Soaking Up The Clean Water Classic

Sunday May 15th. Westport, WA. The wind was crackling the contest tents and beating the surf down into onshore mush burgers. The rain was dropping in at a 45 degree angle soaking everything it touched and it felt like it was about 42 degrees. A local salmon trawler--a Mt. Rainier of man about 6 foot 8 inches and sporting legit, pre-hipster flannel--down at the docks said the snow level was only three thousand feet.

The Pacific NW was doing it’s best to check everyone’s commitment level. “You want to surf? You’re going to have to earn it.” Those eliminated or not in the contest were free to peace the heck out, get back in the car, crank the heat, and hightail for home. Those who advanced from the prelim rounds on Saturday to Sunday’s semi and final heats weren’t so lucky. They had to stick it out for glory. Winners JP Canlis, Leah Oke, Greg Urata, Spike Richardson, Monica Todd, Laird Tule, Ken Wilson, and Dylan Todd were warmed with prizes and pride, while everyone else was left to contemplate what could have been. They all had to peel off wet rubber and rain dry. 

As trashy as Sunday was, Saturday provided the counterpoint. We’re talking Kelly Slater-wannabee boardshorts and flippies kind of a day, overcast just enough to diffuse the sunbeams and keep them from burning a hole in all the winter-whitewashed Oregonians, Washingtonians and Canadians. The waves were clean enough with fun shoulder-to-head high sets rolling through. Perfect for some off-the-lips, soul carves, and cutbacks. The judges got some of the “vertical and committed surfing” they were looking for.

After the prelims wrapped, stoke-friendly nonprofit Warm Current enlisted the help of flown-in Hawaiian pro longboarders Bonga Perkins, Kekoa Uemura, Kopono Nahina and Scotty Fong and got about 30 groms from Seattle, Aberdeen, and Westport suited up and pushed into some of their first waves.

As evening rolled in with the cloud bank, everyone headed to the Half Moon Bay Bar & Grill to get some sips on and chill to the mellow grooves of Braddah Elias Kauhane. Then from 9 p.m. until close, Jawaiian band FORREAL got the place moving. With beverages of a refreshing nature pouring from the bar, it only took a couple bongo driven island tunes before pretty much everyone in the house who could stay on their feet was doing their best drink-in-one-hand shuffle and chill.

The Hawiian contingent--complete with kids and grandparents--kept the vibe from dying out as they defended the aloha spirit while wearing their screen-printed AR-15 “Defend Hawaii” shirts. The party cruised into early Sunday morning and shut down shortly before 2 a.m. The taps and bottles were about as drained as the musicians after their four-hour set. Everyone cleared out to make it back to their condos, hotel rooms, and van campers. There were a few cloudy heads to match the dripping sky the next morning, but nothing a little fresh-ground coffee from skate/coffee/comic shop Phosphorescent couldn’t fix. Cheers, and bottoms-up to an all-around good-time Clean Water Classic.

--Jens