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Joel Tudor and Kelis Kaleopaa Claim Historical Victories at Noosa Longboard Open
Joel Tudor and Kelis Kaleopaa Claim Historical Victories at Noosa Longboard Open
Noosa Heads, Queensland, Australia, is where the Hawaiian youngster, Kelis Kaleopaa,and surfing icon Joel Tudor, from the USA, seized historical victories at the Noosa Longboard Open, presented by Thomas Surfboards. I was the opening event of the 2020 World Surf League (WSL) Longboard Tour (LT). On what was the best day of conditions for the entire event, the pair overcame a field of reigning event winner's and former world champions, to each take monumental wins in clean two-foot surf on Noosa Main Beach.
15-year old Kelis Kaleopaa (HAW) travelled to the Noosa Longboard Open 12 months ago to compete in her first-ever WSL event. One year later andKaleopaa is the Longboard Tour Rankings Leader and in the boxseat to claim her maiden World Title. After an impressive performance all week at Main Beach, posting some of the highest wave and heat totals of the event, Kaleopaa eventually met her good friend Sophia Culhane (HAW) in the Final. Culhane looked solid from the start but couldn't overcome a rampaging Kaleopaa, whose poise on the nose and ability to read waves saw her take the win with a two-wave total of 12.26 (out of a possible 20). Kaleopaa has shown that she is at the forefront of a huge push coming from Hawaii on the WSL Longboard Tour.
Almost 20 years after his last appearance at the Noosa Festival, and 16 years since his last ASP / WSL event win, Joel Tudor (USA) has taken another major victory, at the ripe age of 43. A two-time World Longboard Champion ('98 and '04), Tudor is an icon of surfing and longboarding in particular, winning his first professional event at 15. He is now running his own logging invitational events, the 'Vans Duct Tape Series' globally, celebrating traditional longboarding. Tudor made a trip to Australia to surf with his sons on the points of Noosa and check out the Noosa Festival and was given a wildcard into the event, which he then went on to win. Tudor now finds himself sitting in No. 1 on the World Longboard Rankings and with no choice but to go for his third World Longboard Title.