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Women’s Opening Round Is ON at Abu Dhabi Longboard Classic Presented by Modon

First-Ever WSL Women’s Heats in the UAE Start at 11:00 AM GST; Men’s Quarterfinals to Follow at 6:14 PM GST

30/Set/2024 - WSL

HUDAYRIYAT ISLAND, Abu Dhabi, UAE (Saturday, September 28, 2024) - The Abu Dhabi Longboard Classic Presented by Modon, Stop No. 3 of the 2024 World Surf League (WSL) Longboard Tour, continues today. Surf Abu Dhabi is providing its daily dose of perfection, thanks to the Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC) technology, with perfect point break style lefts and rights peeling in the utterly unique setting, where the ocean, the city, and the desert all collide.

The women will get their first experience competing in the UAE, with the eight heats of their Opening Round starting at 11:00 a.m. GST, followed by the men’s Quarterfinals at 6:14 p.m. GST.

The women’s Opening Round heats will each feature three surfers, with the winner advancing straight into the Quarterfinals and the bottom two surfers eliminated. The stakes in every heat are high. As the final event of the regular season, elimination will mean the end of the year for many of the competitors.

The goal for every surfer in Abu Dhabi is to place in the Top 8 in the rankings and qualify for the Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships to have the opportunity to compete for the 2024 Longboard World Titles. So far, only three women have confirmed their attendance in El Salvador, leaving five potential places available.

Honolua Blomfield (HAW) is one such competitor in need of a result. The three-time WSL Longboard Champion will feature in the very first heat, where she will face rookie Chloe Coleman (USA) and former Tour competitor, wildcard Ophelie Ah-Kouen (FRA). As the winner of the 2021 Cuervo Surf Ranch Classic, where she earned a 10-point ride, big things are expected of Blomfield, but her fellow Surf Ranch winner, Edouard Delpero (FRA), was eliminated in the men’s Opening Round and the pressure is on.

Heat 6 will see two longtime Tour competitors, both in need of a result. Alice Lemoigne (FRA) and Tully White (AUS) are on the cusp of Top 8 qualification but will need a heat win to have any hope of appearing in El Salvador. After a tough season, longtime competitor Emily Currie (GBR) is also looking for a solid finish and will be strong competition for the two higher-ranked surfers.

Last year’s Surf City El Salvador Longboard Classic winner, Sophia Culhane (HAW), and her good friend Kelis Kaleopaa (HAW) are also in need of a result to hold their positions within the Top 8, as is Mason Schremmer (HAW), leaving nearly every heat a must-win for the top seeds.

When men’s Quarterfinals kick off, multiple qualification scenarios will come into play as lower seeds Sam Christianson (RSA), Kai Hamase (JPN), and 2018 WSL Longboard Champion Steven Sawyer (RSA) seek to upset the higher-seeded Kaniela Stewart (HAW) and Declan Wyton (AUS).

Watch the Surf Abu Dhabi Longboard Classic Presented by Modon LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com.

Qualifiers for the Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships

Three women and five men are confirmed so far for the 2024 Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships to compete for the 2024 Longboard World Titles. The best two of three events on the Longboard Tour leaderboard count toward qualification. The first tiebreaker is the number of heat wins, and then the average heat score.

Women’s Top 8 Qualifiers

- Soleil Errico (USA)

- Rachael Tilly (USA)

- Natsumi Taoka (JPN)

- Five spots remain

Men’s Top 8 Qualifiers

- Taylor Jensen (USA) - No. 1 Seed Locked

- Rogelio Jr Esquievel (PHL)

- Ben Skinner (GBR)

- John Michael Van Hohenstein (HAW)

- Four spots remain

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.