Surf’s Up: Westport Longboard Classic is Back!
The Westport Longboard Classic, hosted by The Surf Shop, will be held at the Jetty in Westport Light State Park on September 14th and 15th. This marks the comeback of a longboard surf competition that hasn't been held in over 20 years.
Brief History of Westport Surf Contests
The Clean Water Classic, a Pro/Am event by the Surfrider Foundation’s Pacific Northwest Chapters ran annually from 2002-2018. The Polar Surf Challenge, held in the dead of winter, took place during the early 2000s for two or three years.
Prior to that, and what is closest to the heart of the Westport Longboard Classic was the Ricky Young Classic, held annually from 1987-2003. Ricky was a top competitive surfer from Southern California who made his way to the Northwest when he gained an interest in skiing. He began surfing Westport in the 1970s, but made his home in Bellevue, Washington where he opened Ricky Young Surfboards. Ricky, who had been on the Dewey Weber Surfboards team and appeared in various publications including the cover of Surfing Illustrated, was inspired to start a contest in Westport after traveling with other Northwest surfers to a popular contest in Otter Rock, Oregon. A quote from Ricky in a Seattle Times article from 1998 said, "When logging and salmon fishing went bust (in Westport), I said, Let's do something to bring in people.“
Ricky Young, circa 1966 in California. Photo: Stoner
The first Ricky Young Westport Longboard Classic had 54 contestants, but over the years the event swelled to 300 competitors. It brought in professional surfers like Corky Carroll, Robert “Wingnut” Weaver, Linda Benson, and Gerry Lopez. Local Westport surfers Kevin and Monica Todd have a shelf full of 1st and 2nd place trophies from their years competing in the event.
The Surf Shop and the Perlee Family
The Surf Shop, the first surf shop in Washington, was established in 1986 by Al and Penny Perlee. For 38 years it has been a hub for surfers to talk story, buy gear, and check out the latest Osprey Surfboards ,` shaped by Al’s son Dane. Recently Al retired, passing the shop over to his daughter Hana Perlee and her husband Cory Beard. The couple have been revamping the shop, adding a swimwear line, and offering more kids sizes.
Hana Perlee and kids, Sonny and Daisy. Photo: Cory Beard
Reviving the Westport Longboard Classic is a big undertaking. Hana and Cory have taken on tasks like securing sponsors, designing promotional materials, and gathering equipment for the contest site, as well as finding judges, tabulators, beach runners, and a list that goes on to overwhelm even the most organized person. But Hana and Cory are up for the challenge. “This event has been a goal and dream for I don’t even know how many years,” says Hana. “It’s like a calling. I’m excited to share this with my kids, and what was so special to me in my youth.”
Hana and her brother Dane grew up literally in the Surf Shop and often traveled as a family to surf contests. Al put together a team with surfers from Canada, Washington, and Oregon called the Northwest Longboard Coalition. They would enter club events up and down the West Coast. These experiences shaped Hana and Dane's childhood. Hana aims to bring that surf contest culture to the Westport community. “All of my best friends and my parents best friends came from surf contests,” says Hana. “Contests were such a huge part of my upbringing. It literally shaped the culture of our lives and our family.”
As an homage to the Northwest Longboard Coalition, Hana is using an old logo that she found while going through her Dad’s binder of three decades of Surf Shop art. The original design by Mike Mullen of Newport, Oregon, was re-worded and splashed with retro colors for The Surf Shops’s first Westport Longboard Classic.
Westport Longboard Classic Logistics
The event will run from 7am-5pm on September 14- 15, with an awards ceremony on Sunday. Competitors are invited to check in Friday evening at The Surf Shop.
Hana, surfing Santa Cruz years ago. Photo: Boots McGhee
Divisions include “Parent and Child” which is open to any kids that aren’t quite ready to be in the water by themselves and need the help and encouragement of a trusted adult. “The Parent and Child division is what I have done with Daisy the last couple of years at the Cape Kiwanda Longboard Classic,” says Hana. “I ride the back of her board on my belly and she stands up. Now she's able to ride the wave by herself, but we're still out there with her for support. For me, it’s the best part of the contest.”
There is also a Novice division for the beginner surfer. It’s open to all ages and any size surfboard.
Other divisions, for longboards 9 feet or longer, range from “17 and under” to “60 and over.” A team prone paddle relay will take place on Sunday at Half Moon Bay.
If you’re interested in competing be sure to register on The Surf Shop’s website soon. Some divisions are already filling up!
“We have people coming from California, Oregon and Hawaii, that were all a part of it in the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early 2000s,” says Hana. “Some are judges and volunteers, but some are just surfing- our older mens divisions have pretty much filled up.”
Simple Contest Tips
Surfing in a contest is different from free surfing. Competitors are placed in heats with up to six other surfers. They have 15-20 minutes to catch at least two waves. Judges score surfers on controlled maneuvers in the critical part of the wave. They are looking for style and flow, speed and power, commitment, footwork and variety.
Al and Hana Perlee, back in the day, at the Longboard Classic
Hana’s advice to those who are new to the contest scene is simple. “My number one tip is to have fun. Bring a good attitude and just enjoy the experience. It’s not a world championship event so don’t take yourself too seriously. The results of a contest don’t define your surfing.”
She laughed a little while saying this and admitted as much as she loves soul surfing, she is also quite the competitor. Hana added, “I would suggest wearing a watch next time you go surfing. See if you can catch two good waves in 15 minutes.”
If that doesn’t work, just follow Big Al’s advice. He always told Hana these words before her contests- “Go left, go right, go straight.”