Izzy Szczepaniak, contest coordinator, negotiates the rough conditions with a hard bottom turn. After breaking his board, having to boogie board in, borrow a board and paddle back out he still managed a 2nd place finish in his heat.
Photo credit: Skip Hoard, S&H Photography
Local surfer, Todd Johnson, makes the most of the extreme conditions with this super floater.
Photo credit: Jim Crotty
Article by Rick Loeper
Saturday, October 20 brought the 17th annual Big Chill Out Longboard Surf Contest to Linda Mar’s Pacifica State Beach hosted by Pedro Point Surf Club. More than ever the contest lived up to its name as the surf measured double overhead on sets and chilly 25mph winds blew onshore all day. Contestants were hard pressed to make their wave count during heats that coincided with sets. It was a ‘Victory at Sea’ kind of day and all contest surfers deserved a medal just for braving the conditions.
To commemorate 2007 as Pedro Point Surf Club’s 20th Anniversary, local surfing icon, Dick Keating was featured on the contest posters and awards and honored at the awards dinner.
Longboard surf clubs from up and down the California coast and surfers from as far away as Florida came to compete.
The Chill Out is PPSC’s major fund-raising event of the year that allows ongoing donations to ocean related non-profits including Ride-A-Wave, Surfrider Foundation and Pacifica Beach Coalition. This year there were more than 40 sponsors to help make the contest a resounding success and allow a steady flow of raffle prizes throughout the day and into the evening at the awards dinner.
The Wander-Ins, a popular local surf band, played during a tasty chicken and BBQ beef dinner at the Pedro Point Firehouse. After the awards presentations there was the finale everyone was waiting for the raffling off of the surfboards. This year NorCal, Kalu Caletta, Bob Miller, Harbour and Heritage provided them.
More than just a contest, this event brings out the best in community spirit as volunteers team together from well before dawn throughout the day and evening to make the Chill Out a fun family day for Pacifica and their efforts are deeply appreciated.
Final contest results were as follows. Novice: 1-Roland Nazar,
2-Cody Angeles,
3-Scotty Sweet,
4-Joel Schwartz,
5-Kate Chaloemtiarana.
Jr Mens:
1-Ryland King,
2-Casey Smith,
3-Anthony Murillo,
4-Nick Smith,
5-Lenny Richards,
6-Kadin Panesi.
Jr Womens:
1-Brittany McMartin,
2-Meaghan Alexander,
3-Celina McWherter,
4-Michelle Blight,
5-Brianne Sampson,
6-Camille Keating.
Mens:
1-Jordan McWherter,
2-Todd Johnson,
3-Zack Ehrlich,
4-Ryan Devine,
5-David Godsoe,
6-Casey Mulderig.
Womens:
1-Asi Ghiassi,
2-Krista Howell,
3-Beth O'Rourke,
4-Lisa Ryner,
5-Joan Newby,
6-Robyn King.
Sr Mens:
1-Tait Cowan,
2-Jessie Adams,
3-Joe Grochowski,
4-Thwen Chaloemtiarana,
5-Barry Green,
6-Shawn Rhodes.
Masters:
1-Steve Baker,
2-Robert Belli,
3-Steve Dwyer,
4-Heart Heartlife,
5-Hide Minami,
6-Lou Meija.
Grand Masters:
1-Todd Smith,
2-Ralph Hedrick,
3-Norm Payne,
4-Eric Weintraub,
5-Tim Cissna,
6-Steve St. Clair.
Super Masters:
1-Joel Baldwin,
2-John Chiles,
3 Chuck Blade,
4-Rick Loeper,
5-Bill Newlin,
6-Dusty Rhodes.
Legends:
1 Greg Cochran
2 Butch Cloyear
3 Gary Silberstein
4 Glenn Stenstrom
5 Lance Maki.
Teams:
1-Pedro Point Surf Club,
2-Nor Cal Surf Shop,
3-Log Shop Surf Shop,
4-Big Stick Surfing Association,
5-Cold Water Surf Club,
6-Red Triangle Surf Team,
7-Ventura Surf Club,
8-Sonoma State Surf Club.
