ENCINITAS — For family and friends, few surfers embodied the spirit of the sport like Blake Dresner, an Encinitas native and lifeguard who passed away on a surf trip in Mexico four years ago.
By all accounts, dynamic in the water and a loyal friend on land, Blake’s legacy lives on through the annual surf contest in his name.
This year was no different as hundreds gathered at D Street on Aug. 17 to watch surfers of all skill levels duke it out in a series of heats, all hoping to be crowned champion of the 2024 Fourth Annual Blake Dresner Surf Contest.
Allison Dresner, Blake’s older sister and one of the event’s main organizers, told The Coast News that the contest was designed to be fun and less competitive than traditional surf contests, reflecting Blake’s disdain for the pressure-filled surf competitions he participated in growing up.
“We thought about how much Blake ended up hating other surf contests, … all the big surf contests that were almost national, that just put much pressure on kids, and so Blake ended up hating surf contests,” Dresner said. “Our whole goal was to make a surf contest that Blake would have really loved to be a part of.”
The contest, which began in the summer of 2021, quickly became a beloved tradition and cornerstone of the local surf community. The event celebrates Blake’s spirit in a way that resonates deeply with locals and onlookers alike.
The EPICC Foundation, established in Blake’s memory to provide life-saving training and emergency preparedness to coastal communities around the world, organizes the contest. The ethos of how Blake approached surfing is high-level surfing with a focus on enjoyment rather than intense competition.
Josh Sirota, vice president and co-director of the EPICC Foundation, said the foundation was inspired by Blake’s passing and an experience Blake had while on a surf trip in Java with his friend Tory Knowles.
“Blake and Tory were hanging out on the beach, and there were these local kids that were swimming on the inside, and two of them got swept out to sea,” Sirota said. “And they jumped in the water and swam out and basically saved these two kids that, for sure, would have drowned without him.”
Knowles said that after witnessing the lack of life-saving and emergency preparedness knowledge, Blake was motivated to become a lifeguard.
Knowles told The Coast News that after witnessing the lack of life-saving and emergency preparedness knowledge, Blake was motivated to become a lifeguard.
“It was just crazy seeing how, when those kids were drowning, no one knew what to do or how to rescue them,” Knowles said. “They were all just screaming and yelling, and yeah, so we had to step in and help these people out.”
Aside from his commitment to lifeguarding, many regarded Blake as the epitome of what it means to be a surfer. An avid fisherman, swimmer and traveler, Blake inspired others to live up to a standard he seemed to set with ease.
“I really don’t even surf much anymore, I don’t really even have that desire,” Knowles said. “Now that he’s gone, it feels like I really have no one to push me like he did. That made me better, it always made me better.”
Sirota, a few years younger than Blake, said he had both looked up to him and been intimidated by him since high school. He recalled a surf team tryout where he pushed Blake out of position to grab a wave and make it through the heat.
“I was super proud of myself,” Sirota said, laughing as he told the story. “But when I was rinsing off in the shower, Blake came up to me, and he goes, ‘Hey, you ever do that sh*t again, I’ll knock your f*cking lights out.’”
A few months later, when Sirota was being hassled at another contest by groms from another school, he said Blake got involved and made sure the other kids backed off.
“I thought he hated me,” Sirota said. “But he was like, ‘Dude, I got your back. Don’t worry about it.’”
This year’s contest saw surfers battling it out in a series of tight heats, with the finals drawing an enthusiastic crowd of locals, family and friends. The judges, all seasoned veterans of the sport, ensured the event remained true to its community roots.
“It’s become something super prestigious within the community,” Sirota noted. “Winning this thing is something that gets talked about until the following year.”
As the contest concluded and the waves settled, Blake’s spirit was palpable during the award ceremony, where 28-year-old Taylor Clark was celebrated with a shower of Coors Light — Blake’s favorite beer — after winning the men’s division. While Victoria Duprat clinched the women’s and Jett Maughan won it for the groms.
“Truly, my life has gotten more dull since he’s been gone,” Allison said. “But this contest brings a bit of that light back.”
