HEART AND SOUL TOMMY TANT MEMORIAL SURF CLASSIC ENTERS ITS SECOND DECADE
By Nick McGregor; Photos by Brian Nevins
Come autumn, surf contests of all shapes and sizes
line the Florida coast: invitationals, pro-ams, skins events, grom comps. But
few contests boast the entrenched community spirit and charitable cause of the
Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic, first organized in 2000 to celebrate the life
of Flagler Beach, FL, surfer and all-around good guy Tommy Tant, who passed
away at the age of 24 after suffering a sudden aortic aneurysm in his sleep. In
the event’s inaugural year, Flagler Palm Coast High School’s marketing class
spearheaded the grassroots contest with help from many of Tommy’s former
teachers, instituting the Tommy Tant Memorial Scholarship Fund to donate all
proceeds to local high school seniors in need of college expenses.
After that, Zoee Forehand, owner of Z-Wave Surf Shop
in Flagler Beach, directed the contest for three years, before Tommy’s younger
brother and professional surfer Will Tant stepped up as event organizer in
2004. Will’s mission was to use the Memorial Surf Classic to inspire and
encourage local youth to follow their dreams by introducing them to professional
athletes, musicians, and artists, resulting in what he called in 2007 “a
community/cultural event with a surf contest.” But don’t let that fool you into
thinking the performance level in the water at Flagler Beach Pier has ever been
anything less than outstanding: regular attendees include Outer Banks, NC,
shining lights Jesse Hines, Noah Snyder, and Matt Beacham, St. Augustine
loc’dogs Josh Autrey and Jody Davis, New Smyrna Beach heavy Aaron Cormican,
Daytona Beach stylist Jesse Heilman, and even North Florida superstar Asher
Nolan, who claimed last year’s $1000 Men’s Pro prize.
But in recent years, the Tommy Tant Memorial Surf
Classic has truly taken on the air of a star-studded event, drawing nationally known
musicians Braddigan and Josh Garrels, artists Patrick Maxcy and Austin
Blasingame, videographers Matt Katsolis and Nic McLean, and big-name
photographers like Aaron Chang, Brian Nevins, and Jimmy Wilson. Of course,
local father-son team AJ and Tony Neste are almost always on hand, as well.
Fuel TV has served as official media sponsor for several years running now,
bringing the national spotlight to this sleepy corner of North Central Florida,
and in keeping with the community spirit of the Tommy Tant, all proceeds are
split between the Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Flagler County Food Bank,
which helps local families in need during the holiday season.
Going into its 10th year, the 2009 Tommy Tant
Memorial Surf Classic features a kickoff celebration on Friday, October 9th at
Highjackers Restaurant in Flagler Beach, with a screening of a recent episode
of Fuel TV show “Firsthand” with Will Tant, Jesse Hines, Braddigan, and video
from past Tommy Tant Classics. On Saturday, October 10th, a food festival will
take place along the Flagler Beach boardwalk from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., with
offerings from nearly 15 local restaurants. That night, an outdoor concert at
Veterans Park in downtown Flagler Beach will feature Braddigan, Josh Garrels,
and Jesse Hines, and a Silent Auction lasting throughout the weekend will raise
money for the Memorial Scholarship Fund and Flagler County Food Bank.
So whether you attend the 10th Annual Tommy Tant
Memorial Surf Classic for the high-performance action, the diverse Food
Festival, the easygoing tunes, or the whole community-minded shebang, just
remember you’re contributing to one of the finest grassroots events on the
entire East Coast. As Will Tant said in 2005, “Love, respect, family, and
friends are what this contest is all about.” Amen, brother.
THE OLD IN-OUT
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