Australia's Chayne Simpson was crowned the 2024 kneeboarding world champion at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa.
The 2024 Kneeboard Surfing World Titles were held from August 17 to 25 in good to epic conditions at one of the world's premier point breaks.
It was the largest-ever gathering of kneeboarders, and the performance level was an all-time high.
Simpson and Albert Munoz - both former world champions - finished first and second, respectively, in the open division, outlasting more than 120 competitors from 11 countries.
Anne Milochau claimed the open women's division, followed by Patti Hook, who traveled from Outer Banks, North Carolina.
Three American kneeriders earned world titles, and several others performed well amongst the most talented field ever assembled.
San Juan Capistrano's Kevin Skvarna, current US champion, won the pro junior division (ages 20 to 29), San Diego's Brad Colwell won the immortals division (ages 65 to 69), and Ventura's Scott Wessling won in the invincibles division (ages 70+).
Skvarna and Wessling both successfully defended titles won in 2022 at the most recent world titles held at Costa Nova, Portugal.
Colwell previously earned a world title in 2017 in Somo, Spain, in the legends (ages 60 to 64) division.
San Diego's Jack Beresford finished second in the kahuna's division (ages 55-59).
San Clemente's Sean Noone and Hawaii's Shaun Murphy finished third in the legends (ages 60-64) and seniors (ages 30-39) divisions.
A Solid American Participation
The United States also finished third in the Aloha Cup, a team competition that pitted five kneeriders from each country against each other in a tag team format.
South Africa won the event, and Australia finished second.
Finals day featured some of the biggest waves of the competition, with sets topping six to ten feet and offshore conditions.
The event was held at the Point section of Jeffreys Bay, which offered rippable waves each day of the contest.
The competition was broadcast daily on YouTube, including the finals day.
In all, 17 US kneeriders traveled to South Africa to compete and test their skills at Jeffreys Bay, a bucket-list destination for surfers because of how the point transforms raw ocean energy into perfectly shaped waves.
Most American competitors qualified for the world titles by competing in the 2024 Kneeboard Surfing USA Titles held in February at Huntington Beach Pier.
Established in 2003, Kneeboard Surfing USA is dedicated to promoting camaraderie in the sport of kneeboard surfing through competitions, kneelo gatherings, and other activities.
The next KSUSA titles will be held on February 14, 2025, in Huntington Beach.
2024 Kneeboard Surfing World Titles | Champions
Open Men: Chayne Simpson (AUS)
Juniors: Owen Fairweather (AUS)
Pro Juniors: Kevin Skvarna (USA)
Seniors: Jedd McNeilage (RSA)
Masters: Hamish Christophers (NZL)
Grand Masters: Lester Sweetman (RSA)
Veterans: Stephen van der Watt (RSA)
Kahunas: Simon Farrer (AUS)
Legends: Stephen Cruickshank (RSA)
Immortals: Bradford Colwell (USA)
Invincibles: Scott Wessling (USA)
Open Women: Anne Milochau (FRA)