Arnette All Day Antics’ Second Sunshine State Stop Goes Off By Travis Ajay; Photos by Duce Smith
TURF: Arnette All Day Antics Presented By Sunrise Surf
Shop; Jacksonville Beach Pier, Jacksonville Beach, FL; November 21st, 2009
ENERGY: What can I say? The Arnette All Day Antics is two for
two on the Florida coast, the latest of which was presented by Jacksonville
Beach institution Sunrise Surf Shop. With approximately 70 groms, sunny skies,
and rippable two to three-foot surf, who could ask for more? An extreme
incoming tide all morning long put the contest site in jeopardy, but the groms
and Magoo got to diggin’. A few surges came really close to the tent set-up and
actually made it through the grom-built trench, but in the end all was safe.
FIRST TIME
AT FIGHT CLUB: How about the inaugural
Arnette All Day Antics stop in Duval County? After the first installation this
summer a few hours down the road in Ponce Inlet, look for this grassroots grom
series to continue expanding up and down the East Coast.
SLIDE: The surfing and atmosphere were both great all day
long — especially when the 10-and-under Mini-Groms division hit the
water, some with parents pushing them in and others just charging it all alone.
Ponce Inlet Arnette All Day Antics champ Ransom Carlton was looking for
back-to-back wins, but was upended by six-year-old up-and-coming Duval ripper
Kaleb Kirshenbaum… remember that name people, you’ll definitely be hearing it
again.
In the Girls division, Melbourne wahine Emily Ruppert
was another surfer looking for an AADA repeat. But coming off of a recent knee
injury, Emily was no match for Ponte Vedra Beach darkhorse Cierra Cunningham.
Cierra took down the final with a wide array of hard slashing turns on a board
I labeled “The Watermelon.”
The most highly contested final of the day was in the
Boys division and came down to two best buds and Jacksonville’s next generation
of stars. Jake McGuire surfed clean and smooth all day, but in the end came up
just a little short of Tristan “Turd” Thompson and his tail-free heroics. Something
tells me “Turd” is paying close attention to ripping older brothers Evan and
Cody.
The Juniors division unfortunately ended up surfing
on an outgoing tide with decreasing conditions, but the big kids made the most
of it. When it was all said and done, Ponte Vedra Beach’s Daniel Calloway
walked away with the trophy, barely beating out Ormond Beach phenom Austin
Clouse. Most importantly, at the end of the day everyone went home a winner. Even
the kids who got put out still received T-shirts and beanies, so everyone was
stoked. Shoots, I even hooked up the guy in the “Black Tiger” wearing a Kermit
The Frog hat… wow!
THE PAIN: Editor’s
note: The only pain we could find in the second edition of the Arnette All Day
Antics came from event organizer/ perennial contest MC Travis Ajay, who had to
suffer through “a splitting headache due to a pinched nerve in my neck” while
writing this article. Thanks for still knocking it out of the park, Travis.
THE MAN: All the division winners slayed it, but I gotta thank
“Gnarly” Charley Hajek and his judging crew, as well as all the sponsors who
kicked in prizes and free goodies. A huge thanks also goes out to Sunrise Surf
Shop and their crew for a great event.
YOU DO NOT
TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB: “Keep your
eyes and ears open: you never know when another All Day Antics might pop up.
The next one might be close to you…” –Event organizer/ Arnette East
Coast Team Ambassador/ all-time contest MC Travis Ajay
FINAL
RESULTS OF THE 2009 ARNETTE ALL DAY ANTICS JAX BEACH
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
