2009 Rincon Classic
by Paul Costales

The 26th Annual Rincon Classic went down as scheduled this weekend in a brilliant confluence of swell, weather, and talent. A highly anticipated West swell was predicted with some surf forecast sites calling for double overhead waves. However, many level-headed surfers suggested the swell wouldn't live up to the hype, and their prescience proved to be true, as the swell came in later and smaller than expected. Wave conditions at the Rincon were more in the chest-high range for the weekend, with some standout head-high-plus waves lighting up certain heats. The warm weather continued, with temperatures nearing the 80's, and the beach was strewn with trunks and bikinis, giving the point a rare feel for January. The wind was the fly in the ointment however, as it was non-existent on Saturday allowing for glassy clean conditions, but on Sunday came tearing out of the SE to put the infamous Rincon side chop on things. For not having waves like this in many weeks, no one was complaining.

Actually, the people who were complaining were the other 99% of surfers who weren't competing in the event and had to surf elsewhere. Some decided to surf in the contest area anyway, much to the chagrin of contest director Chris Keets, and parents lining the cobblestone point. The non-competitors, as they are called, could surf in the Cove and sometimes up high at the Indicator, but when they strayed into the contest zone it wasn't pretty, as the normal wave etiquette (if Rincon can still be considered to have normal wave etiquette) was thrown out the window. Local non-competitor surfers were further rankled by an ISF contest being held at Campus Point during the weekend. This contest was originally scheduled for C Street in Ventura but for the safety of the competitors was moved to Goleta when the big wave forecast came in. That shut down two of the Santa Barbara area point breaks during a fun, yet not epic, swell. Surely this angered the anti-surf contest crowd.

As for the pro-surf contest crowd, they were cheering on their local heroes all weekend from along the boulders of the river mouth. One could pull up onto a rock and watch some of the biggest names in surfing, either locally or internationally, stroll by. Fellas such as three-time world champion Tom Curren and his sons, as well as photographer/adventurer Joe Curren, were all involved in the contest. Don't know if this was supposed to be some kind of contest world secret, but current #22 surfer in the world, Dane Reynolds, was also a contestant, surfing under the difficult to decipher pseudonym "Vane Venyolds". Local shapers such as Dave Johnson, Al Merrick, and Wayne Rich were all contestants as well.

The division that draws the most attention is the Pro Division for its high level of surfing. This year was no different, with Killian Garland pulling off a victory in the division over Brian Aresco and Tarik Kashoggi. The Rincon Classic victory podium is familiar ground for Killian (who celebrates his 22nd birthday today) as he has taken the Pro division in 2004, 2006, 2008, and now 2009.

Although not as glamorous, one of the most exciting divisions for locals to keep tabs on is the Boys Division, which features the surfers you've been hearing about for a few years shredding in the Juniors and Gremlins. This year, 13 year-old Parker Coffin claimed Boys. In previous years, Coffin has won "Mini Chims" and "Gremlins", and his older brother Conner, also owns a lot of Rincon Classic hardware. The final heat was a star-studded list of young talent, with Pat and Frank Curren, Decker McAllister, Charlie Fawcett, and Conner Lundy all slugging it out. Expect these boys to face off in many more finals as the years progress.

This year's Classic featured a lot of new additions, such as the Webcast, which streamed all weekend to computers all over the world. Also taking the contest by storm were the surfers who rode Alaia's during the Expression Session. Just like SUP's, these are a Hawaiian export becoming all the rage. They are thin wooden boards without fins and are very difficult to master. The surfers who rode these, pulling 360 spins, and other feats, made it all look easy. There were more longboard heats this year, and the ladies could surf in Wahines, Women's Shortboard, and Women's Longboard.

The Classic was captured by many a lens, which makes the included pictures look even more pathetic. The full results of the 2009 Rincon Classic follow.

Here are some pretty cruddy pictures from the event.

Results:

Juniors 1. Levi Gregory 2. Eliot Hodges 3/4 Tie. Simon Murdoch/Frank Curren 5. Charlie Dentzel 6. Matt Parker

Masters 1. Donald Day 2. Justin Pawl 3. Brad Frohling 4. Tony De Groot 5. Jason Smith 6. Josh Pomer

Mens 1. Brian Aresco 2. Adam Lambert 3. Donald Day 4. Guy Quezada 5. Nathan Winkles 6. Josh Decker

Boys 1. Parker Coffin 2. Pat Curren 3. Decker McAllister 4. Charlie Fawcett 5. Frank Curren 6. Connor Lundy

Gremlins 1. Connor Lundy 2. Henry Hepp 3. Enholm 4. Decker McAllister 5/6 Tie. Cousteau Christopher/Jason Knell

Grand Masters 1. Adam Brown 2. Tony De Groot 3. Steve Mendelson 4. James McClintock 5. Mike Lamm 6. Tom Harden

Legends 1. Andy Neumann 2. Kit Cossart 3. Paul Mann 4. Tom Kunz 5. Tim Hodgson 6. Brian Zabelski

Wahines 1. Lakey Peterson 2. Glennie Rogers 3. Zoey Luna 4. Katie Drager

Women's Shortboard 1. Demi Boelsterli 2. Rachel Harris 3. Miranda Joseph 4. Lisa Luna 5. Audrey Faulk 6. Susan Curtis

Oxbow Longboard Open 1. D.J. Underwood 2. Daniel Graham 3. John Shields 4. J.P. Garcia 5. Cole Robbins 6. Brandon Eifrid

Oxbow Women's Longboard 1. Chelsea Curtis 2. Miranda Joseph 3. Karen Ralph 4. Deb Trauntvein 5. Sally Saenger 6. Glennie Rogers 7. Jennifer Blonder

Bud Lite Pro 1. Killian Garland 2. Brian Aresco 3. Tarik Kashoggi

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