Save Newport Real News in Newport Beach
Saturday the 26th will kick off the 16th Annual Halloween Surf Competition by Blackies.
Officially, the kickoff starts at 7am, but many people arrive about 30 minutes earlier for the festivities and costume show-offs. In the past, the kids to arrive have received prizes. Prizes are also awarded for the costumes, traditionally worn *while surfing*.
In prior years, the party lasts a couple of hours, until around 9am, but this year, Dory Deli– a (very tasty) local coffee shop and deli just a hundred feet away– will be offering refreshments, as well, including coffee, donuts, and a pancake breakfast– all the way out until 11am!
We’ve been covering this event for years, and after talking with one of the original event organizers, Tom Cozad, I was informed that every single media outlet has the dates wrong! Last year, this was promoted as the 12th annual event– but apparently, that was actually the 15th year of the surf contest!
Getting some more history behind the event, it seems like this went on for years and was (and IS!) a much-loved public event… buuuuut… the city stepped in. The city told them that the event couldn’t be officially organized any longer without permits, fees, and lots of other jargon that the city says when it really just means to say “pay us”. So the event went “underground”– and by “underground”, I mean that it stopped being officially organized, and relied on simple tradition to carry it on– for many years.
Rumor has it that this year, there will be prizes again. If not, sign up at the event, volunteer– and next year, it will be. Special thanks to Dory Deli for taking much of the heavy-lifting “city work” off the backs of the organizers of this event– who really simply want to have a fun way to celebrate our beach Halloween on surfboards!
Want to see some good shots of the past events? Check out these galleries:
OCWeekly: http://www.ocweekly.com/slideshow/8th-annual-blackies-surf-club-halloween-surf-contest-35461826/
ABC7: http://abc7.com/entertainment/halloween-surf-contest-held-in-newport-beach-/366593/
LATimes: http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-1101-halloween-pictures-photogallery.html
