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Alice Lemoigne and Steven Sawyer Win Abu Dhabi Longboard Classic Presented by Modon

Best Friends Alice Lemoigne and Zoe Grospiron Share All-French Final; 2018 World Longboard Champion Steven Sawyer Returns to the Winner’s Podium

30/Set/2024 - WSL

HUDAYRIYAT ISLAND, Abu Dhabi, UAE (Sunday, September 29, 2024) - Today, Alice Lemoigne (FRA) and Steven Sawyer (RSA) won the Abu Dhabi Longboard Classic Presented by Modon, Stop No. 3 of the 2024 World Surf League (WSL) Longboard Tour. In a historic day of competition, the WSL crowned its first event winners in its first event in the UAE. The competition was hosted in the perfect three-foot waves of the Surf Abu Dhabi facility, which utilizes the Kelly Slater Wave Company technology.

Best Friends Alice Lemoigne and Zoe Grospiron Share All-French Final

The exquisite nose-riding of Alice Lemoigne (FRA) saw the Reunion Island surfer claim her second Longboard Tour event victory, winning an all-French Final against one of her best friends, Zoe Grospiron (FRA). Runner-up to the Longobard World Title in 2021, Lemoigne’s win also clinched her the No. 3 seed for the Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships. Despite over a decade on Tour that has seen her consistently place in the Top 10, Lemoigne had previously made just two Longboard Tour Finals. The emotions of the 27-year-old were palpable after every wave she successfully completed on her road to victory.

“Wow, it's just amazing,” Lemoigne said. “I had so much fun, and to share a final with Zoe was insane. I didn't feel I was competing, I was just going for a free surf and I enjoyed so much the wave. Before El Salvador, it means so much to win here so I'm pretty happy, and yeah, go for it for El Salvador. It's gonna be an amazing finals day.”

The previous best result for both Lemoigne and Grospiron was the 2021 Jeep Malibu Classic, where Lemoigne won and Grospiron placed in the Semifinals. The pair were thrilled to share their first Final together. Long, critical hang-tens from Lemoigne aided her in scoring rides in the 9-point range in all three heats surfed today, including the Final, where she posted the highest single-wave score of the event, a 9.43 (out of a possible 10). With Lemoigne surfing first, Grospiron had the opportunity to overtake her scores on her final two waves. Having opened with two solid 7-point rides, she increased the number on her right to an 8.50, lowering the requirement of her left to an attainable 8.77. Committing to an extended hang-ten in the opening moments of the final wave of the event, Grospiron hung on too long, handing the win to her great friend, whom she shared the stoke with as the two were chaired in victory together.

It was the very first Final for Grospiron, who has continued to rise through the rankings across many years on Tour. The 24-year-old was excited to clinch a spot for El Salvador, a location where she has spent a significant amount of time, especially since her sister relocated to the venue of the upcoming World Longboard Champion crowning event.

“I'm super stoked,” Grospiron said. “To share the Final with Alice, to be around this beautiful surfer, and it was a very good show. I’m really stoked, super excited for El Salvador, I get to see my sister. Coming here, I just had the fire inside me. I just wanted to do good and to show my surfing and enjoy as much as possible. Making it to the top ten was already a goal, and now qualified. It's a dream.”

2018 World Longboard Champion Steven Sawyer Returns to the Winner’s Podium

Surfing in his only event of the 2024 season, South Africa’s Steven Sawyer (RSA) claimed the second Longboard Tour win of his career. The 30-year-old’s sole previous victory came at the 2018 Taiwan Open World Longboard Championships, which earned him the title of WSL Longboard Champion for that year. Having previously been runner-up to the Longboard World Title in 2016, Sawyer’s only other Final came at the start of 2019. Now, over five years later, he has taken a timely win that sees him earning the final qualification slot for the Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships on the basis of a single event.

“This is a surfer's dream,” Sawyer said. “From the wave, to all the amenities, to hospitality. Everything's bigger, better, greater, harder, faster here. And it's just amazing. So to be here and experience the wave and learn it and have a couple more under the belt, it just felt more comfortable each time. And I mean, this is as good as a contest can get.”

