Young surfers rip it up at annual contest

SOLANA BEACH — Fifty-four local surfers 17 and younger hit the beach at Fletcher Cove early on Aug. 22 for the second annual Grom-o-Rama surf contest, sponsored by the Solana Beach Lifeguard Association.
Boys and girls were divided by age, with girls competing in two categories: 9 to 13 and 14 to 17. Boys faced off in three divisions: 9 to 11, 12 to 13 and 14 to 17. An 8-and-under category, which was open to both boys and girls, was new to the contest this year and included some surfers who were competing for the first time.
“It was another successful event,” Lt. Jason Shook said. A Solana Beach lifeguard who provided wave-by-wave commentary throughout the morning, Shook said the event was limited to 54 entrants. “The goal is to keep it small so entry-level contestants can get their feet wet,” he said.
The competitors had 15 minutes per heat to catch as many waves as possible. The girls and 8-and-under divisions featured one heat. Each of the boys divisions had two qualifying heats and a final. Winners were announced that evening during the fifth annual Beach Blanket Movie Night.
See more pictures from the event on our Facebook page by visiting www.coastnewsgroup.com and clicking on the Facebook icon.