Continued fun conditions allow for the EDP Vissla Pro Ericeira to resume this morning at Ribeira d’Ilhas.
Stop No. 5 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Challenger Series, this event comes at a crucial time for surfers looking to secure a spot on the 2023 Championship Tour (CT).
The men’s opening round launched yesterday with the first 18 heats completed in good waves and mixed performances from some of the world’s best surfers.
The remaining 6 heats of the men’s Round of 96 will hit the lineup this morning at 8:05 a.m WET, featuring former World No. 5 Morgan Cibilic (AUS), Alex Ribeiro (BRA), Joshe Faulkner (ZAF) and Tyler Gunter (USA).
Following the completion of the men’s Round of 96, the women’s Round of 64 will take it to the long rights of Ribeira d’Ilhas with 12 heats scheduled to run today.
Event wildcard Gabriela Dinis (PRT) will surf in the round’s opening heat, former World Junior Champion crowned in Ericeira Mahina Maeda (JPN) in Heat 2, Portugal’s favourite Teresa Bonvalot (PRT) in Heat 5, reigning event winner Luana Silva (HAW) in Heat 6 and rankings leader Caitlin Simmers (USA) in Heat 8.
The highly anticipated edit from RVCA Australia Surf Advocate Oscar Langburne is finally here. Langburne is as cool as they come, an old soul in a young body, a free-surfing prodigy some say. He says “surf in the way that makes you happy and f*** what anyone else thinks.” Watching Oscar makes us happy too, enjoy the glide.
Parko’s impact on Australian surfing is immense, having paved the way for generations of surfers. Pop on a brew, sit back and watch Parko slice and dice his way through NSW, nice.
MALIBU, CA, UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 11: Scenic view of the contest site at the Jeep Malibu Classic on October 11, 2021 in Malibu, CA, United States. (Photo by Mike Ito/World Surf League).
The WSL Longboard World Champions will once again be crowned at perhaps the most idyllic and well-known longboard wave in the world, Malibu, California, at the 2022 Cuervo Classic Malibu Longboard Championship. The third and final stop on the WSL Longboard Tour holds a competition window from October 3 – 13, 2022, and a promising forecast may provide for a likely start to the event in the opening days.
With 10,000 points, World Title implications, and requalification for the 2023 WSL Longboard Tour on the line, the stakes are high and competitors will be putting it all on the line.
“The Cuervo Classic is such an exhilarating event because it’s the final stop on the Longboard Tour which makes the stakes really high,” said Kirra Seale, Senior Manager of the WSL Longboard World Tour. “Malibu is a culmination of excitement and anticipation as we watch the World Title scenarios unfold. I can’t wait to see the competitors battle their hearts out and most importantly, crown our World Champions!”
Britains Ben Skinner is in the World Championship race
Event Format Rundown, World Title Race is Wide Open
With 10,000 points up for grabs and close field the World titles will come down to the wire.
The event will include the Longboard Tour’s Top 18 men and Top 18 women and see six rounds of competition.
Round 1 will feature three surfers in six heats, with the top two spots advancing through to Round 3.
The last-place finishers of Round 1 will be relegated to the first elimination heats in Round 2.
Competitors who survive elimination will join the head-to-head matchups in Round 3, where the top surfer advances into the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals.
Following the Final, the man and woman with the highest point totals from their best two out of three results will be crowned this year’s World Champions.
Honolua Blomfield leads the womens race
Honolua Blomfield and Kaniela Stewart Lead Rankings Coming Into Malibu
Leading the rankings coming into Malibu are Honolua Blomfield (HAW) and Kaniela Stewart (HAW) from Hawaii.
The three-time World Champion Blomfield is looking for a record breaking fourth World Title at Malibu, which would make her the most decorated female longboarder of all time.
Kaniela Stewart current means tour leader
Known in the surfing community as the “style master,” Stewart hopes to take home his first World Title this year. The young Hawaiian has shown improvements in the jersey and now finds himself in a second World Title hunt after finishing fourth on the rankings in 2019.
Coming off their wins at the Vans US Open of Surfing Duct Tape Invitational, Kelis Kaleopaa (HAW) and Taylor Jensen (USA) have put themselves in a good place for title contention. Jensen is also chasing a 4th World Title, his last title being won in 2017. Also looking to make history is Chloe Calmon(BRA), who comes to Malibu ranked No. 2 and hopes to be the first Brazilian woman to be crowned a surfing World Champion.
