GoPro World Longboard Championships Starts off Today
The world’s best surfers on traditional nine foot plus boards have arrived in Hainan Island for the annual GoPro World Longboard Championships, China hosted by Wanning. The field includes 34 surfers in both the men’s and women’s divisions with surfers from over 12 countries in attendance. Tonight the athletes and officials were treated to an explosive opening ceremony and competition is expected to start today morning.
Kelia Moniz (HAW), reigning two-time ASP World Longboard Champion has been in China for a few days to get a feel for the waves, the water and her boards. Moniz is eyeing her third straight Title, but insists she’s here to surf to her best and have fun and modestly talked up the other athletes in the draw.
The legendary freestyle windsurfing event on lake Neusiedl is back! Since 1998 the best Freestyle Windsurfers in the world travel down to the Austrian water sports capital to compete in the European Freestyle Pro Tour. This edition, taking place
between the 27th of April and the 1st of May, will be…
“Of course winning three in a row has entered my mind!” Moniz said. “We only have one event to decide the Champion and everyone wants to win, but for me I’m just looking forward to having fun and surfing. I don’t do any events besides this one and I come here and see cute new faces and then think — ‘oh you really surf good too.’ Then there’s the girls I see every year and all the girls are better and more focused to take the win.”
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Darci Liu (CHN), Harley Ingleby (AUS), Chloe Calmon (BRA), Taylor Jensen (USA) and Kelia Moniz with the ASP World Longboard Championship cup.
Taylor Jensen (USA) won back-to-back ASP World Longboard Titles in 2011 and 2012, but finished 9th last year after he was eliminated in a tough back and forth Round 5 battle against 2010 World Longboard Champion Duane Desoto (HAW). Jensen is fresh off a win at the Taiwan Open of Surfing LQS and is hoping his good form could see him win another Title.
The World Longboard Champion & 6 times U.S. National Longboard Champion Taylor Jensen
“I’ve been here a few more days than the rest of the guys and gotten acclimated and my daughter isn’t jet lagged anymore which helps me get some more sleep,” Jensen said. “I had one day of good surf before everyone else arrived which was a help too. Winning the Taiwan Open a couple of weeks ago was good preparation, especially since it was a left that’s really similar to the break here — that really helped me get ready for this event because I don’t get to go left very often.”
Darci Liu (on the left) the local wildcard and Kelia Moniz (HAW) the reigning ASP World Longboard Champion.
The locals have their white hope in Darci Liu, one of Hainan’s most renowned surfers and this year is competing in her fourth WLC in China. Liu has hinted that this could potentially be her last ever event as she’s stepping aside for other local talented surfers to have some opportunities at the elite level.
“This is my fourth time competing in this event and I feel so happy and blessed for everything that surfing and this event has done for my life!” Liu said. “I see so many talented girl surfers from Hainan and China coming up in the ocean and I truly feel that they deserve an opportunity. My Mom is here this year to watch me compete for the first time which is very exciting for me.”
The international top event this year is all about the new Olympic windsurfing class, foil windsurfing and wingfoiling. More than 300 world’s best windsurfers from 42 nations will compete in various foil classes on Lake Silvaplana.
The first of 16 GKA Kite World Tour events begins in Cape Verde this month.
Ten islands make up the archipelago of Cabo Verde which lies two hours south of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, due to their geographical location the islands are frequented with pumping swell and trade winds.
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