Boarding For Breast Cancer's Skate The Coast

Group shot before the start.

   Now in it's 7th year, Skate The Coast is 18-mile skateboarding marathon held by Boarding For Breast Cancer to raise money for breast cancer awareness, prevention, and support programs.  Skateboarders pushed along the 18-mile course starting at the Santa Monica Pier, and taking the bike path along the beach, passing through such areas as Venice Beach, Marina Del Rey, Manhattan Beach, till they reach the Redondo Beach Pier, where there was an after party at Wahoo's Fish Tacos. This wasn't just a skateboarder only event either, roller skaters and bicycle riders also joined in. Each participant needed to raise at least a minimum of  $50, and with so many of these awesome guys and girls each raising way beyond that, the total amount raised ended up to be over $20,000.  

Asher Bradshaw leading the way.

T.K. Brown

Cal Skate Roller Derby Girls

Half way there and still full of energy.

Check out Boarding For Breast Cancer to learn more about Breast Cancer Awareness and  for more info on their future events and how you can volunteer or donate.

And for even more photos, check out the huge Skate The Coast 2013 Photo Gallery , we have over 150 photos that were taken along the route. It's too many to post on this blog so check out the gallery to see shots of all the participants.  

 Too see even more photos, check out the Skate the Coast 2013 Photo Gallery

Anything But 3 Surf Contest

2nd Place winner Kyung Seo

       On Saturday, September 14, 2013,  ZJ Boarding House held their second annual Anything But 3 Surf Contest near lifeguard Tower 26 in Santa Monica. An unique surf contest where all the competitors surf on boards provided by ZJ.  A mixed selection of boards that all have either 2, 4, or anything but 3 fins.

 

    ZJ Boarding House manager Spencer, along co-owner Todd Roberts came up with the idea for the contest, now in it's second year.  "It's a contest more about having fun and trying new stuff", explains Roberts, "You surf your same board everyday, so this is to get you out of your comfort zone, get on a different board, and have some fun." 

        Several groups of surfboards are spread out on the beach, and before every heat begins, each surfer picks a numbered chip out of a pot,  and that number determines from which group of boards the surfer can pick from  to use for that heat. As the surfers advance to the next heat,  they pick a new numbered chip, and  usually ended up with an different group of boards to choose from.

    The contest, open to all ages and skill levels, as well as both male and female surfers, was one of the rare times you such a huge mixture of surfers competing in the same heats.

Results:

1 - Rusty White

2 - Kyung Seo

3 - Will Degree

4 - Cole Sweeney

5 - Julie Russel             

      For the complete contest photo gallery of nearly 200 photos, including photos of the practice session before the contest, check out the Anything But 3 Photo Gallery

Check out ZJ Boarding House at http://www.zjboardinghouse.com/

                                                                           More photos: Anything But 3 Photo Gallery

Ocean Park 26 Surf Contest

Mens Final  -  Marcus Mclendon

   Back during the last weekend of July, Ocean Park 26 held their annual surf contest at Santa Monica's Tower 26.  A two day contest consisting of  Body Surfing, Boys, Girls, Juniors, Womens, Mens, and Masters divisions, with Qualifiers on Saturdays and Finals on Sunday. This is a recap of the Finals.

Breck Adler

   The contest started off early on this overcast morning with the Body Surf Division, with West Adler, Marcus McLendon and Vytus Bauskauskas taking the top 3 spots in that order. Up next was the Boys Final.  Beck Adler led the pack with several frontsides off the lip into first place. While Kolby  threw a few sweet floaters, it just wasn't enough to beat the waves of Colin White (2nd place) and Harry Fishman (3rd place).

Francesca "Frankie" Seely

  Francesca "Frankie" Seely rode her short board for the first half of the Girls Final, then switch to her long board to finish out the heat with a first place win. Chloe Klienman caught some mini tubes and a second place finish. Third place went to Maddie LoMonaco.  And in her first contest, Quincy Solomon rode out some long waves while doing Saturday Night Fever dance moves.

Maddie LoMonaco, while Quincy Solomon looks for her next wave.

Chloe Klienman

Cameron Packham

    The waves died down a bit as the Juniors started their heat, but Cole Sweeney, Kenta Elwell and  Matt Hodges were able to throw down some solid turns for the top three spots. Blasting out of the waves and  into fourth was Cameron Packham.

   Luckily the waves picked up a bit as the Women took the stage, with several solid waves Suzy Diaz placed first. Second place Mary Mills seemed to be having the most fun, with switching stances on most waves she got.  Tammy Mowery took third, while Liz Montgomery  got fourth.

Suzy Diaz

Mary Mills

Yves Bright

       The Mens Final saw the most aggressive surfing.   Throwing a few aerials and getting tucked in a  mini tube got Marcus McLendon a third place finish, while Rusty White's hard charging got rewarded with second.  Yves Bright took first with several floaters off the lip.

   There was a couple near collisions during the Masters Final. Sergio Lira and Ben Colvin tied for third. Some very stylish surfing by  Marc Sabatini earned him a second place finish. Getting in several waves with some aggressive surfing,  Donny Wilson earn first place.

Sergio Lira

Marc Sabatini

 

Everyone enjoying some music by The Ooks Of Hazzard

   The contest wrapped up with an awards ceremony over on the grass area of Ocean Park.  The band  The Ooks Of Hazzard got things underway performing several songs, then contest organizer  Kevin Osborne started calling up the winners to receive their trophies and goodies bag. Designed by local surf artists  Kit Kalionzes and Bob Boreman, the trophies were mini sculptures of lifeguard tower 26.  Each trophy was painted with the actual paint used on the lifeguard towers.

Tower 26 inspired trophies

Jeff Ho

1st Place Girls Francesca "Frankie" Seely

Beck Adler with his Boys 1st Place winnings

 To see even more photos of each surfing heat and the awards ceremony, check out the complete contest gallery with over 360 photos:   Ocean Park Surf Contest Gallery

For more on Ocean Park 26, check out their site: Ocean Park 26

Masters before they head out for their heat.

Charlie Gooding

Dylan Kruger

Antonia Fuller

Ocean Park flag

Julie Gandolfo & Apryl DeLancy

Frank Corona 

Julie Gandolfo barely avoiding Suzy Diaz

Nick Nevarez

Tower 26

                                         More photos:  Ocean Park Surf Contest Photo Gallery