It was a Southern California sweep for surfers who won this week’s Huntington Beach Longboard Classic, with Dana Point native Rachael Tilly claiming the women’s title and Oceanside’s Taylor Jensen winning the men’s division.
The action on Tuesday, Aug. 6, to end the contest had a slow start with thick fog putting the surfing on hold during the early-morning hours. But the contest heated up as the weather did, with the world-class longboarders taking to the water for the final heats of the second stop of the World Surf League’s Longboard Tour.
The Longboard Classic kicked off the US Open of Surfing on Saturday, Aug. 3, and finished with Tilly and Jensen, both veterans on the tour, earning the prestigious title.
WSL Longboard Champion Rachael Tilly, of Dana Point, surfs in Heat 1 of the Semifinals at the Huntington Beach Longboard Classic on Aug. 6, 2024 at Huntington Beach, California. Tilly won the US Open title. (Photo by Pat Nolan/World Surf League)
Tilly, the 2015 world champion, faced three-time world champion Soleil Errico in the final, gracefully walking on her board, making her way to the nose to earn two high-scoring waves, a 7.67 and 6.33, to beat her opponent, who couldn’t find a second back-up score to take the lead.
Tilly was all smiles as she was chaired up to the beach after her win, overcome with emotion as she soaked in her victory.
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“I’m feeling so many emotions – happiness, elation,” she said in an interview with WSL. “It’s been a long day, a long week. I can’t believe we made it to this point.”
Tilly dedicated her win to Gretchen Harris, a longtime president of the Oceanside Longboard Surfing Club who recently died, calling Harris a huge influence in the Southern California longboard community.
At the last longboard event, where Tilly earned runner-up, Harris quipped to her “stop with all this second-place stuff,” Tilly recalled, wiping tears.
“I was thinking about her when I was out there,” said Tilly, who has lived in Australia the past six years, moving back to Southern California just a week ago. “This is for her, this means so much.”
Jensen faced off against Rogelio “JR” Esquievel, a Filipino who drew a big fan base to the beach to cheer for him with each wave ridden. He is the first surfer from the Philippines to compete at the US Open of Surfing.
WSL Longboard Champion Taylor Jensen of the United States surfs in Heat 2 of the Semifinals at the Huntington Beach Longboard Classic on Aug. 6, 2024 at Huntington Beach, California. (Photo by Pat Nolan/World Surf League)
The men wasted no time, both taking waves just after the clock started. Esquievel took an early lead.
But Jensen, a two-time world champion, earned two high-scoring waves to surpass his opponent, winning the event.
Jensen, who won his first US Open longboard title in 2003, is just coming off a win at Bells Beach.
“A lot of it is luck. I’m just having fun, honestly,” he said. “I have a different head space this year. I’m just enjoying my time on tour, enjoying time with friends. It all happens to be working out.”
The US Open of Surfing continues on Wednesday, Aug. 7, with the Challenger Series contest kicking off.
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