Boardmasters and the World Surf League (WSL) have today announced the international surf competition line up for Boardmasters 2018. This includes the Quiksilver Open, Roxy Open, UGG Men’s Longboard Pro and UGG Women’s Longboard Pro. Boardmasters, the most high-profile surfing event in the UK sees elite athletes from around the globe head for five days of exhilarating surf action on Fistral Beach, the home of British surfing. These events are free to attend and will take place at the UK’s surf mecca from Wednesday 8 – Sunday 12 August 2018. There’s truly no better place to see the world’s best surfers battle their way to the top!
Boardmasters is stop #40 on the World Surf League Qualifying Series tour. Record numbers of surf fans, families and festival goers are expected to descend on Fistral Beach to check out the UK’s biggest surf competition. Open to the public, there is no ticket required to watch the formidable surf action unfold.
In the Quiksilver Open, Boardmasters will welcome back Britain’s highest ranked surfer competing on the WQS, Luke Dillon (above), Luis Diaz who took fourth place in last year’s competition, along with exciting British rising stars Arran Strong and Patrick Langdon-Dark who’ll be getting set to compete on a global scale on their home waters in the UK.
Moving on to the Roxy Open category, where the UK’s top female pros are set to give fans a thrilling battle out on the waves, as Boardmasters today confirmed entries from English National Women’s champion and highly decorated Lucy Campbell (below), as well as 2015 Boardmasters champion Peonie Knight, Tassy Swallow and Emily Currie, who all represent the best in British surfing. Also competing are Spain’s Garazi Sanchez Ortun and the USA’s Rachel Presti who are sure to deliver strong performances.
Tassy Swallow (above)
The UGG Men’s Longboard Pro will see reigning champion and men’s #1 Antoine Delpero return to Fistral Beach to defend his title after a thrilling route to victory last year. The French champion will face competition from 2016 champion, longboarding legend and brother Edouard Delpero, as well as UK surf icons Ben Skinner (below) and Jack Unsworth, who will all be making their bid and battling it out for the coveted title on the waves.
The UGG Women’s Longboard Pro category continues to go from strength to strength, as huge home names and international stars prepare to battle it out this August. Last year saw a stunning win for France’s star surfer Justine Dupont who returns with her eyes firmly on the prize for another year. Competition comes in the form of Emily Currie fresh from winning the 2017 English National Women’s Longboard title and other exciting British talent rising through the ranks, Jennifer Pendlebury and Beth Leighfield.
Lucy Campbell said, “Boardmasters is always my favourite event of the year so I’m really looking forward to returning to compete at the Roxy Open – it’s so great to have a stop of the World Qualifying Series on home soil!”
Luke Dillon said, “When I was a kid, it was awesome watching international pro surfers coming to Newquay to compete. I tried to surf with them as much as possible and loved watching the contest and the buzz that surrounds it. It’s really special to be competing in the Quiksilver Open on the beach I grew up on!”
Contest Director Dave Reed added, “We’re looking forward to Boardmasters returning to Cornwall once again for five days of unbeatable surf action. This annual event is the biggest surfing event of its kind in the UK and gives a huge opportunity for the best British competitors to pit themselves against the best surfers in the world at the home of UK surfing, Fistral Beach. Each year the event gets bigger and better, this year I am sure will be no exception”.
Boardmasters International Surf Competition 2017 Champions:
Men’s Quiksilver Open Liam Mortensen (AUS)
Women’s Roxy Open Ella Williams (NZL)
Men’s Longboard Antoine Delpero (FRA)
Women’s Longboard Justine Dupont (FRA)
Established in 1981, Boardmasters is a 5-day event situated across two stunning locations in Cornwall – the surfing mecca of the UK, Fistral Beach where Boardmasters famous International Surf Competitions take place and arguably the most stunning location in the country to watch live music, Watergate Bay. Last year saw Boardmasters welcome festivalgoers across its two sites over the 5 days of the festival. Boardmasters operates a tiered ticket system with price bands for tickets changing over time. The sooner you buy, the cheaper it is! Book tickets via the website.
