With an overhead swell and good weather predicted this weekend, it’s all systems go for the 38th annual Rincon Classic surf contest at Rincon Beach Park.
The event, presented by the Surf Happens Foundation, features local professional surfers as well as premier youth and adult and masters division competitors. The action runs Saturday and Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Among the top names to compete include Conner Coffin, who just completed his fourth season and qualiied for a fifth on the World Surfing League’s Championship Tour, his younger brother Parker Coffin; three-time world champion Tommy Curren; free-surfing phenomenon Dane Reynolds; North American Pro Champion Killian Garland; former Rincon champion Adam Lambert, and three-time National Scholastic Surfing Association champion Jak Ziets.
Entered in the longboard division is Cole Robbins, the 2019 Pan American Games bronze medalist in longboard surfing.
Among the top female surfers competing are Abby Brown in the Women’s 18s and Makena Burke of Ventura and 12-year-old Vela Mattive of Santa Barbara in the Wahines U17s.
The Pro Division quarterfinals are scheduled Saturday at 10 a.m. and the semifinal heats at 1:20 p.m.
The finals schedule for Sunday:
2 p.m.-2:20 : Wahines Final
2:20-2:40 : Longboard Final
2:40-3:00 : Legends Final
3 p.m.-3:20 : Womens Final
3:20-3:40 : Boys Final
3:40-4:00 : Gremlins Final
4 p.m.-4:20 : Grand Masters Final
4:20-4:40 : Juniors Final
4:40-5:00 : Masters Final
5 p.m.-5:20 : Mens Final
The 2020 Channel Islands Surfboards Rincon Classic will also showcase crowd-favorite specialty events like the Locals Only Legacy, the Rincon Brewery (RB) Professional Division, and the fifth annual King Of The Queen Battle Of The Surf Shops, featuring teams from local shops.
After the contest on Sunday, SIMA Managment Corporation is hosting the 2020 “Classic Sunday” Awards Ceremony and Live & Silent Auction Fundraiser at Padaro Beach Grill in Carpinteria. Fully catered by Duo Catering, with beverages by Rincon Brewery, attendees can see this year’s contest winners, view highlights of the entire event, bid on prizes and help raise money for charity while enjoying live music. The event will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Rincon Classic attendees are encouraged to carpool or ride a bike to the contest, bring a re-usable mug and participate in one of Surf Happens’ beach clean-ups (Saturday 12 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m., 3 p.m.), sponsored by Hyrdroflask. There will be a parking shuttle courtesy of Get On The School Bus for overflow parking that will pick up and drop off from the Channel Islands Surfboards factory (1160 Mark Ave.) from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on both days of the competition.
For more information, heat draw, and schedule of events log on to rinconclassic.com
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.