San Clemente surfer Rachael Tilly has earned another World Surf League Longboard Tour Championship, her third time clinching the prestigious title after claiming the crown in 2024 and 2015.
Her claim to the World Tour title came after a grueling battle, surfing six heats throughout the day at the Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships. Her final heats were won against Laguna Beach surfer Avalon Gall.
In the men’s division, Australia’s Kai Ellice-Flint earned his maiden longboarding world title.
The one-day contest on Nov. 6 started with Tilly, 27, having to move up the ranks of women competitors in six separate matchups.
“It feels unreal. I feel really tired and in that heat, I just thought, please just get it done in this heat, because now all of the work today is really catching up,” said Tilly, in an interview with the WSL. “Obviously, it was well worth it. I have no words.”
Tilly said Honolua Blomfield and Soleil Errico, fellow female surfers who also have three titles to their name, set the bar for her and have always inspired her.
“I’ve just been reaching for that bar. I’ve worked hard for this, and I love Sunzal, I love El Salvador,” said Tilly, who grew up in Dana Point. “I walked into today with no expectations, and no part of me thought that this was possible.”
It was only when she got to the final heat against Gall, who a few months ago won the US Open of Surfing, that Tilly said she thought a third world championship title was possible.
After besting Kelis Kaleopa’a in the first heat of the day with a high score total of 15.27, Tilly went on to take out tour veteran Chloe Calmon and then Hiroka Yoshikawa.
She then faced Blomfield, turning the scores in the final heat to win and move to the next round, which put her against her other role model, Errico, earning the nod from judges in a buzzer-beater decision.
In her first heat against Gall, Tilly posted high scores to take an early lead. The second round had a back-and-forth exchange, but in the end, Tilly came out the victor to claim the world title.