Ever wonder what San Diego surfing was like in its early years? Have you imagined guys in short bathing suits and crew cuts hanging ten or popping head stands on mammoth wood boards on a beautiful late summer day in Pacific Beach? For anyone fascinated with the “golden age of surfing,” Saturday, Sept 17 will provide a chance to relive the days of yesteryear. The Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (OMBAC) is putting on its 18th annual Classic Longboard Surfing Contest at Crystal Pier. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., followed by a full day of surfing. While the competitions in recent years have evolved into mostly shortboarders ripping up waves, the OMBAC Classic Longboard Contest is more about celebrating the origins of the sport. “People have been surfing in San Diego for over 50 years and we are intentionally harkening back to the grand old days of San Diego surfing,” said Bob Adams, chairman of the OMBAC Surf Contest Committee. Each contestant must use a board that is 9 feet or longer and the board must have been made in 1969 or earlier. Leashes are not allowed. While some eclectic enthusiasts around town might already own a vintage board, loaners will be available for those participants who don’t have one, Adams said. “We always get people who are surfing a classic longboard for the first time ever in the contest and they often do quite well,” Adams said. While fans won’t be treated to neck-snapping turns or gnarly aerials, vintage longboarding requires a unique set of skills in its own right. “It’s a lot more about smoothness and wave selection, and about positioning on the wave and on the board. It’s a lot more of the Aloha aspect of surfing,” Adams said. “It is a contest, and style is a part of a contest, but it’s not just how many waves you catch. It’s also about how you catch them.” OMBAC is expecting about 40-60 contestants. There will be a kids’ division for those under 16, and if there are enough women there will also be a separate division for them. Everyone else will compete in the open division, Adams said. There is a $25 signup fee that goes up to $35 on the day of the competition. Applications are available at www.ombac.org, at local surf shops or by showing up beginning at 7:30 a.m. to register the day of the contest at Crystal Pier. Trophies and prizes will be handed out to the top-place finishers. All proceeds will go toward the construction of beach-access wheelchairs for disabled beachgoers.
