Tudor crosses age barrier at Noosa Longboard Open
During a Noosa Festival of Surfing that was mostly something less than a visual spectacle, I was thrilled on so many levels to see Joel Tudor win the WSL season opener for the world longboard tour, the Noosa Longboard Open.
I first met Joel more than 25 years ago when he was the enfant terrible at the Biarritz Surf Festival in France, riding rings around his elders, and his career since then has been stellar, with world titles in 1998 and 2004, and the development of his own invitational series that has influenced a generation of longboarders and changed the direction of the oft-forgotten poor cousin of professional surfing.
As Ben Collins wrote on the WSL website: “Even if you set aside his ability on a surfboard, the argument could be made that he deserves the victory - and the shot at a third world title - more than just about any other logger. After all, he beat a field of surfers inspired by him, in a new and improved format he almost single-handedly forced into existence. Tudor, schooled by mentors such as Nat Young and the late Donald Takayama, has been a stoic and sometimes polarizing champion of traditional longboarding.”
While the more mature Tudor was on a charm offensive in Noosa last week, it’s true that he has never been backward at coming forward and taking a stand, mostly fair but sometimes arguable, but he was noticeably reticent to claim another world record last week – at 43 becoming the oldest longboarder to win a WSL world tour event, only a matter of months outside of Kelly Slater’s overall record, winning the Billabong Pro Tahiti at 44 in 2016. When I shared a man-hug with him just moments after he was chaired up the beach following a surprisingly nail-biting final against fellow Californian Kevin Skvarna, he was more interested in sharing the joy of winning an event in front of sons Tosh and Judah.
“Oh man, having them here on the beach watching is the icing on the cake,” he said. “Makes me want to go on and win another world title so they can see it wasn’t just a story I made up!”
Celebratory man-hug from Judah Tudor (WSL/Dave Glennon)
Indeed, having qualified for the rest of the 2020 World Surf League Longboard Tour, Tudor confirmed his intention to compete in all events on the same day that fellow veteran Kelly Slater, 48, confirmed he would “have a crack” at a 12th world title in 2020. In pro surfing, could this be the year of the old farts?
Joel Tudor’s win in Noosa last week was in quite contestable waves at the Noosa West beach breaks, but not on the famed First Point, where, apart from by the dogs, not a wave was ridden during the entire surf festival, for the first time since 1999, when ironically Tudor won his last Noosa title with a dazzling display at Castaways Beach. In between times, Joel has been an occasional competitor in Noosa, and in 2012 I convinced him and his financial backers at Vans to bring the Vans Joel Tudor Duct Tape Invitational to our surf festival.
In 2013 and 2015, the Duct Tape was the highlight of the festival, showcasing a traditional style of longboarding that was gaining traction on Noosa’s perfect point waves.
For almost a decade now, the Duct Tape Series has mentored so many champions – current world longboard champion Justin Quintal and Noosa’s own Harrison Roach among them – and had a profound influence on longboarding around the world, no more evident anywhere than in the new-style WSL world tour, now run by traditional stylist Devon Howard, himself an occasional Duct Taper.
No matter what you think about longboarding – and I can hear the haters sharpening their texting fingers as I write – Joel Tudor’s contributions to surfing have gone way beyond the discipline for which he is justly famous, and he has been an inspiration for countless surfers to think outside the box and ride ‘em all.
I was stoked to see him back in the winner’s circle, and I take my floppy Joel Tudor hippie hat off to him.
// PHIL JARRATT
Comments
I’d assumed he was like 50 or something.
Wear your sun cream kids and maybe a hat too.
Anyways well done Joel, nice win at 43.
Best surfer, ever. Footage of Joel Tudor surfing Pipeline on big SINGLE-FIN from the "Adrift" movie = surfing's highest artform moment
aye to that ..
Got a link for it, Halibut?
FF to the 18:00 mark.
Scratchy quality. Great tune but.
Ripping...deep nose concave and sidebites.
what's a "sidebite"?
The little fins up front. Usually called thusly when matched with a traditional single fin or in a widowmaker set-up. Also called "training wheels" by some purists (not me though, I rock the sidebites on my 7'6" and love 'em).
thanks for that, I didn't know, I'm out of the loop here in Cowtown
Matching that footage up with Nina Simone was a totally inspired piece of editing.
That bottom turn on the first wave....I can't get my head around how perfectly done that really was.
And I meant to say thanks, Stu.
Like Gerry Lopez's brother from a different mother! Thanks for sharing, Stu.
