| MAKING WAVES, June 2003 issue: Table of Contents | |
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OP SPONSORS SURFRIDER'S NORTHWEST CLEAN WATER CLASSIC
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Surfrider Foundation's MAKING WAVES, June 2003 SURFRIDER and the SURFRIDER LOGO are registered service marks of Surfrider Foundation Copyright © 2003 Surfrider Foundation All rights reserved |
Surfers
from as far away as Brazil came together with the best Northwest surfers
for a weekend of cold water surfing and celebration of our oceans, waves
and beaches at the 2nd Annual Op / Surfrider Foundation Northwest Clean Water
Classic. Presented by Op, this year's event drew over 70 participants and
several hundred spectators. This year's Op / Surfrider Foundation Northwest
Clean Water Classic featured a pro/am men's shortboard division, an amateur
women's shortboard division and men's and masters and longboard categories.
Being that Surfrider Foundation is a grassroots volunteer organization, it
was the volunteers from the Seattle, Olympic Peninsula, Northwest Straits
and Westport Chapters that made this event such a success. Brandi Kemp, Co-Chair
of the Seattle Chapter commented, "I was so impressed with the time, effort
and positive attitudes from the volunteers. It was their dedication that
helped make this weekend such a success." In addition to the chapter volunteers,
special guest judges include amiable head judge Huntington Beach legend Sonny
Owens and master surfboard shaper and San Juan Islander, Dan Calohan. 
The
weekend was filled with heavy surf and good times. With a swell that peeked
Saturday afternoon at over 10', the beach break at Half Moon Bay forced competitors
to charge heavy barrels in shallow water to advance out of their heats and
into the finals. Hundreds of spectators lined the bluff at Half Moon Bay
to witness two days of incredible Northwest surfing, with the occasional
sacrificial broken board. Winning the Men's Longboard division was Adam Guy
from Perfect Wave Surf Shop. Orcas Islander, Sam Bullock, won the Master's
Longboard division. Showing that women can handle heavy surf as well as any
man, Jenny Stewart, from Tofino, BC won the women's shortboard division.
And, for the second year in a row, Raphael Bruhwiler came down from Canada
and took the first place Pro/Am trophy and the accompanying $500 USD. Because
of Op's generous support and clear commitment to a healthy ocean environment,
these surfers and the rest of the 70+ participants became members of the
Surfrider Foundation.