A special day of surfing is about to unfold as the annual Dewey Weber Longboard Classic kicks off on Saturday, June 13 at Doheny State Park. The event will celebrate Dewey’s legacy and showcases highly competitive longboard surfing. Surfers from as far away as Japan will be competing at this year’s event. A highlight will be the always fun to watch Mini Grom expression session. Also, this year’s program is part of the Doheny State Beach Surf-A-Rama where the State Park features over 50 surf inspired vendors. Items for sale will include surfboards, books, paintings, jewelry, and classic surf items.Â
The program kicks off at 6:30 a.m. at Doheny’s infamous Boneyard surfing area. This particular surf spot features both a right and left hand surf break that enables longboarders to really showcase their moves while also providing great spectator viewing. A special Saturday night awards dinner and beach party will be the social highlight of the contest beginning at 6:30 p.m. This evening event under the stars at Doheny will feature raffle drawings and prizes with live music by Jasso and Garcia. ??
Background. . . A Little Bit of History:?The late 1950s found Dewey Weber christened the first “hot-dogger” of surfing and one of the world’s best surfers. Dewey began manufacturing surfboards in the early 1960s and became one of the largest surfboard manufacturers. ??Since longboards were the ONLY boards known in the surfing world, Dewey’s designs and surfing style were in high demand. This “little man on wheels,” with his flamboyant style, had such an impact on surfing that Surfing Magazine proclaimed him the “father of modern surfing.”
Dewey’s surfing style was an impetus to the shorter and lighter boards now seen in the short board market. His manufacturing designs pushed the envelope of surfboard design. In the late 1960s short boards were becoming the “in thing” with the younger crowd and longboarding took a back seat.??In 1981, a growing number of people once again began ordering longboards and, because of his passion for the longboard style and attitude, Dewey decided to reunite the top competitive surfers from the heyday of longboard surfing.??These surfers from the mid-1960s were invited to take a trip down memory lane with a fun day of competition at the Manhattan Beach Pier.
Hundreds of surfers and observers showed up that day in May of 1981. Dewey’s vision of a “surf reunion” was a thunderous success and helped open the door to the resurgence of longboard surfing. ??
Over the next five years, the Dewey Weber Longboard Classic became a premier event, attracting major sponsors and media coverage. This event was covered on live television by the major network news stations in Los Angeles. In 1982, PM Magazine San Diego did a piece for their local viewers and found it so successful they syndicated it for nationwide viewing. By the second year of the event, a full press contingent gathered on the beach which included publications as notable as People Magazine. ??
The event continued annually through 1986 until many constraints were put on this type of venue. The Dewey Weber Longboard Classic was shelved and resurrected in 2001, harkening back to a golden era of surfing whose glow still shines in the minds of those who lived it, and those who know it only through the stories that have been passed down. ??
This brings us to the 2009 Dewey Weber Longboard Classic. For more information visit www.deweyweber.com
