Local Surfers Give Back

Making waves in Carlsbad, local surfers gave the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad $2,000 after raising the money from The State Beach Classic, an annual surf contest at Tamarack.

Every year the State Beach Surf Club selects a local organization to support, and this year it chose the Boys & Girls Club. “The Club is nearly 100% funded by local donors,” said CEO Brad Holland. “We are so pleased to have been selected by the State Beach Locals as the beneficiary of this community event.”

Fourteen-year-old Rebecca Wasko hit the water for a 15-minute heat, while five other contestants scrambled for waves to show off their surfing ability. “It was exciting to compete in my home town with other surfers from high school,” Wasko said. During Wasko’s heat, her friends cheered from a shoreline lined with spectators. The relaxed environment is the best thing about this competition, Wasko said.

The contest was created not only to give back to Carlsbad, but as a tribute to local professional surfer Banning Capps, who died in 2000. Like many Carlsbad surfers, Capps grew up in a town filled with talent, ranging from pros like Paul and David Barr, Sean Dominguez, Mark Sharpe and Taylor Knox, to a younger generation of kids like Chris and Brett Strother, Jake Blackburn and Donovan Stapleton.

 “Reuniting local surfers from Carlsbad is a major part of this event, but it’s geared toward everyone,” Event Coordinator Ulises Thomas said. “It doesn’t matter it’s your first surf contest or you’re the average Joe from Wisconsin, you’re gonna have fun and experience the California lifestyle,” Thomas said.

Nine divisions allow all ages, genders, and skill levels to compete. The State Beach Cup was awarded to 22-year-old Carlsbad local Brent Riley, an up-and-coming professional surfer who competes around the world.

Thomas said he’s looking for more sponsors to adopt this next year’s contest themed Carlsbad Unite. “One of our goals is to attract more people to our community, helping the local economy grow and highlight everything that is great about Carlsbad,” Thomas said.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad has played an integral role in the Carlsbad community since 1952, providing programs and services to thousands of young people.   For more information, call (760) 729-0207, email info@bgccarlsbad.org, or visit www.bgccarlsbad.org.