By Erika Scafuro

The youngest competition to win a pro event at 15, the oldest to win Longboard World Title. Joel Tudor likes records. The last 12nd of October confirmed it by winning the title of Longboard World Champion at 45 years. The legendary surfer competed last October in the final event of the season, in Malibu, by beating Ben Skinner.

This is the third World Title for Joel Tudor: the first in 2004 and the second in 2020 at Noosa Longoboard Open. After all, Tudor predicted it on that occasion as he declared: “I think the last time I won this event was 20 years ago and most of the competitors here this week weren’t even born. Then I won my last ASP event 16 years ago so it’s been a long time since I’ve been here. I didn’t really plan on competing in this event, then I got the wildcard and kept making heats and found a rhythm, it wasn’t until the semifinals though that I knew that I could win. […] The best part of this win is that my kids are here. They’ve seen the trophies and heard the stories but now they’ve seen their dad win, something which is really cool. I suppose I’m going to have to go for my third world title now, which will be epic”.

Without doubt Tudor has succeeded in his intent: he is the senior world champion ever, a record previously held only by Kelly Slater. The final event of the longboard championship will be remembered in surfing history for setting several records, including the fact that Joel Tudor and Honolua Blomfield, the female champion, have become the oldest and the youngest to win their third title.
Among the victory statements, Tudor said: “I didn’t really have expectations of winning coming here. I just wanted to do well and finish. There were all sorts of elements that came to play. My dad hasn’t come here to watch me compete in 27 years, both he and my mom were here so I had an emotional second there. This was for Donald Takayama who mentored my whole existence, I wouldn’t be here where I am today without him.”