Longboard world championship San Clemente (CAL)

...And the winner is "Booooonnga Perkins" !

The final and whole world title was done the wire – the iconic Hawaiian against the young Frenchman. Antoine Delpero is a natural stylist. Even in contests Antoine’s rides form an elegant whole, not a set of disconnected, isolated moves. He constantly flows from turn to turn, walk to noseride, shifting weight with immense subtlety and nuance. His sinuous noserides and soul-arch hang tens, mixed with big manoeuvres, were well suited to the cobble groomed peelers at San O. But it was magnanimous Hawaiian Bonga Perkins who took a long overdue second World Title, winning the Oxbow WLT. The gregarious Bonga proved how hyper talented he is, scoring a quiver of insane rides in the final, hanging ten with poise, and then exploding into power turns. Bonga is the best waterman in the field. He surfed with focus and flair all week, tattering the sets at San O with beyond vertical turns and a display of uncanny timing and anticipation. Oahu legends Rusty Keaulana and Dino Miranda dominated the World Longboard crown between 1993 and 1997. Now the legend Bonga adds another World title in 2008 to the one he won ten years ago in Guethary, France.



What if the world longboard renewal came from the Mediterranean ? And most precisely from the city of Marseille ? Antoine Delpero, proudly representing the famous city, has engraved his step into longboarding for a few year now. Fully loaded with his petanque bowls, his constant smile and unique style, he's patiently made his spath through the world elite. Living in the Basque Country for many years now, Antoine has raised the bar of his surfing by riding the Atlantic waves and finaly winning the famous Biarritz Surf Festival in 2005. Despite the fact that the contest didn't crown a world champ that year, winning such a prestigious and unique event was considered as winning a major title. A premiere for a french surfer. Antoine will enter the Oxbow Pro as a local and Oxbow wildcard and will aim the world crown with the highest motivation and support from his fan. This young man could be THE next big thing of world longboarding.