Getting the community and aloha spirit all together!

On the weekend of May 5-6th, 2001 the 6th annual Hobie San Onofre Classic went off at Old Man's, San Onofre in Northern San Diego county. This family-oriented event brought out the local community in a celebration of surf culture and aloha.

Event organizer Allan Seymour stated that one of the event's goals was to recreate the aloha spirit of the 1960s. With the exception of the menehunes (boys and girls events), all the boards being ridden this weekend were required to be made prior to 1970 and over 9 feet in length. This made for some interesting surfing, seeing pros like Joel Tudor, Josh Baxter, Brendan White, and Kevin Connelly riding the old school boards instead of their contemporary longboards. Although there were over 140 competitors, the vibe at the event and in the water seemed to be very supportive and respectful. Competitors would shake hands, talk, and joke around before their heats began. It was refreshing to see such great attitudes at a competition.

On Saturday the Senior Men (ages 36-49), "Geezers" (ages 50+), and Open Women events took place. There was also a tandem surfing exhibition and a the "Jungle Joe" Sokolich paddle sprint around the buoy offshore that competitors raced with their vintage boards, the very same boards that they would surf on during the other events. On Saturday the Concours dElegance was also held, a contest where vintage surfboards were judged. The winner was a 1912 redwood shaped by Duke Kahanomoku himself. This beauty is owned by Joe Alphabet of Newport Beach, California. Sunday's events included the Open Men's competition and the menehune boys and girls with two age groups: 12 and under, and 13-14 for each gender.

The Hobie San Onofre Classic was a great success, being held at a wonderful location on a beautiful weekend in waist to chest high waves. With surf music playing during the heats and around 200 spectators and competitors on the beach, everyone seemed to be having a fun and relaxing time. Said event organizer Allan Seymour, "We feel very privileged to be able to hold our contest here at the mecca of longboarding". For more information about this and other competitions, visit the Allan Seymour Productions website at www.classicsurf.com.

Matt Skinner, Surfshot.com