Surfers Share the Stoke Despite Marginal Conditions



Surfers of all ages and from as far North as Santa Cruz and as far South as San Diego converged upon the cobblestones of Rincon Point this weekend to participate in this innaugural event organized by The Groundswell Society - the brainchild of Glenn Henning, founder of the Surfrider Foundation, and former World Champion surfer Shaun Tomson. Members of the Rincon Pit Crew assisted with event planning and execution.

"Back in the 90's we focused on the environment, and cleaning up the water with the Cleanwater Classic," said Henning. It appears that a major shift in concerns has occurred; the intent now is to focus on the social climate between surfers, and to improve the entire psychosocial experience of the sport that so many now share and love.

The novel format of this event was quite like no other. Rather than surfers competing against each other for the best waves and highest scores, surfers were awarded points for actually sharing waves, all in an effort to reinforce the idea that even in the most crowded conditions, everyone can have fun.

The event began early Saturday with a ritual blessing performed by Chumash ceremonial leader and Dolphin Dancer Mati ("Little Hawk") Waiya.

Unlike other surf contests, no specific competition areas were demarcated or enforced. Non-contestants were free to join in and free surf amongst the contestants.

Henning said that he chose Rincon as the location for the first event of many to follow for several reasons, but mostly because it is such an incredible natural arena for the sport. He added that at this location the event could be staged with minimal environmental impact.

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Killer Rincon Video Courtesy of Andy Hahn