2nd Annual Bob Pollard Surf Memorial Pays Tribute To
Massachusetts Legend By Ray Jarvis; Photos courtesy Dan
Hassett
TURF: Luminate
Surf Shop’s 2nd Annual Bob Pollard Surf Memorial; Rexhame Beach, Marshfield, MA;
July 10th, 2010
ENERGY: This year’s much-anticipated Bob Pollard Surf Memorial was greeted kindly by a
fresh little knee- to waist-high groundswell that made its way into Rexhame
Beach on Saturday, July 10th. Yet it wasn’t just the waves our competitors were
interested in, as contestants and spectators arrived in intricate costumes ready
for an exciting and beautiful day on the beach. The energy was there, perhaps
from Bob watching down on us, regardless of the wave situation.
FIRST TIME AT FIGHT CLUB: All surfing aside, the Bob Pollard Surf Memorial is
about remembering the local surf legend and helping out the young children he
left behind. Bob was a longtime surfer and the founder of Levitate Surf &
Skate, now called Luminate Surf & Skate after current owner Dan Hassett
changed the name due to a copyright issue. This event was purely a “for fun”
gathering to bring people together to honor a friend and mentor to many, and
just over $2,000 was donated to the Bob Pollard Trust.
SLIDE: The kids surfed first and had the crowd on their
feet from the outset. In the Boys division, Granger Dickinson paddled
out in a suit and tie, earning the 3rd-place trophy with his calm and collected
style. Daniel Hickey, donning an oversized cheeseburger on his head, surfed
neck and neck with Marshfield charger Patrick Lillis. But in the end, it
was 10-year-old Patrick who muscled into the biggest lefts of the day to
shuttle the Boys 1st-place trophy back to his Brant Rock home in mom’s
minivan.
The
judges really had their work cut out for them in the Girls division. All
the ladies surfed with smooth creativity, but Haley Smith and Katie Lillis
stood out the most. By the time the horn blew, it was Katie who took 1st-place,
making it a clean sweep for the Lillis family in kids’ divisions.
In
the Teens heat, James McGraghan, dressed in his high school cap and gown, took 3rd
for thoughtful noseriding and good posture. Rasta mon Andy Brovitz took 2nd,
but Ocean Bluff local Andrew Klier stole the show. Having heard about the
contest only a week before, Andrew realized he had never surfed, but he
borrowed a longboard and trained everyday from dawn to dusk. Showing up
with an impressive display of spins and his Cinderella story, the judges gave
him the nod.
Just
after the Ladies division finished up, dark storm clouds crept up on the
contest site. As thunder cracked and the sky opened up, the results were announced,
prizes awarded, and donated gear raffled off. Conveniently, Teens winner
Andrew Klier won his very first surfboard, generously donated by Jon Chino
Surfboards.
THE PAIN: In
lieu of paddling out in the storm, Men’s and Legends divisions were judged
purely on costume and general style. In the Legends division, Andy
Boothroyd took 1st-place for manning the grill all day in his traditional
French baguette boy outfit. And in the Men’s division, Saadi Barbar won
1st-place for his outrageous club-guy outfit — and for showing up at 6:00
a.m. for the afternoon event, as any true clubgoer would.
THE MAN: See the title of this Fight Club: All About Bob Pollard.
YOU DON’T TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB: “The Bob Pollard Surfing Memorial is what surfing is
all about, and what we’re all about as a brand. Bob was every kid’s hero and a
friend to anyone. He was non-materialistic and a great role model to area groms,
and it’s nice to see everybody come out to spend time with friends and family
supporting such a great cause. We had a simple and beautiful afternoon, the
perfect tribute to Bob.” –Event co-organizer and Luminate (formerly
Levitate) Surf & Skate owner Dan Hassett
"Bob is
indirectly responsible for the surfing boom on the South Shore of
Massachusetts. Over the past few years, if you look at the ESA-NNE and SNE District
standings, you'll notice an influx of surfers from the South Shore. We're all
over New England these days, crowding lineups and doing some of the best
surfing. Bob didn't so much introduce these kids to surfing as provide them
with stoke and encouragement, and a place where everybody could meet and feed
off each other’s skills and passion. The guy didn't give one lick about making
a buck — he was all about getting people hooked on surfing. He was a real
person and people recognized that. Danny and I run the event as a way to honor
this legacy, and we always aim for sometime around July 7th, the day he passed.
It doesn't matter if there are waves for the event — we paddle out anyway
and make asses out of ourselves. Bob and I had this plan when he opened the
shop, to bring the culture back to surfing… making it more than just corporate
sponsors and contests. We wanted to introduce the next generation to what we
considered grassroots surf culture. We’ve got kids from the area going to Brown
University on full academic scholarships, and a young woman who is skating on
the Dew Tour and in the X Games. The culture of waveriding as presented by Bob
will forever be a part of these kids’ lives, and I think that's as close to
immortality as a surf bum like Bob could possibly get." –Event
co-organizer and kitesurfing impresario Eric Volpe
FINAL RESULTS OF THE 2ND ANNUAL BOB POLLARD SURF
MEMORIAL:
BOYS 1. Patrick Lillis
2. Daniel Hickey
3. Granger Dickinson
GIRLS 1. Katie Lillis
2. Brianna
3. Haley Smith
TEENS 1. Andrew Klier
2. Andy Brovitz
3. James McGraghan
WOMENS 1. Sheila Johnson
2.
Angie Daigurda
3.
Eva Andres
MENS 1.
Saadi Barbar
2.
Todd Deininger
3.
Scott May
LEGENDS 1.
Andy Boothroyd
2.
AJ Hassett
3.
John Dal
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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
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By Matt Pruett and Nick McGregor;
Photos by Matt Lusk
