Deliciously pyrrhic!
Last month, open warfare exploded across the surfing landscape as sitting longboard champion Joel Tudor excoriated the World Surf League for only paying lip service to equality. The flashpoint was Pipeline where the League was busily praising itself for having its women surf subpar days there while also showing many video promotions featuring women longboarding while also busily plotting to cut the Longboard World Tour from three stops to one (allegedly).
Tudor, mad as hell, lit right into WSL leadership and kept ripping in and kept ripping in until he became suspended for “conduct detrimental to the integrity of the WSL.”
A dark cloud descended… but lifted today as Tudor appears to have secured a total pyrrhic victory.
Per the presser:
Today, the World Surf League (WSL) announced the 2022 World Longboard Tour schedule. Manly Beach, Huntington Beach, and Malibu will host this year’s Longboard competitions for the men’s and women’s divisions. The first two events of the season in Manly Beach and Huntington Beach will be worth 5,000 points each, while the final event in Malibu will have 10,000 points on offer. The World Titles will be determined by the highest points in the best two of three competitions.
The competitions will host 20 surfers for the men’s division and 20 surfers for the women’s division. Each field will be made up of the Top 10 from the 2021 rankings, seven surfers selected from the regions, one WSL wildcard, and two event wildcards.
“We’re looking forward to kicking off the World Longboard Tour and crowning World Champions later this year at the iconic break of First Point, Malibu,” said Devon Howard, WSL Longboard Tour Director. “We’re also excited that this year’s Tour will start at Manly Beach then continue on at Huntington Beach. All of this Tour’s breaks are steeped in longboard history spanning back to the 1960s, where champions were crowned and surf culture as we know it today entered the world stage.”
“We’re very excited to bring back the World Longboard Tour in 2022,” said Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL SVP of Tours and Head of Competition. “The Longboard community is very passionate, and we appreciate all the feedback we got from them as we were planning the future of this important division in professional surfing. This year, the World Longboard Tour will have three events, and we can’t wait to crown World Champions at the iconic First Point, in Malibu.”
Tudor, still suspended, will not be allowed to compete in any of the three events but competitors would do right to affix giant stickers of his visage to their long boards.
Huzzah.
Two of these waves are not like the other.
I know most of you here don’t care for longboard comps but I would just like to point out a few issues relating to the comp in the original article.
I don’t think it is fair to call this a world longboard tour or world championship because there is not a legitimate or dignified way to qualify.
wsl says top 10 will come from last years ratings,
And 7 spots will be given from the regional series.
There has not been a longboard qualifing series event in Australia since 2019 and that was 1 small comp in West Australia.
That was 3 years ago. How is any aspiring longboard surfer meant to compete on the world tour stage if wsl wont let them surf the event and wont provide a qualifiyng event.
I feel upset that the world longboard tour is more of a club and there is no oppurtunity to qualify fairly or at all. Its more of a club of friends then a championship. There are 3 wild card spots and obiously if your not in the scene you are not going to get one because it comes down to wether the old cool cats like you.
To be frank, i just think its kinda gross that anyone can claim these are the best surfers longboard surfers in the world when they literally dont allow any fresh competition.
This kind of thing has been happening for years on the wsl longboard tour but its at a point now where its an “invitational exhibition with winners” not a surf contest.
First comp of the year should be open to everyone to compete if there is no qualifing events.
WSL, Devon … you cant just keep having the guys you are tight friends with at the comps. Its so obvious now and people are starting to notice.
There is no dignity in that.
May I please point out what a fucking GOAT that Joel is.
NO OTHER surfing champion has EVER been suspended from competition.
Joel is a UNIQUE record holder.
(Holds aloft the ‘horns’ AKA the ‘Metal Shaka’)
Take THAT Kelly!11!!!!11!1
Eh?
Eh?
beautiful
So much I could share about this event from my biz partner BUT I don’t dare as @Negatron will give me another badge for having black friends…
THIS makes me want to go buy another Mick Fanning 8 oh soft top for the rack on my Porsche powered VW Kombi bus! BUT unlike others I won’t linger in the parking lot so as to not upset sailor Karen the parking police
worst ice cream ever. Haagen Dazs sucks, too fatty rich, and over priced, and actually kind of a chemical taste to it. no barrel on H D!
When you go ballistic like a boss and think you might just have to take a victory lap to commemorate this saga, there’s only one way to go about it….you’re goddamn right I mean a short film. Be the director. Be the producer. Need inspiration Joel? No probs. Be this:
https://youtu.be/dDu8Sz8SIhI
Saw an interview with him and he confirmed he doesn’t poop!
I remember when they invented that longboard contest shit back in the late 80s, it was beat then and is now.
I prefer the old school rusty kealauna ripping longboard tour than the current nose ride dog tour they got going on now
I still think Trestles is by far the better longboarding wave from out of the 3.
The Presser referenced above said longboarding strong tradition starting in the 1960s so yep when whitey rich folk got involved.
Holding all 3 events in SD county would be more fitting. Not only would that be a slap in the face to SD local Tudor, it would also eliminate any threat of running competition in quality surf over chest high. Oh well, I’m sure Manly, HB and the Bu will dish up plenty of forgettable moments.
Flat and onshore.
looks like you picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue…
#Joelgrit.
Wait for the bit where he’s still suspended and not allowed to compete…
Go Manly.
Longboarding at Manly, looking forward to all the action.
Shitney is full of Juvenile Great Whites now so it could always end in tears!
Take your little awards, drink your drinks take your drugs and fuk off.
kindly.
Who will Joel slap and yell at now ?
Maybe his kid for that embarrassment of a duck dive at 2′ V-land.