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Errico Secures Rankings Lead, Qualification in Longboard Championship Top 8
Two-time World Longboard Champion Soleil Errico (USA) claimed her third WSL Longboard Tour victory and gained the rankings lead. In doing so, the Malibu local guaranteed herself a chance to defend her 2022 Longboard World Title in her hometown when the crowning event for the WSL Longboard Tour, the Original Sprout Malibu Longboard Championships Presented by Tractor Beverage Company, takes place in October.
“It definitely takes a bit of weight off my shoulders,” Errico said. “The goal for me was to get to Malibu and I’ve done that, so it’s a really good feeling. I’m just excited that I’ll be competing there again. I’m definitely going to work my butt off to hopefully succeed.”
Today’s Final was the third time Errico and Alice Lemoigne (FRA) had matched up in as many events, with Errico narrowly taking victory each time. As with the previous heats in Huntington Beach and Malibu, Errico garnered the required score in the dying moments, the final tally featuring a difference of less than a point each time.
In her Semifinal match against three-time World Longboard Champion Honolua Blomfield (HAW), Errico was the first surfer of the day to switch from the famous Bells Bowl to the deeper, more classic point set-up of Rincon. The move paid off, handing Errico her first Longboard Tour win over Blomfield and setting the tone for the rest of the day.
Keeping to the same section of the lineup in the Final, a lull left Lemoigne and Errico sitting for 10 minutes before a heat restart. Immediately after the restart horn sounded Errico caught a wave, Lemoigne behind her, Lemoigne’s skill on the nose and strong finishing maneuvers giving her the early edge. Despite multiple falls, Errico kept pace, taking the lead with full use of her rail, along with critical nose-rides. A strong carve on her final wave proved to be enough to turn the Final and hand her the win.
“It was really nerve-wracking just ’cause I kept falling ’cause it was way more bumpy out there than I thought it would be,” Errico said. “We’ve had a lot of close matchups, pretty much every time we surf against each other it’s really close, but yeah, she’s a great competitor and a great person so it was cool to share the lineup with her.”
It was a strong run through the event for Lemoigne, who was able to defeat event standouts Natsumi Taoka (JPN) and Chloe Calmon (BRA) in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals respectively. The Reunion Islander is excited for Stop No. 3 on the WSL Longboard World Tour, the Surf City El Salvador Longboard Classic, after winning the gold medal in the ISA World Longboard Championships in the same location earlier this year.
“I’m a little bit sad to be second, especially with 10 seconds remaining,” Lemoigne said. “I would like to win this contest, but, yes, I’m pretty happy about my surfing all the contest and I’m happy about my spot (in the rankings) before El Salvador, the last one. So yeah, I feel good, I feel great and I want the next one.” |
