Beacons Summer California Surf Contest & House Party
Easily seen were the deep community roots of surfing kept well alive at the 2023 Sea Collective Open on Saturday July, 29th at Beacons Beach.
Who is the Sea Collective and What is Their Mission?
California Non Profit Sails Toward Sustainable Fisheries
Sea Collective is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ocean conservation and research. Integrating together sustainable small-scale fishing, community action, and oceanic research—Sea Collective is on the vanguard intersection of social justice and environmental resilience.
100% of your gift donations to Sea Collective goes to their organization.
2023 Sea Collective Open Surf Contest
A Model for Community Surf Competitions
What Minerva was for Odysseus getting home from the Trojan war, so is Taylor revitalizing surfing communities and leading a path to deeper oceanographic understandings.
The Sea Collective Wave-maker in Chief Taylor Bratton led our core team event setup to a plateau of rocks overlooking the South end of Beacon at Leucadia State Beach. It was our Heiau Surf Temple, and our prayer for waves on this day appeared to have been well answered.
Anxiously over the last 10 days I had been watching the swell conditions across the entire Pacific Ocean—a winter storm between Australia and New Zealand had developed and sent us a swell across the ocean that magically light up the waves with 3-5 foot conditions.
Beacons Summer Surfing Conditions
Beacons beach is located at 948 Neptune Ave, Leucadia. Its a reef/beach break with two main peaks. The contest shared the southern side peak with the native surfers–successfully.
Typically (author Dustin here), I just wait and surf the Canyon sets at Blacks on original Canyon Surfboards.
Yet Karl Eberhard, an original Canyon Glass Shop employee, invited me to help judge the very first Sea Collective Open.
Karl came of age in Clairemont in the 60’s & 70’s back yard building surfboards and professional contest surfing.
To synchronize my surfing appreciations for Beacons, I had a great day family surfing the beach & reef of Beacons prior to the contest. Even in small 1-2 foot conditions I drew from more than 80% of the maneuvers highlighted in the judging criteria. Even managed a fins up forward late off on the otherwise unoccupied a-frame peak (I was riding the recreation of Canyon Surfboards #1076 a Rusty shaped bat tail with a background that is another story).
The unique position of Beacons in the summertime allows the same storms that drive Monsoons in India, duck under Australia too to drive a hearty winter swell up into our warm summer waters. Perhaps this similar wave vibration drew Yogananda to open the nearby Swamis temples to the south.
I absolutely love wild kelp and appreciate its potential to bring abalone back from the brink of species erasure to again thrive across the Pacific rim. While the 2023 summer kelp forest volume was basically still collapsed too, it was nice to see a few stalks of these stout ocean timbers at Beacons.
Singlefin Slides – The Longboard Contest Division
A longboard surf contest open to surfers who prefer mid lengths, so that any single fin is allowed. Iconic longboard maneuvers including nose rides, cross stepping, cheater fives, fades, floaters, and switch stances are celebrated. However, this surfing venue honors a healthy blend of standard plus creative, unconventional, and collaborative surfing maneuvers.
The “Shortboard” Contest Division
This division allows surfing competitors to show off their high performance style riding short boards, fish, grovelers, bonzers or anything under 7’0. Technical maneuvers get high scores. Competitors are also rewarded for creative surfing. Wave choices and maneuvers matter— as well as the creativity, variety, power and flow of maneuvers as well. Competitors who take risks and pull off creative stunts, lineup collaborations, custom inclusions and party waves will have more favorable scores.
Anything Goes Beach Contest
Competitors are encouraged to bring their own object to catch waves on as well as fins. We will have a few options on the beach, but there may not be enough for everyone. For example, contestants may use inflatable unicorns, hotdogs, a float made entirely of rubber ducks, inflatable pools, supsquaches, air mattresses, hamster wheels, etc. If you can get an ironing board to float, that counts too. We will not accept boogie boards or body surfing! The only rule is that if your object pollutes the ocean, you will be disqualified. We are trying to reduce plastic waste, so keep your float intact. Popped floaties will result in the competitor having to return to shore, but keeping the waves they previously caught in their score.
There will be one 20 minute heat with winners for first, second and third place. Judges will score for creativity of object, sickest drop and length of ride. Party waves are encouraged!
For objects that can accommodate multiple people, the group will win as a team. As an example, if multiple people are on an air mattress, in an inflatable pool or on a supsquash, they will all win if they were to get the highest score.
Beach Cleanup
Unnecessary human refuge limits vital oceanic capacity. Attending beach cleanups helps communities become better networked to address essential challenges and opportunities.
Fortunately–I find it the process of waste removal very relaxing, it’s like putting the last piece in a beautiful puzzle. 3x a week I trek along the ocean side to canyon powered waves, my surf rig is a virtual Wall-EE of ocean junk removal.
Balloon shards and ribbons are one of the most prolific ocean waste products.
Participation in local beach cleanups literally help people tactically understand the many common products that directly contribute to oceanic decline. Hopefully these new champions of ocean environments will help the government more effectively manage our planets precious, and limited resources.
House Party
A banquet post surf party is true to form per 12th century cave paintings depicting the surf culture.
Some very kind neighbors in Leucadia put up very well with a bit loud and raucous party, several even came by to make generous donations to Sea Collective—communities can rally together like this.
Food & Drinks
Fermented beverages are spokes in the wheel of good health.
Fresh ingredient tacos can help heal wounded biomes.
Juvenile Seagulls Surf Band
They say the snake will eat itself, like seeing the comfortably audacious Juvenile Seagulls play reminiscent 1985 punk compulsion driven rock and roll music.
Sea Collective Fundraising Auction
The Sea Collective is a grass roots organization on the front lines nurturing healthy and sustainable fishing for local communities around the world. Remember, if you really want to get something done, support a non-profit like Sea Collective.
Event Takeaway
More important than the enmity of professional surfing, is the supremely powerful local empowered surf community.
Imagine surfing.
Go surfing.