2024 Gadis Longboard Festival | Finals Day Highlights

Antonio Dantas and Zoe Grospiron won the 2024 Gadis Longboard Festival Ferrol, the final stop on the 2023/24 World Surf League (WSL) European Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS), in challenging longboard conditions at Praia da Fragata in Ferrol, Spain.

An epic finals day started early with the men’s Quarterfinals and ran all the way through the men's and women's Finals this afternoon in continued challenging conditions where surfers had to contend with choppy lines and closeout sections.

However, the best longboarders in the region made small work of the waves at hand and proved they had plenty of resources to apply strategically placed nose rides and carves to exploit the whole judging scale nearly all the way to perfect scores.

Antonio Dantas came blistering out of the gates with two incredible scores of 9.17 and 8.77 (out of a possible 10) and posted the event’s highest heat total of 17.94 (out of a possible 20) with unmatched grace and control of his board.

The Portuguese, whose previous highest result was 7th place, had all three of his opponents in a combination situation and looked in total control of the heat.

But as waves continued to pump, Edouard Delpero and Roland Lefeuvre came right back at him with a 9-point ride of their own to stay in fighting distance.

Unfortunately, the ocean went somewhat quiet in the final five minutes and didn’t offer the opportunities needed to post another excellent number and challenge Dantas. Martin Coret put on a decent fight but had to settle for last place.

“I feel amazing,” Dantas said.

“I think I’m the first Portuguese to win an LQS event; that’s what everyone keeps telling me, so it’s an honor to be making history here in Ferrol."

"I had a lot of fun. The waves were difficult, but I made it happen, so I’m stoked. I couldn’t really hear anything in the water, but I knew they were getting nice waves, so I tried to hold the priority, and it went well!”

The 21-year-old from Sao Pedro, Estoril, claimed his first-ever win on the WSL regional longboard series and put his name on the map with an epic performance when it mattered most, in the Final, overcoming a stacked heat that included former World No.2 Delpero.

Edouard Delpero came a close second in the Final and consolidated his spot atop the regional rankings for the 2023/24 season, claiming a fifth European Longboard Title and equalling the record held by his brother Antoine.

“I’m super happy to get the European title. It was my goal to come here to Ferrol,” Delpero said.

“I’m stoked for Antonio, who won his first LQS event. It’s a big result, and it was a fun fight with him. I had a great event with solid scores in every heat, and unfortunately, he was just better than me in that Final, so congrats to him.”

Roland Lefeuvre and Martin Coret, respectively, placed third and fourth in the Men’s Final.

An anti-climatic women’s Final was unjustly hindered by a dead quiet ocean and mostly closeout sections, forcing surfers to contend with dribble and unfavorable lines.

However, the playing field was the same for all four surfers in the heat, and France’s Zoe Grospiron managed to get the better of all exchanges to claim her career-first win on the European Longboard tour.

“I’m super happy to finally get my first win on the WSL longboard qualifying series,” Grospiron said.

“Conditions were very tough, and we couldn’t really show anything out there, but I’m still extremely happy to have come away with the win and stoked to be here in Galicia.”

A standout on the European LQS for a few years now, Grospiron has collected quarters and semis appearances since her maiden season in 2018 and even placed runner-up a couple of times, finally breaking her glass ceiling today with the win.

Equal 9th on the international Longboard Tour last year, the French surfer will now try to carry momentum and confidence into this year’s events worldwide.

Settling for the runner-up spot this time in the Final was Alice Lemoigne, the region’s leading competitor for the past decade.

The talented Reunion Island surfer claimed an unprecedented 8th European Longboard title today in Galicia.

“I’m very happy to win another European title today,” Lemoigne said.

“Even though I couldn’t win that Final in extremely complicated waves, I love collecting those, and I hope I can get many more in the future, just to prove I’m still here and competitive.”

Canelle Lebreton and Ginger Caimi respectively placed third and fourth in the Women’s Final.

2024 Gadis Longboard Festival | Finals

Men
1. Antonio Dantas (POR) 17.94
2. Edouard Delpero (FRA) 16.87
3. Roland Lefeuvre (FRA) 15.77
4. Martin Coret (REU) 12.40

Women

1. Zoe Grospiron (FRA) 6.06
2. Alice Lemoigne (FRA) 5.87
3. Canelle Lebreton (FRA) 2.80
4. Ginger Caimi (ITA) 2.20

Footage: WSL