I don't have the link, but I think stunet may have just put it up. I used to have that Adrift movie on DVD many moons ago. It put me on a new path.
Hey Halibut have a look for a pic of Bill Barnfield surfing pipe on takeoff on a single fin, p 149 of "History of Surfing" - incredible rail control
Thanks for the tip, I'll add that one to my ebay watchlist
Also One California Day, his surfing a keel fish on an overhead wedge, all time
Yes GS, I totally agree, I know that film well, it's pretty epic surfing
Great call on Adrfit film by Joe Scott. His work with that film and the 20 minute Longer (all on Joel Tudor) had more impact on modern surfing, especially longboarding, than any of the other wanky 1990s films.
I thought he was much older too.
But lets be honest here, how long has WSL long boarding been going for?
where those events Nat was winning in the 80's WSL events? How old was he then?
Really, there seems no reason why someone couldn't win events in their 60's? It's not a very physically demanding sport.
Yes agreed this should be peak age for long boarding. Especially in noosa.
And if they want someone to star in the remake of Tales from the Crypt or The Dark Crystal Joel is in with a pretty good chance, 43?
Got a rough Dial for sure...i spose he still loves his daily Scoobs
WSL Urine test ?
Ha ha ha...
An incovenient truth for the Wozzle.
Hard to test people for cannabis when you're literally running events sponsored by cannabis companies. Pot kettle black :)
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Ftitle%2...
A tale.
The day after the Bells final one year. Absolutely cranking. All pros and locals out there. Made the mags etc. Total madhouse.
Out paddles Nat Young with a young long-haired blonde in a pink wetsuit (if I recall correctly) in tow. Both on mals. As they paddled past the main pack and out to sea, the ribbing was relentless, ruthless, and hilarious. Especially from the Newport contingent.
The blonde with the flowing locks was in fact a young Joel Tudor. This may give a clue as to the kind of comments that were being bandied about.
And these comments went into overdrive when the couple caught a huge wide one together and proceeded to crossover as it were.
Pretty amazing session actually. I even inadvertently burned a pro! Pauline Menczer! Sorry mate.
Pauline Menczer deserves far more recognition and acknowedgement than she gets. I'm not sure if theyve amended it now but that honour roll was a disgrace. Even if they do amend it, doesnt change the omission in the first place.
People are a lot kinder here than on Stab, that's for sure.
"So stoked to read the comments section and see people are finally realising what a dickhead this guy really is. Here’s a tip for any other competitors who find themselves not winning anymore. Stop doing comps, sit on your computer for 20 years saying how everyone else sucks except you and a group of teenage boys you selected for your own invitational events wacko-jacko style , when your voice is finally heard due to enough young kids sucking up to you and enough dignified adults who have more world titles then you not caring cause they aren’t insecure 4 foot tall dipshits then your in the perfect position to reenter the world tour now the criteria has changed and your friend Devon & Cheese and a panel of judges allow you to win every heat with a hang five and a “almost turn” while your other competitor does a 6 second hang ten combined with a turn and another noseride for a loss. And WSL , how about your anti drug policy on this pot smoking dead shit?"
Epic rant!
He's holding back a bit, he should say what he's really thinking.
For some reason it reminds me of an early Tracks letter to the editor.
Definitely a rant. I do wonder how much is based in truth. They obviously are in, or were in the longboarding comp scene. I know at least one former world champ who has been really unhappy with the direction the WSL has taken.
Couldn't of put it better my self.
He is a self righteous prick and is almost certainly getting his dick sucked,or is sucking the WSL's dick.
There has always been traditional V progressive/mixing it up, now its who has the longest fattest board to hang ten, 43 years old to hang ten, i see 70 year old's hanging ten. Fuck off Tudor , why the fuck have you suddenly reared your ugly unwanted head, piss off back to California with ya dick sucking mates
Dude looks 73
If we take away the term 'competition' in surfing the way in which we look, we view, a fellow surfer it all becomes a little clearer. It would be an avid follower of surfing to say they have seen a finer surfer than Joel Tudor.
Yes, we're referring (predominantly) here to the act of riding a longboard, in this instance. However, any footage you see of Tudor on a shortboard, a mid-length, a longboard a glider, he's all grace. Indeed, 'Adrift; is a class act but I also like the footage of him in: OCD (really, a magnificent film) as well as all of Thomas Campbell's pic's (Seedling, Sprout, Present). Hawaii? He's been all over waves of consequence, on all manner of craft and length, for many years. Messer. Slater, or his peers on the WSL, cannot claim this feat or expertise.
