First women’s gold medal for Blomfield, second for Sallas, solidifies first Team World Championship for Hawaii
Rachael Tilly (USA) earns women’s silver medal, Natsumi Taoka (JPN), bronze, Zoé Grospiron (FRA), copper
Taka Inoue (JPN) wins men’s silver medal, Rodrigo Sphaier (BRA), bronze, Edouard Delpero (FRA), copper
Surf City El Salvador – April 25, 2024
Hawaii has earned its first Team World Championship at the 2024 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Longboard Championship, winning gold medals in both women’s and men’s individual divisions, as well as the team gold medals. Honolua Blomfield (HAW) won her first women’s ISA World Championship, while 2018 World Champion Kai Sallas (HAW) won his second.
Long, clean, three-to-four foot swell lines wrapped into El Sunzal, yet again providing near-perfect conditions for the world’s best longboarders to battle for the gold medals.
The three-time WSL Longboard Champion, Honolua Blomfield (HAW), had previously won the gold medal in the 2013 Open Junior division, beating all of the boys to do so, but had yet to win the women’s gold medal, a goal which she was thrilled to secure today.
Blomfield immediately put pressure on the rest of the field in the Final, opening with a 7.00 right as the horn sounded. Staying active, she soon posted an 8.07 to have a significant lead. After a slow start, 2013 Silver Medalist Rachael Tilly (USA, silver) picked up an 8.17 to put herself in the conversation and leave 2018 Bronze Medalist Natsumi Taoka (JPN, bronze) and 2023 Copper Medalist Zoé Grospiron (FRA, copper) needing large scores. With less than 30 seconds on the clock Tilly caught a wave, needing a 6.90, while Blomfield took the next wave directly behind her. With both surfers waiting on the sand for scores, Tilly earned exactly what she needed, a 6.90, before Blomfield’s score was announced, an 8.43, the highest of the heat and enough to easily secure victory.
“Honestly, I’m at a loss for words,” an emotional Blomfield said. “I really wanted it so bad and for it to come and happen to me, it feels insane.”
“It means a lot (to win the Team World Championship). I was paddling out for my heat and Kai had a 9. He was looking good, you know, so it kind of fired me up more than usual. And then for his heat to end and then get the gold, I was just like, now I have to put my feet in the right places and get the right waves and I can do it too. It really fired me up and inspired me.”
The reigning WSL Longboard Champion Kai Sallas (HAW) is now a two-time ISA World Longboard Champion. Having almost completed his goal of winning the ISA / WSL double world titles in 2018 when he won his first ISA gold medal and placed runner-up in the WSL, Sallas was ecstatic to further solidify his place as the best longboarder in the world by taking out the twin world titles within a few months of each other.
After being knocked out in Main Event Round 4, Sallas had to surf through five repechage heats to gain his way into the Final and the knowledge gained in those extra heats proved beneficial. Catching a wave within the first minute, Sallas delivered a blistering performance, earning the highest single wave score of the event for the men for committed, critical nose-riding. Though fellow finalists Taka Inoue (JPN, silver), 2010 World Champion Rodrigo Sphaier (BRA, bronze), and two-time Bronze Medalist Edouard Delpero (FRA, copper) were also able to open with scores in the high 8-point range, Sallas controlled the rest of the heat, quickly backing up his score and expertly utilizing priority in the final minutes.
“It feels amazing,” Sallas said. “It’s just proof that if you bounce back and put in the hard work and keep trying, no matter how old you are, it’s never too late. Just keep going for it.”
“The waves are insane. It’s the kind of day where if you were just free-surfing you’d pull up and look out there and just be psyching to get out and surf and we get to compete. Big shout out to ISA and Fernando Aguerre for running this amazing event. I really hope that longboarding goes into the Olympics. I think we’re proving that it belongs there.”
RESULTS
Team Rankings
Gold – Hawaii
Silver – Japan
Bronze – France
Copper – Brazil
Women
Gold – Honolua Blomfield (HAW)
Silver – Rachael Tilly (USA)
Bronze – Natsumi Taoka (JPN)
Copper – Zoé Grospiron (FRA)
Men
Gold – Kai Sallas (HAW)
Silver – Taka Inoue (JPN)
Bronze – Rodrigo Sphaier (BRA)
Copper – Edouard Delpero (FRA)
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