invitational
A head-to-head Hawaiian Final ensued between reigning, three-time WSL Longboard Champion Blomfield and reigning Vans Duct Tape Invitational winner Kaleopa’a. The emerging talent, Kaleopa’a, styled into a quick 6.67 and 5.90 to hold a lead over Blomfield heading into the halfway mark. Kaleopa’a extended the lead, making her fellow Hawaiian need a 7.20 in the dying minutes. But, the ocean didn’t provide an opportunity and the 17-year-old emerged victorious once again.
“Hugging my cousin (Stewart) in the water after that final was just so heartwarming,”said Kaleopa’a. “Literally my whole entire family and friends and our surf community back at home are my motivation when I’m out here because we come from such a special place. I grew up my entire life surfing around my uncles and aunties, I do this for them as a thankyou for introducing me to this sport, this passion I love so much.”
Kaleopa’a started her day against WSL Longboard Tour veteran Kaitlin Mikkelsen (USA) who pushed the young Hawaiian to deliver a brilliant performance. Now, the Waikiki, Oahu surfer moves to a No.1 tie with Blomfield on the rankings, giving her another chance to claim her maiden World Title at the Cuervo Classic Longboard Championship.
Vans US Open of Surfing Women’s Final Results:
1 – Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 12.00
2 – Macy Callaghan (AUS) 10.40
Vans US Open of Surfing Men’s Final Results:
1 – Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 12.40
2 – Joao Chianca (BRA) 11.43
Vans Duct Tape Invitational Women’s Final Results:
1 – Kelis Kaleopa’a (HAW) 12.97
2 – Honolua Blomfield (HAW) 11.47
Vans Duct Tape Invitational Men’s Final Results:
1 -Taylor Jensen (USA) vs. 13.84
2 – Kaniela Stewart (HAW) 11.60
Vans US Open of Surfing Women’s Semifinal Results:
Heat 1: Macy Callaghan (AUS) 12.33 vs. Caroline Marks (USA) 8.33
Heat 2: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 15.50 vs. Sophie McCulloch (AUS) 14.10
Vans US Open of Surfing Men’s Semifinal Results:
Heat 1: Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 12.77 vs. Eithan Osborne (USA) 11.43
Heat 2: Evan Geiselman (USA) 12.64 vs. Joao Chianca (BRA) 12.54
Vans Duct Tape Invitational Women’s Semifinal Results:
Heat 1: Kelis Kaleopa’a (HAW)11.24 vs. Kaitlin Mikkelsen (USA) 7.70
Heat 2: Honolua Blomfield (HAW) 15.43 vs. Rachael Tilly (USA) 10.10
Vans Duct Tape Invitational Men’s Semifinal Results:
Heat 1: Taylor Jensen (USA) 14.83 vs. Kaimana Takayama (USA) 10.57
Heat 2: Justin Quintal (USA) 12.66 vs. Kaniela Stewart (HAW) 13.30
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