Christy Gilmour, Steven Sawyer shine at SA Longboard Championships

SA’s Christy Gilmour and Steven Sawyer won the World Surf League Africa Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) 1,000 at the Surf Emporium SA Longboard Championship in Jeffreys Bay on Saturday.

It was a perfect day for a logging contest, and Gilmour and Sawyer came out on top after overcoming a deeply competitive field featuring the region’s top longboarders.

J-Bay proved again why it’s one of the best waves in the world, as Lower Point delivered non-stop, perfect two- to three-foot surf and light winds for long nose rides and excellent scores for high-performance longboarding.

Defending champion Gilmour left her best performance for last when her experience paid off to win again.

The Durbanite found the winning wave in the dying minutes, a beautiful set wave that allowed her to hang five for a long nose ride and finish with a solid turn in the end section to get the required score.

Future star 14-year-old Emma Schermbrucker (SA) delivered an impressive performance, defeating her experienced peers to earn a place in the final against Gilmour, Crystal Sawyer (SA) and Tarryn King (SA).

Schermbrucker showed composure and maturity beyond her years to take the lead in the final, but an exciting exchange saw Gilmour claim victory in the end.

With this win, Gilmour earned the WSL Africa regional qualifying spot for the 2026 World Longboard Tour, which starts at the US Open of Surfing in July.

This will be Gilmour’s debut on the World Longboard Tour.

The 2018 World Longboard Tour champion and J-Bay local, Steven Sawyer (SA), was the clear standout of the day with two perfect 10-point rides (out of a possible 10) on his way to the final.

Sawyer surfed a beautiful board he shaped himself, a replica of the board when he won the Surf Abu Dhabi Classic in 2024.

Sawyer’s ability to spend an incredible amount of time on the nose, switching between hanging ten and hanging five, set him apart from the rest of the field.

Sam Christianson (SA) enjoyed an excellent run to the final, earning two nine-point rides in the quarterfinals and an excellent total in his semifinal, but it was a more nerve-wracking final with Guy Campbell (SA) and Oliver Packham (SA) taking the lead early on.

After a long lull, each surfer scored a final ride, and a few tense moments on the beach ensued while everyone waited for the scores to drop.

Sawyer took the win with an excellent 8.67 and 7.90 for his last two rides, while Christianson earned runner-up.

While Sawyer automatically requalified for the tour, the region’s qualifying spot will go to Durban’s Sam Christianson.