Sawyer was able to draw on his extensive point-break experience to consistently earn excellent scores in every heat surfed. Born and raised in Jeffrey’s Bay, where he has also surfed in a WSL Championship Tour event as a wildcard, the goofyfooter’s backhand technique has been honed at one of the world’s finest locations.

That approach, which included a wide array of variety on nearly every wave surfed, saw him open the Final with an 8.67 on the right, but his greediness for the barrel cost him his opening left. John Michael Van Hohenstein (HAW) had started well but with only mid-range scores. On his second run, the Hawaiian posted an 8.23 on the right, leaving all of the pressure on Sawyer to deliver on the final wave of the men’s event. The South African put it all on the line, opening with a bold hang-ten before throwing caution to the wind and locking into a barrel in the same section that had previously bested him. Threading it cleanly, Sawyer stepped into a long nose-ride, from which he saluted to the crowd, confident that he had done enough to secure victory. It was no surprise when an 8.77 was awarded and his 17.44 (out of a possible 20) heat total landed as the highest of the event.

“I only needed two waves,” Sawyer said. “I stuffed two up and I made two, so that's what got me through. For that one that I just had in the end there, I was like alright, I'm not gonna get stuck behind, I'm gonna do a little walk back and jump forward again, try to get some momentum, pass those three bumps, and then the tube’s on and the rest of the wave was just gonna be lined up. So that was it. It just worked out, just turned out smooth.”

In his second season on Tour, Van Hohenstein has now made the Final in half of the Longboard Tour events he’s surfed, placing runner-up in three out of six competitions. His result in Abu Dhabi caps off an incredible year that now sees the 21-year-old as the No. 2 seed for El Salvador.

“I never would have thought, I told myself last year I just want to make it to the Top 8,” Van Hohenstein said. “I just worked hard, and now I'm sitting at number two, and it's insane. I don't know what to say, speechless.”

Mixed Results for Hawaiian Contingent

Kelis Kaleopaa (HAW) delivered a masterclass in style and grace in the Semifinals, earning one of the highest single-wave scores of the event, a 9.17, on a flawlessly surfed left. The ease with which the goofyfooter held nose-rides, positioned tight and deep through the most critical part of the wave, provided picture-perfect moments. Her placing in Abu Dhabi sees her sitting in the middle of a trio of surfers from Oahu, Hawaii in the rankings, with Honolua Blomfield (HAW) landing in No. 6, Kaleopaa in No. 7, and Sophia Culhane (HAW) in No. 8. The three will feature together in the very first heat in El Salvador.

A wind change during the first men’s Semifinal changed the dynamics of the wave significantly, drawing errors from all four Semifinalists. One of the most reliably stable surfers on Tour, defending World Champion Kai Sallas (HAW), took multiple uncharacteristic falls, while Kaniela Stewart (HAW) was unable to recreate the magic barrels that had previously provided him with the event’s highest numbers, coming up short on all of his waves. The No. 2 and No. 1 seeds in 2023, Sallas and Stewart had to settle for the No. 4 and No. 6 positions, respectively, headed into this year’s World Champion crowning event.

In the first heat of the day, Mason Shcremmer (USA) started strong against Honolua Blomfield (HAW), but the Hawaiian was able to get the edge on almost every wave. Schremmer’s loss, followed by Quarterfinal heat wins from Zoe Grospiron (FRA) and Alice Lemoigne (FRA), relegated the American as the sole Quarterfinalist not to qualify for El Salvador. However, her Top 10 finish guarantees her a spot on the Longboard Tour in 2025.

Qualifiers Confirmed for the Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships

The 2024 World Longboard Champions will be decided at the Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships. The competition will be held on the best single day of competition within the window from October 9 - 13, 2024. The best two-of-three events on the Longboard Tour leaderboard count toward qualification. The first tiebreaker is the number of heat wins, followed by the average heat score.

Women’s Top 8 Qualifiers

1 - Soleil Errico (USA)

2 - Rachael Tilly (USA)

3 - Alice Lemoigne (FRA)

4 - Natsumi Taoka (JPN)

5 - Zoe Grospiron (FRA)

6 - Honolua Blomfield (HAW)

7 - Kelis Kaleopaa (HAW)

8 - Sophia Culhane (HAW)

Men’s Top 8 Qualifiers

1 - Taylor Jensen (USA)

2 - John Michael Van Hohenstein (HAW)