2nd Annual Gabe’s Grom Comp Goes Off In Oldest City By Ryan Marks; Photos by Jennifer Perez
TURF: 2nd
Annual Gabe’s Grom Comp Sponsored By Matix, DVS, Electric, Body Glove, Bubble
Gum Surf Wax, Head Hunter Sunscreen, G-Shock Watches, and The Surf Station; 10th
Street., St. Augustine Beach, FL; June 12th, 2010.
ENERGY: When
Gabe Kling opens his castle to 70 frothing grommets under the age of 16, and the
Jacksonville Jaguars’ beloved mascot Jaxson de Ville shows up before noon, you
know it’s going to be a great day. Gabe’s 2nd Annual Grom Comp consisted of nearly
the entire St. Augustine surf community, so the only thing more palatable than
the intense June heat was the energy of the kids. Consistent one- to two-foot
sets, light east tradewinds, and perfectly chilled Atlantic Ocean water also made
for a great day. Chick-fil-A showed up with breakfast, Christian Surfers of St.
Augustine provided snow cones, Tory Strange of The Surf Station provided
burgers and hot dogs, and Panama Hattie’s hosted the awards ceremony. On top of
that, Keepers Of The Coast organized a beach cleanup and fundraiser that netted
almost $1,000 for Oldest City loc’dog Jayson Earl, who’s recovering from a
horrific motorcycle accident.
FIRST TIME AT FIGHT CLUB: After attracting 55 kids in last year’s inaugural
Gabe’s Grom Comp, this year’s total ran to an impressive 70 competitors, with the
largest group coming in the Mini-Groms division that saw 25 kids all under the
age of nine prove that because of Gabe, his St. Auggie kingdom is in good hands
for years to come. Families and supporters also lined the shore to watch the
little guys and gals ride what looked like double-overhead bombs. Sitting on
the sand watching it unfold was like watching all the color, flair, emotion,
and enjoyment you’d expect during a celebration in the main square of a castle.
SLIDE: The
Groms 10-12 final hit the water first, and typical of overfrothed little guys,
they never slowed down. Gabe, Zander Morton, Burgess Autrey, and Joe Beach were
kept on their toes throughout the entire final trying to keep up with judging
all the action, and in the end it was Oldest City up-and-comer Evan Brownell
who came out on top. Watch out for this little dude!
The Girls final was equally awesome,
with the chicks keeping it super creative by employing dying cockroaches,
paddle battles, and multiple board exchanges. Zoe Bonik came out on top in the
end over Shelby Williams, Chloe Priester, Jazmine Dean, and sisters Emilia and
Elena Sopranzi.
The highest stoke levels
came during the Mini-Groms final, with the little ones flowing, cruising, and
dry-beach ejecting themselves in hopes of impressing their Kling. These knights
fought like champions, but by heat’s end there could only be one champion, and
it was clearly Sir Shawn Arthur who had come out victorious.
In the Boys 13-16 division,
the heavy hitters battled as though a win would provide the keys to Kling’s
castle, tearing the small windblown ocean to shreds with a serious vengeance.
It was clear St. Augustine’s Jonathan Heater and North Carolina’s Tyler
Faulkner were locked in an intense duel from the beginning of the morning, and
that war was to be waged until day’s end, when Heater, last week’s
Quiksilver King Of The Groms Dark Horse, squeaked out a win over Faulkner. The
victory meant an amazing prize-packed Matix bag, and not the actual keys to
Gabe’s house, though. Maybe next year for this valiant knight?
THE PAIN: The
heat. The heat brought the pain. Other than the 90-degree-plus temperature
reading, barely counteracted by painfully light winds, the 2nd Annual Gabe’s
Grom was a perfect contest. Free event. Free food. Free gear. Who could ever
complain?
THE MAN: Gabe
is the man — no, he’s the Kling. This contest was his idea, and both
editions in 2009 and 2010 came in the middle of heated attacks on the ASP World
Tour for Kling. How many internationally successful pro surfers come home to
give back to their local community’s surf scene? Gabe put a lot of effort into this
because he loves doing so. He’s a great role model for all the kids.
YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB: “Greg Noll.” –3rd-place
Mini-Groms finisher/ ripping six-year-old Joel Luteran, when asked who his
favorite surfer was
“This is the best contest
I’ve ever done!” –Groms
10-12 division champion Evan Brownell, shaking with excitement after his big
win
FINAL RESULTS OF THE 2ND ANNUAL GABE’S GROM COMP:
BOYS 13-16 1.
Jonathan Heater
2.
Tyler Faulkner
3.
Marley Peck
4.
Cannon Embry
5.
Alex Gonzalez
6.
Sam Amer
GROMS 10-12 1.
Evan Brownell
2.
Patrick Conklin
3.
Micah Peck
4.
Chase Stevens
5.
Eric Westbrook
6.
Harrison Dagler
MINI-GROMS 9 & UNDER 1.
Shawn Arthur
2.
Kaleb Kirshenbaum
3.
Joel Luteran
4.
Noah Brownell
5.
Micah Peck
6.
Louis Jackson
GIRLS 16 & UNDER 1.
Zoe Bonik
2.
Elena Sopranzi
3.
Shelby Williams
4.
Emilia Sopranzi
5.
Chloe Priester
6.
Jazmine Dean
South Carolina’s Cam Richards Steals 12th Annual
Tommy Tant Memorial Classic Men’s Pro Title From Florida Vets; Cody Thompson, Amy Nicholl,
Noah Schweizer, And Dan Worley Also Win Big
VQS
HITS THE JACKPOT AT CASINO PIER Jellyfish Surf Series Winners Include Local Boys
Hammer, Schmidt, Vanaman, And Siganos, Along With Florida Girl Emily Ruppert
DUBIOUS RECORD The WRV
Outer Banks Pro Presented By Hurley Offers Locals Genuine Perspective & More
Money Per Square Foot Of Wave Than Any Surf Contest In History
Sweetwater Leaves It Up To The Grom At Oakley Surf Shop Challenge Mid-Atlantic Regional Qualifier; “Uncle” Andrew Gesler Drives Heritage Win Home In Northeast
By Matt Pruett and Nick McGregor;
Photos by Matt Lusk
