SC Open Skate & Surf Championships

SC Open Skate & Surf Championships

Whether you love to skate, surf or just watch the action from the sideline or sand-come out and enjoy the annual SC Open Skate and Surf Championships. On September 18th and 19th, the contest will offer both male and female amateur and sponsored boarders a chance to showcase their best run, wave or both! Hosted by the Friends of San Clemente Beaches, Parks and Recreation Foundation, the San Clemente High School Surf Team and the City of San Clemente, the event promises fun and a spirited competition for all ages.

The skateboarding contest will begin at 8 a.m. at the Ralphs Skate Park on September 18th. Contestants will be divided into groups according to their age and will have two 45-second runs to show their stuff. Three judges will be on hand to assign numerical scores to each competitor–based on style, moves displayed and level of difficulty. Midway through the tournament, a “Best Trick” contest, sponsored by Lost Enterprises, will give pro skaters an opportunity to win prizes by performing their most impressive trick. 

On September 19th, contestants in the shortboard surf contest, held at the north side of the San Clemente Pier, will compete in heats of five or six competitors at a time and will likewise be scored.

First, second and third-place winners will be awarded medals, ribbons and prize packages including surf and skate products. All participants will receive a bag filled with surf and skate goodies such as stickers, T-shirts and surf wax. Some of this year’s sponsors are C1RCA, Lost Enterprises, Ralphs, Rusty, and the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce. The Skate & Surf event is also a fundraising opportunity for the Friends of San Clemente so that they may continue to promote and inspire local boarders.

Both the skate and surf contests will feature skateboard manufacturers, industry magazines, T-shirt companies, demonstrations by professional skateboarders, entertainment, music and delicious food.

“Seeing the winners receive their awards and become the champions of their community, many for the first time, in view of their peers and parents, is a beautiful thing,” said Don Kindred, chairman of the event. “If we happen to make a little money for the parks, well that’s okay, too.”

The SC Skate & Surf Contest has seen its share of famous skaters. Ryan Sheckler, an X Games gold medal winner, competed in the very first contest in 2000 and is well-remembered for jumping entirely out of the skate park.

For more information about the contest, please contact Peggy Lacayo at 949.361.8358 or email her at LacayoP@san-clemente.org. For event sponsorships, call Don Kindred, Event Coordinator for the Beaches, Parks and Recreation Foundation, at 949.492.8981. The Ralphs Skate Park is located at 241 Avenida La Pata in San Clemente. Contest entry fees are $35 for each event. On-site registration and pre-registration check-in will begin at 7:00 a.m. on each day of the event. Skaters will be required to wear protective safety equipment including helmets and knee and elbow pads.