Stevie Sawyer Wins In Abu Dhabi

Steven Sawyer (RSA) won the Abu Dhabi Longboard Classic Presented by Modon, Stop No. 3 of the 2024 World Surf League (WSL) Longboard Tour over the last weekend in September. In a historic day of competition, the WSL crowned its first event winners in its first event in the UAE. The competition was hosted in the perfect three-foot waves of the Surf Abu Dhabi facility, which utilizes the Kelly Slater Wave Company technology. 

2018 World Longboard Champion Steven Sawyer Returns to the Winner’s Podium

Surfing in his only event of the 2024 season, South Africa’s Steven Sawyer (RSA) claimed the second Longboard Tour win of his career. The 30-year-old’s sole previous victory came at the 2018 Taiwan Open World Longboard Championships, which earned him the title of WSL Longboard Champion for that year. Having previously been runner-up to the Longboard World Title in 2016, Sawyer’s only other Final came at the start of 2019. Now, over five years later, he has taken a timely win that sees him earning the final qualification slot for the Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships on the basis of a single event.

“This is a surfer’s dream,” Sawyer said. “From the wave, to all the amenities, to hospitality. Everything’s bigger, better, greater, harder, faster here. And it’s just amazing. So to be here and experience the wave and learn it and have a couple more under the belt, it just felt more comfortable each time. And I mean, this is as good as a contest can get.”

Sawyer was able to draw on his extensive point-break experience to consistently earn excellent scores in every heat surfed. Born and raised in Jeffrey’s Bay, where he has also surfed in a WSL Championship Tour event as a wildcard, the goofyfooter’s backhand technique has been honed at one of the world’s finest locations. 

That approach, which included a wide array of variety on nearly every wave surfed, saw him open the Final with an 8.67 on the right, but his greediness for the barrel cost him his opening left. John Michael Van Hohenstein (HAW) had started well but with only mid-range scores. On his second run, the Hawaiian posted an 8.23 on the right, leaving all of the pressure on Sawyer to deliver on the final wave of the men’s event. The South African put it all on the line, opening with a bold hang-ten before throwing caution to the wind and locking into a barrel in the same section that had previously bested him. Threading it cleanly, Sawyer stepped into a long nose-ride, from which he saluted to the crowd, confident that he had done enough to secure victory. It was no surprise when an 8.77 was awarded and his 17.44 (out of a possible 20) heat total landed as the highest of the event.

“I only needed two waves,” Sawyer said. “I stuffed two up and I made two, so that’s what got me through. For that one that I just had in the end there, I was like alright, I’m not gonna get stuck behind, I’m gonna do a little walk back and jump forward again, try to get some momentum, pass those three bumps, and then the tube’s on and the rest of the wave was just gonna be lined up. So that was it. It just worked out, just turned out smooth.”

In his second season on Tour, Van Hohenstein has now made the Final in half of the Longboard Tour events he’s surfed, placing runner-up in three out of six competitions. His result in Abu Dhabi caps off an incredible year that now sees the 21-year-old as the No. 2 seed for El Salvador.

“I never would have thought, I told myself last year I just want to make it to the Top 8,” Van Hohenstein said. “I just worked hard, and now I’m sitting at number two, and it’s insane. I don’t know what to say, speechless.”

Qualifiers Confirmed for the Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships 

The 2024 World Longboard Champions will be decided at the Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships. The competition will be held on the best single day of competition within the window from October 9 – 13, 2024. The best two-of-three events on the Longboard Tour leaderboard count toward qualification. The first tiebreaker is the number of heat wins, followed by the average heat score. 

Women’s Top 8 Qualifiers
1 – Soleil Errico (USA) 
2 – Rachael Tilly (USA)
3 – Alice Lemoigne (FRA)
4 – Natsumi Taoka (JPN)
5 – Zoe Grospiron (FRA)
6 – Honolua Blomfield (HAW)
7 – Kelis Kaleopaa (HAW)
8 – Sophia Culhane (HAW)

Men’s Top 8 Qualifiers 
1 – Taylor Jensen (USA)
2 – John Michael Van Hohenstein (HAW)
3 – Rogelio Jr Esquievel (PHL)
4 – Kai Sallas (HAW)
5 – Ben Skinner (GBR)
6 – Kaniela Stewart (HAW)
7 – Steven Sawyer (RSA)
8 – Chase Lieder (USA) 

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