This summer, the Newport Chapter celebrated International Surfing Day with the 16th Annual Otter Rock and Roll - Oregon’s only youth surf competition - and what a day it was! While the morning started off with low clouds, we were blessed with no wind or rain, and the clouds opened to beautiful sunny skies in the afternoon. We had nearly 70 kids compete, from our more experienced 16-18 year old division, to the Child with Parent division, to Best Beginner which outfits kids with a surfboard, wetsuit, and a surf lesson from one of our volunteer instructors. Scroll to the bottom of this page for the contest results.
Check out the full photo album on our Flickr!
During the event, our new Beach Cleanup Coordinator, JoBeth Rube, hosted the annual Beach Cleanup Challenge, aiming to leave the beach better than we found it. It was made extremely popular this year by the chance to find a glass float hidden on the beach, donated by glassmakers in Lincoln City.
This event is all about getting kids out in the water, instilling confidence on a board, and developing a sense of stewardship for our ocean in the next generation of surfers. We love seeing kids and families come back year after year, progressing through the divisions and getting better each time!
This year’s magic was captured by local videographer and friend of the ocean, Danny Fulgencio. Check out more of his work here.
Watch his video recap on our youtube channel.
Thank you to all the kids and parents who came out to spend a day with us on the beach and help support our mission! We love seeing familiar faces each year, as well as those who travel from all around the state for this event!
And a special thank you goes out to our incredible team of 56(!) volunteers who make it all happen - it wouldn’t be possible without you and we are deeply grateful to have you in our Surfrider family! Huge kudos to our team of judges, emcees, and Tim Verdun in the safety tent! And thank you to Anna Donaldson for this year’s art!
Finally, thank you to all of our amazing sponsors! With your support, we were able to stoke out the kids and volunteers alike, and raise money to continue protecting our ocean, waves, and beaches on the central coast.
Beach Cleanup Sponsor
Pura Vida Surf Shop
Kahuna Sponsors
South Beach Surf Shop
Mo’s Seafood & Chowder
Samaritan Health Services
Thompson's Sanitary Service
Surf Shop Sponsors
Ossie's Surf Shop
Zuhg Life Surf Shop
Safari Town Surf Shop
Newport Surf Shop
The Surf Shop (Westport, WA)
Moment Surf Company
Tastee Tiki
Grom Sponsors
O'Neill
Cascade Coast Construction
Solite Boots
Surfdry
FCS
Hyperflex Wetsuits
Dakine
Xcel Wetsuits
Surface Sunscreen
ROAM
Katin USA
Morey Bodyboards
BZ Pro Boards
Churchill Swimfins
MERGE4
Sector 9
Cliffside Coffee and Sweets
Contest Results (1st, 2nd, 3rd respectively):
Child w/ parent: Eleanor Baker, Julian Reed, Caleb Linden
12/under Girls: Brielle Sibley, Adelaide Meacham, Liliahna Carr
12/under Boys: Merrick Lorincz, Bruce Jessal, Luke Sibley
13-15 Girls: Cameron Baker, Madeleine Sibley, Abigail Beauduy
13-15 Boys: Nathaniel Spencer-Vickery, Avery Hyder, Kale Cabanag
16-18 Boys: Taylor Tice, Finn Gamache, Reef Gamache
After earning a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon, Kaia gained professional experience working in coastal wildlife interpretation and watershed conservation. As Oregon Regional Manager, her favorite part of the role is connecting with dedicated activists across the entire state.