An
Epic Day for Surfing –
Two
Guinness Records for HB
Written
by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel
At this year’s International
Surfing Day (ISD) in Huntington Beach on June 20th everyone was eager to
celebrate surfing and to see history in the making as HB went for two spots in
the Guinness World Records book.
The emphasis of this year’s ISD was on BIG – with
Huntington Beach staging its Epic Big Board Ride featuring the world’s largest surfboard with the most people riding a surfboard at once.
The City of Huntington Beach, title sponsor Hurley, and other surfing community
leaders joined forces to make this Epic
event a reality – with a 42-foot-long board and 66 riders piling on top for the
ride of a lifetime.
Epic
Big Board Ride Event Coordinator Celeste Hamil told SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel that
it took a lot of work to put everything together, saying, “The end result was
well worth the effort of a year of planning by an international team of
builders, consultants and surf professionals.”
Hamil added, “I am, as the surfers say, ‘totally stoked’
to participate in a once in a lifetime experience that will continue to
resonate in a meaningful way for the community, visitors and sponsors for many
years to come.”
.
Duke
Aipa, one of the surfers chosen to ride on the board, was
excited to be a part of this historic event and couldn’t wait to get in the
water.
Surfers and spectators alike surrounded the Big Board, anticipating
its launch. Then everyone waited as it made its way out past the breakers and was
positioned to catch a wave.
Finally, after all the work, when the Big Board came
riding in on a wave – with all those on board standing up – everyone on the
beach and on the pier broke out in cheers.
It couldn’t have been a better day for surfing…especially
since it was on International Surfing Day.
An annual event to celebrate the sport of surfing and to
give something back to the world’s oceans and beaches, ISD was started in 2005
by the Surfrider Foundation and Surfing magazine. Now there are 200-plus
events in more than 30 countries.
Surfrider’s Huntington/Seal Beach Chapter and the Newport Beach
and Long Beach chapters had booths
set up on the sand and hosted a jam-packed day of education, entertainment, and
beach cleanup activities.
SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti were glad to see such a
big turnout.
And over 30 sponsors participated.
Manuel Florence was at the Brewbaker’s booth – showcasing his latest craft sodas and giving
out samples of orange cream soda.
Pedego’s
electric
bikes were on display.
Seth Matson was eager to tell beachgoers about his new
environmental organization Drains to
Ocean, which will help to keep toxic water runoff from polluting the ocean.
Red
Bull
had a lounge tent set up that people could duck into to beat the heat.
First-time ISD sponsor Cakez and Cupcakez had a tempting array of treats.
Kind
and
Cabo Chips had samples
When the sun came out Hubert’s Lemonade hit the spot.
Rubio’s had
prizes.
So
Cal Kite Surfing gave out information about their kite
surfing lessons in Belmont Shore with experienced IKO certified instructors.
And the LA Video
Drone team was on hand to provide an aerial view of all the activities up
and down the beach.
As usual, Surfrider H/SB Chairperson Tony Soriano was everywhere – setting up booths, coordinating with Celeste Hamil, greeting people,
and making sure that Surfrider’s environmental message got out.
By the end of the day thousands of people came out to HB
to celebrate ISD-2015, watch the Epic Big
Board Ride and remove over 120 lbs. of trash and cigarette butts from the
beach.
All in all, it was definitely an epic day for surfing.
.
Please post your comment below.
Comments will appear the next day.
Sunny
Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted
material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com
Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites
as long as credit is given.
