Joel Tudor is back in a WSL jersey after a 13-year hiatus. Photo: WSL/Caitlin Miers
It’s been 13 years since two-time world champion Joel Tudor donned a jersey for a WSL (née ASP) longboard event. But the 43-year-old, widely regarded as the patriarch of the modern traditional longboard scene, is currently on the sand in Long Beach, New York for the third event of the WSL’s newly-revamped longboard tour competing against the world’s best longboarders, many of which he inspired in Thomas Campbell’s 1999 opus, The Seedling.
In an interview with Wingnut Weaver after his first heat of the event – at time of publication he won his first two heats handily –Tudor explained that the reason he decided to get in the mix in New York this year was that he saw the direction the tour was headed with its new commissioner, Devon Howard, and wanted in.
“There’s been a shift in the kind of crowd that’s participating now,” he said. “The way the rules are being implemented, I think is motivating more kids from our side of the tracks to come and compete and I’m just here to support.”
It probably helps, too, that Tudor and the new commish are good friends.
Earlier this year, we caught up with Devon Howard about his new role and the trajectory of the WSL’s Longboard Tour. Back then, Howard promised new faces and dished on how judges would interpret Article 69 of the judging criteria – one that harkens back to style, flow, and noseriding over “performance,” shortboard-esque maneuvers.
“The surfer must perform controlled maneuvers in the critical section of the wave utilizing the entire board and wave using traditional longboard surfing,” reads Article 69. “The surfer who performs this to the highest degree of difficulty with the most style, flow, and grace will receive the highest score for a ride.”
Longboarders like Justin Quintal and Harrison Roach have long found competitive success in Joel Tudor’s numerous Duct Tape Invitational events, but for the first time they’re also competing in WSL longboard events and with two contests down they sit in the first and second slots on the rankings respectively.
And Tudor isn’t the only one being lured back from retirement to compete against up-and-comers.
Two-time world champ Kelia Moniz competed earlier this year at the Longboard Tour’s first event in Noosa. And resident New Yorker Mikey DeTemple is back in a jersey at Long Beach.
The Longboard Classic New York is currently streaming live with a pretty favorable forecast the next few days courtesy of Hurricane Dorian.
Tune in here. And read our full interview with Devon Howard here.
