cold war surf contest

A hand- picked group of surfers from New Jersey and New York are out to prove they are tougher than the rest, and have signed on to compete in a winter surfing contest to be held in Asbury Park called, THE COLD WAR.

Sixteen professional surfers will be divided into two teams with the winning team taking home the ice cold cash, “WINTER TAKES ALL.” A waiting period for the contest begins February 27th and runs to March 18th. The call to hold the contest will be made at least 48 hours in advance, when the surf conditions are predicted to be optimal. The contest will be held at the Asbury Avenue Beach, which is situated behind the famed Casino building on the Asbury Park Boardwalk. A beach bonfire will be lit to keep spectators warm as well as a viewing area from the Watermark. Surfing in New Jersey with water temperatures that hover in the high 30’s to low 40’s, produces the necessary power for the elusive “Jersey Juice” fast, heavy and hollow waves that are not for the faint of heart or the unskilled.

In conjunction with the New Jersey Surfing Hall of Fame, THE COLD WAR launch party will take place on February 27th at the Paramount Theatre. The night will feature an official 50th Anniversary screening and exhibit of “The Endless Summer.” Paul Strauch, one of the stars of “The Endless Summer” will be on hand, as well as artifacts from the film that were recently housed at The Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. A pre-film cocktail hour will take place to raise funds for preserving surfing history in the Garden State. After “The Endless Summer” screening, the two teams of surfers will be picked at The Anchor’s Bend in the iconic Asbury Park Convention Hall.

THE COLD WAR awards party will take place at the legendary Stone Pony on March 19th and will feature three of the top bands from the burgeoning Asbury Park music scene: gods, The Cold Seas and Hot Blood.