Foam, sweet foam
Wave hello to Lincoln City’s Foamie Frenzie Surf Contest
By Sabine Wilson
For the TODAY
For the first time in more than a decade, Lincoln City will welcome an all-ages surf competition when the Foamie Frenzie Surf Contest takes place off the coast of the Nelscott District this Saturday, June 10.
The contest is hosted by ZuhG Life Surf Shop in collaboration with Catch Surf, a soft top surfboard company.
“This is a soft top surf competition,” said Bryan Nichols, owner of ZuhG Life Surf Shop. “Soft tops are generally boards that most beginners learn on or that you would use when you get rentals. Before the heats, contestants will have to spin a wheel to determine which type of Catch Surf soft top board they have to ride. This makes it more fun and less competitive, which is our goal.”
The event will welcome back live surf contests to the area.
“There hasn’t been a surf contest in Lincoln City in several years, so I’m excited to host this one for our community,” Nichols said. “All the contests in our neighboring cities are amazing yearly events that are perfectly run and have been an inspiration to me. I figured it was about time we gave it a try.”
These nearby surf competitions include Newport’s Otter Rock-n-Roll Youth Surf Contest, taking place at the end of June; the Agate Beach Surf Classic in Newport; and Pacific City’s 23rd Annual Cape Kiwanda Longboard Classic this September.
“The permitting process was pretty long but it was well worth the wait because now we’re throwing a fun surf contest right behind our surf shop,” Nichols said. “We hope to lay the groundwork in order to make this an annual event and then just keep building on it year after year.”
The competition will feature plenty of merchandise and prize bags for the 55 contestants thanks to various sponsors like Catch Surf, Pelican Brewing Company, Arbor Skateboards, Dakine, Long Lefts Clothing Co., Dragon Sunglasses and of course ZuhG Life Surf Shop. The winners will receive customized trophies, surfboards from Catch Surf and one or more items from each sponsor.
In addition to several sponsors, Nichols worked closely with others to make the event possible, highlighting Lincoln City’s strong sense of community.
“I definitely did not organize this event alone. I had help from the community, members of the surf community and more,” Nichols said. “Jesse Ivers from Northwest Road Reps has been there every step of the way ironing out every detail with me since we first thought of the idea about a year ago.”
As the surf shop and other collaborators met the demands of the community for a local surf competition, they also added a fun spin on the competitive nature of contests. Since the surf shop is hosting the contest with Catch Surf, Catch Surf will be supplying all of the surfboards for the event.
The heats will be running all day from 7:30 am to 4 pm. Categories, which are all co-ed, include: ages 12 and younger, 13 through 17 and 18 and older.
“We will have announcers talking and entertaining the spectators throughout the live event,” Nichols said. “And the judges will be keeping track of the surfers’ performance throughout the day.”
To best enjoy this fun beach event as a spectator, make sure to bring beach chairs, towels and sunscreen. Pelican Brewing Company will have a tent at the event supplied with Sparkle Hops, its newly released, non-alcoholic, hop-infused beverage. Grab some delicious food and drinks from neighboring businesses like La Roca, Nelscott Breakfast House and Left Coast Libations — all on the Nelscott Strip just a stone’s throw from the surf competition.
The Foamie Frenzie Surf Contest will take place from 7:30 am to 4 pm at the beach access behind ZuhG Life Surf Shop, located at 3219 SE Hwy. 101, Lincoln City. Carpooling is recommended as parking is limited. For more information, go to surflincolncity.com or call 541-418-2196.