Words and Photos by Liselle Wilsnaugh
Set against the backdrop of the storied Highway 101 and the resulting displaced earth, Rincon Beach, specifically The Cove, has been a magnet for surfers for many decades. The Queen of the Coast, as she is affectionately called, awakes from her summer slumber with a peeling right hand point break every winter.
The west swells sneak around the Channel Islands and bring waves to all the surf-starved Santa Barbara County wave seekers. For all its beauty and coastline, Santa Barbara County has a rather fickle winter swell window.
Founded in 1979 by Roger Nance, Jeff White, and a crew of local surfers, the Rincon Classic ran for 17 consecutive years before dying in 1996. Then In 2001 the event was resurrected by Chris and Jenny Keet and the Surf Happens crew. The contest is only open to residents of the 805 area code, with an almost three month waiting period. It can only run on the weekend, so that drastically limits the swell windows for the event. To guarantee optimal conditions, the Classic has a six-week waiting period from the originally scheduled date.
Today the Rincon Classic serves as the National Championship event for Santa Barbara county, and as a surf contest for Ventura county. Toss in the fact that it is held at Rincon Point–the best right hand point break in North America when the swell is working–when the powers that be make the call that the event is on, all hands are on deck for what is essentially a community event. Many a grom makes sure his boards and body are dialed in to compete against his fellow locals.
Parker Coffin won the Rincon Brewery Pro Division for his second year running in 2024.
Surfers, longboarders and shortboarders, set aside the weekend to defend their titles from previous years, and bragging rights for the next year. As it’s limited to local residents only and divisions from U12 to Super Legends, it really is a family affair. From grandkids to grandparents, everyone suits up and braves the cold water and the chance to surf their beloved Queen with only a few others in the lineup. Considering how crowded Rincon gets, the 15-minute heats and entry fee are celebrated!
Everyone settles in for two days, claiming their spots along the beach, in between the driftwood and South African ice plants. Morning grom heats are enthusiastically supported by family members running up and down the beach cheering their siblings and children on. And for this music teacher, it offers an opportunity to support students after hearing detailed reports of weeks of training and injury setbacks.
Cheers are heard from different groups as their friend, father, sister, or son paddle into a wave and navigate the chop or the buttery open face of the wave, to the best of their ability. Falls are hailed as battle scars. A long ride with multiple maneuvers is cheered on as though a world cup is on the cards. The post-heat walk down the beach is met with high fives, hugs and comradery from friends and foes. After all, next week you will be sitting in the math class together, or might bump into a contestant at the local coffee shop.
At the end of the weekend the awards ceremony is held at a local restaurant. This also provides an opportunity to get a photo op with a local hero, who just might be an international hero as well.
The beauty of the event is that anyone can enter, any level of ability, although there is a pro division. Even this music-teacher-photographer-surfer from Cape Town might well consider competing in the future.
