Longboard World Tour 

The US Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach is one of the biggest events on the surfing calendar. It’s more like a festival than a surf contest, although it involves numerous competitions, including a Challenger series event, a pro junior, and the first stop on the Longboard World Tour.

The Longboard World Tour has been revamped over the past couple of years, first under former commissioner Devon Howard (a stylish surfer in his own right who is known for his commitment to traditional logging) and now under current commissioner Kirra Seale (a North Shore resident and former Longboard World Tour competitor). The focus has shifted to a more logging style of longboarding, which has played into the hands of traditionalists such as Harrison Roach (the current defending world champion), Joel Tudor (who won his first world title in nearly two decades two years ago), and Honolua Blomfield. Other competitors to benefit from the newfound focus on an age-old style include local rippers Kaniela Stewart, Kai Sallas, and Kelis Kaleopaa, as well as their fellow Thunderbolt team riders Soleil Ericco, Taylor Jensen, Ben Skinner, and Kevin Skvarna.

The first of four stops on the Longboard World Tour kicks off this week in Huntington Beach, where Harrison Roach and Soleil Errico will start their campaigns to defend their world titles from 2022. After Huntington Beach, the tour heads to Bells Beach in August (a new event for 2023), El Salvador in September (another new event!), and finally First Point Malibu in October, where the world champs will once again be crowned.

CTTO

This should be an exciting year, not just for Hawaii (since we have so many talented athletes in contention for the title), but also for us here at Hawaiian South Shore, where we will be cheering for all of our friends on the range of Thunderbolt boards that we carry. Tune in with us by watching on worldsurfleague.com when the HB contest kicks off on July 29!