For the purveyors of surfing, I cannot think of anyone who has a greater grasp of surf craft of any length, let's say 5'-12'. Possibly, Ryan Burch. Once 'enfent terrible', indeed he was. But, we all grow into a little wisdom and manhood. It's simple maturity.
Many a scribe would suggest the stylists of a bygone era were; Edwards, Cabell, (Dora at Malibu) and of course Midget then we'd be hard-pressed to say any were better than Tudor. Yes, of course, MR and Shaun are on their own Mountain.
2020 - the year of the old coots? Looking forward to it.
Yeah...nah.
Now there's one wave where we need to see the take off.
Nobody likes people who surf SINGLE-FINS better than most folks surf thrusters, ......that is well known
I watched some of the Noosa comp for the hell of it. Thought some of the younger guys and girls surfed circles around Joel.
what's the go with this bloke? Where does his bad wrap (devisiveness) come from?
Total besserwisser. A chip on each shoulder, too.
Good on you Joel well done and take no notice of those calling you way crustier looking than your age . If you spend forever in the surf wind and sun getting weather beaten , what do they expect ? My missus sledges me as mr leather head , I’m getting skin cancers chopped out every year , but it won’t stop me . I did note when I looked closely at Rabbits face it ain’t too hammered for his age, he slathers himself thoroughly in a pasty white sun goop . Mr Jarratt still has a good complexion too, but reckon it must be those ex-ey Noosa spa facials and anti ageing cream , plumps out the wrinkles .
Thanks Freddy Kruger
WSR Rules- Families must surf with top predator on Noosa Game Park Hunts.
https://media.apnarm.net.au/media/images/2020/03/01/v3imagesbin300f8a426...
Perhaps the most broad talent of a surfer in the modern era.
Here's the Seedling, I want to highlight Joel on shortboards: 22:00 on is his first 6'7",
29:30 on a classic 70's style single in the Canary Islands.
And that was 20 years ago. He blazed a path for those who wanted to flow and glide.
Thanx to Ben for screening past Noosa Festival of Surfing live Web Casts.
2020 Festival Events seems to be without footage...
Channel 7 were supposed to run live webcast of Noosa WSL Longboard Tour Event.
WSL / YouTube run full event but [f] 7 only has bits + Nothing on 7 Surf Site?
Do the crew know if (7+ live) was working for this event or is it ready for GC Pro?
Maybe even if swellnet are still ok to run GC Pro?
Noosa Longboard Open
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day4
or
Womens
https://www.worldsurfleague.com/events/2020/wlt/3281/noosa-longboard-open
Mens
https://www.worldsurfleague.com/events/2020/mlt/3282/noosa-longboard-open
God that whole core short boarder thing is so revealing, especially the older you are. Sure ride a short board but just shut the f@ck up about long boarders, mid lengths, twins, lids, kneelos etc. (SUPs ok).
It’s childish
"It's childish" but "(SUPs ok)"
Reeks of double standard!
thanks for the links tbb, I'm trying day 4. Surf comps without Brazilian storm, interesting! Multiple accents on the winners interviews, nice. And so far, Joel seems to have a smoothness and control others don't.
yt comments section is addled, though
Cool VJ! Qldurrz are obligated to give a shit...
"Go on ! (Prod) Say It... Just read the card!"
H H Happy 1st WSL Comp for surfing's Olympic year!
Arghh! The bastards made every Qldurr say that!
Qld Govt tip $50k / year for Noosa festival...Council likely match it!
Thinking the combo easily clears 1/4m for Qld strategic partner WSL.
Qld 'strategic' meaning :
Bribe Govt for a no consult Ranch upzone ($100 per / WSL Corona).
With compliments c/o Stark Raving Mad Wave Park!
Hey what is the criteria for WSL Longboarding ? Do you loose points if you do a actual turn ?
43? Holy smokes!
Vegan?
43? Holy Smokes!
Zombie?
JOEL TUDOR ARTIST ; me 65 yr old dude. Longboard rider from late 50's. Short board rider 60's ( competitive ; in first 12 in state S.A. ). Longboard / shortboard riding still. But, unfortunately short board life style fuelled with aggro. Longboard life style cool, casual, mates. Longboard riding like a painter moving, without thinking, on th canvas of th sea. JOEL TUDOR & TH LIKES : ARTISTS.
From what I’ve seen of Tudor,the guy can surf on just about anything & has carved out a great living from the sport.So give him some respect & maybe get over the tall poppy syndrome.He may look like a prune but shit,he’s got some hair!
Not sure style alone should have you taking the spoils