Newquay Boardriders clean sweep at 2022 korev lager English Interclub Surfing Championships
A weekend to be remembered – the 2022 korev Lager English Interclub Surfing Championships were a huge success. The sun was shining, the waves delivered, and the surf club community attended in full force.
Over 130 surfers gathered from all over England at Fistral Beach, Newquay, the perfect amphitheatre for spectators. A show of epic club surfing action was put on, & everyone was frothing. 39 heats ran each day – clubs eagerly racking up the scores for their team points with all sights set on the prestigious club champion title.
Saturday kicked off with a solid 18 heats of open division surfing, followed by 10 heats of women (an overall increase of 10 women in this division which was rad to see – we look forward to seeing you all again next year!), and 11 heats of frothing juniors.
Isle of Wight turned up in force, with a full A and B team, ready to show that their treasured island does get waves, and when it does this crew shred it up. Porthleven Surf Club returned for their second year since joining Surfing England, this year stoked to have a full women’s team, this crew are a bunch of friendly legends we are proud to have in the community!
Travelling down the coast road from North Devon, with longstanding rivalries were Woolacombe Boardriders and Croyde Surf Club, Croyde who had the open division title from 2021 and wanted to defend it. Woolacombe were clearly on a mission to get everyone from their village to surf, submitting a ‘senior service team’, who it was a pleasure to welcome to the competition.
It was great to see Bude Waveriders in force with a full team this year, and some very strong athletes in the line up! St Agnes Surf Lifesaving Club also put forward a great line up of surfers, their groms stepping up to compete in the Open, giving some more seasoned athletes a good battle. On their home turf, Newquay Boardriders who took overall Champions for 2021 were clearly frothing to host the event and rallied full A and B teams.
At the end of Saturday, it’s always juicy to see how the points are shaping up. Newquay Boardriders had clearly been getting busy racking up the scores and were out in front overall. In the Open, Woolacombe Boardriders A were loving that they were ahead of Croyde Surf Club A, but didn’t retain this on Sunday, Croyde placing overall 3rd in the Open on contest close and gutted to lose their title but vouching strongly they will be back to reclaim it!
Saturday wrapped with korev lager beer flags, Croyde Surf Club keeping their champion title, and the semi-final both Croyde A and B teams running for it, Alex Townsend nudging James Bunney off the top, who placed 2nd in this for a consecutive year!
In the Women’s credit to Newquay Boardriders A team who won every heat, with a total 80/80 points stacked up from the weekend. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th placed women’s teams were all only separated by 4 points, impressively close between these clubs.
Newquay juniors also took a clean sweep, winning every heat throughout the weekend.
It got spicy on Sunday; Newquay Boardriders A and St Agnes Surf Life Saving Club A Open teams were tied! A surf off was declared, both teams submitting two surfers, it was a tense battle, with many rooting for the underdogs (St Agnes), who’s Open team was filled with groms and performed exceptionally allowing them to reach this position. At crunch point, during this intense finale, Newquay took the title.
In additional awards, Ivie Crowe (Porthleven), and Wilbur Prisk (St Agnes), were well deserving dryrobe juniors of the event, awarded for great team spirit and surfing. These two have a bright future in surfing.
Results:
Overall Champions – Newquay Boardriders
Junior Champions
1 Newquay Boardriders A
2 St Agnes SLSC A
3 Croyde Surf Club A
Women Champions
1 Newquay Boardriders A
2 Croyde Surf Club A
3 St Agnes SLSC A
Open Champions
1 Newquay Boardriders A
2 St Agnes SLSC A
3 Croyde Surf Club A
A big shout out to Gary Collins who organised a stellar social on Saturday evening, with opening DJ Tim Nice and headliner Sam Supplier, who put on an incredible set.
Our huge thanks to all the surf clubs, who are volunteer led and rallied surfers and teams. Thanks to all the surfers, and supporters for cheering on the beach & contributing to a wicked atmosphere. The event team who it would not be possible to run without, and ERA Adventures for making sure everyone was safe in the water. To The Hangout for fuelling the team with delicious food.
Finally to our headline partners korev Lager, and a further thank you to Caravan and Motorhome Club, The Wave, dryrobe, Decathlon, Wild West Jerky, Cutty Sark, Clarke Willmott, Vospers, Red Bull
