Here’s Some of the Surf Gear You Can Test Out at Camp Shred (For Free) – Surfer Magazine

Posted On: February 17, 2020

The world’s largest surfboard demo is coming to North County San Diego at the end of this month. The free, two-day festival provides surfers in the area with the chance to test-drive new board models, wetsuit, fins and more — oh, and did we mention it’s totally free? The event (which you can now pre-register for here) will also host food trucks, live music and a beer garden overlooking the waves. This year, it’s all happening at the San Elijo Campgrounds in North County San Diego, home to Cardiff’s finest reefs. Board demo-ing will officially commence at 8 a.m. Saturday, February 29th and will proceed with the following events below:

Saturday, February 29
• 8 am – 4 pm: All-day demo
• 11:30 am – 5:30 pm: Pacifico Beer Garden
• 1 pm – 2 pm: Live Music Hobo Dave
• 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Live Music Band Of Gringos
• 4 pm – 5:30 pm: Live Music Pounded By The Surf
• 4 pm: Demo closes
• 6 pm: Campground closed to all consumers, camping for exhibitors only

Sunday, March 1
• 8 am – 3 pm: All-day demo
• 11:30 am – 5:00 pm: Pacifico Beer Garden
• 1 pm – 2 pm: Surf Video Soundtrack / Trivia DJ Set w/ Chris Cote
• 2 pm – 3 pm: Live Music Alley Dogs
• 3 pm: Demo closes for the day
• 3 pm – 4 pm: Surf Video Soundtrack / Trivia DJ Set w/ Chris Cote
• 4:00 pm – 5 pm: Live Music Change Today: Joe Wood performing songs from his 10 years with T.S.O.L.

At this all-day beach hang, you’ll get to sample the newest shapes, fins and wetsuits from some of the biggest and most iconic shapers/brands. Below are the 2020 exhibitors who will have products available for you to demo and/or purchase. Keep scrolling to get a small taste of which board models and wetties will be on hand during the event:

Billabong
Body Glove
Channel Islands Surfboards
Creatures of Leisure
Dark Arts
Dr. Bronners
Dragon Alliance
FCS
Firewire Surfboards
Futures Fins
INT Surfboards
Josh Hall Surfboards
JS Industries
…Lost Surfboards
Malo’o Surf Racks
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter of SD
NanoCraft CBD
Nixon

O’Neill Wetsuits
Otis Eyewear
Pyzel Surfboards
Quiksilver
Raen Optics
Reef
Rip Curl
RS Surf Co.
Rusty Surfboards
Sector 9
Sharp Eye Surfboards
Spy Optic
Sun Bum
SurfPack Gear
Surf Ride Manufacturing
Surf’s Pup Doggie Lounge
Sticky Bumps
Surftech
Xcel Wetsuits

Tomo Surfboards’ “El Tomo”

Among a quiver of other models, Tomo Surfboards will be featuring the aeronautical-inspired quad fish “El Tomo” – an ultra-fast and super-skatey shape that goes great in and around the mostly weak waves of Cardiff, CA. Firewire employees like Chuy Reyna have been claiming this board since the R and D stage and the brand has since been receiving great reviews from surf shops everywhere.

JS Industries’ “Raging Bull”

JS Industries will be featuring their “Raging Bull” model – an incredibly forgiving, versatile, go-to board for better days at home and or for when you’re going on a strike mission. It has all of the elements Occy wanted in a board that would make performance surfing easy. It’s user-friendly but has the ability to handle heavier conditions and powerful surfers. A fuller nose with the wide point and extra thickness pushed forward–combined with a flatter entry rocker–results in a board that paddles fast and can get you into waves early, while holding all its extra speed on the face of the wave.

Surf Tech’s Gerry Lopez “Squirty”

One of the many boards Surf Tech will have on hand is the all-new Gerry Lopez model called the “Squirty”. Made in Surf Tech’s Fusion Poly technology, the “Squirty” is a very balanced board that can excel in almost every condition. Its ability to easily catch waves along with its fast/loose feel make this board an instant favorite for surfers of all skill levels. It can carry speed through flat sections and provide that spark and pop that every surfer is looking for through their turns. Given the softer waves in Cardiff, the “Squirty” should be a favorite. Surf Tech will also be featuring models from Walden, Stewart, Sharpeye, Takayama, Channel Islands and many more brands.

Channel Islands’ “CI Mid”

Channel Islands’ new mid-length offering is sure to be a big hit among those interested in a more elongated shape. According to the CI site, the CI Mid was inspired by the clean, longer-railed lines drawn by traditional eggs and single-fins, but is updated with the crispness, sensitivity and freedom made possible by modern features synonymous with Merrick design principles. It boasts a moderate midlength template with low entry rocker and foam forward for ease of paddle and effortless trim speed, and also features a double-barrel concave, a graduated rocker, and hard, slightly tucked rails through and off the tail.

Channel Islands’ “FishBeard”

Also new to the Channel Islands 2020 quiver (and ready for you to test-drive), is the “FishBeard”. Just by the look of it, you can see that the “FishBeard” is business in the front and all party in the back. According to the CI site, this is a user-friendly board with drive, speed and flow – which is everything you’d ever want from a modern fish.

Sharp Eye Surfboards’ “Maguro”

Camp Shred attendees will also get the chance to sample board models before they’ve even hit the market — including Sharp Eye’s new performance fish, the “Maguro”.

INT’s “The Bird”

“The Bird” is pure fun and it might just become your go-to board as it has for all of the employees at the INT factory. “The Bird” has low entry rocker, a quad fin setup, the classic INT round nose and a shallow swallow-tail. The flat rocker, round nose and quad setup give this board effortless speed and paddling power and its Futures fin boxes allow this board to perform to its fullest potential with the right set of fins. You’ll be able to test out “The Bird” in any of the following sizes: 5’3 “, 5’10 “, and 6’6”

Rip Curl’s “Flashbomb Heatseeker”

Camp Shred attendees will get the chance to experience what the warmest and most flexible wetsuits on the market feel like and how well they perform. Be sure to check out Rip Curl’s newest line of neoprene, the “Flashbomb Heatseeker”.

O’Neill’s “Hyperfreak” Series

O’Neill will once again bring a large selection of its best-selling wetsuits (for men, women and groms) to Camp Shred – including the ever-popular “Hyperfreak” series, which earned the SIMA (Surf Industry Manufacturing Association) award for design. The “Hyperfreak” series has also been voted the most flexible suit by numerous product review sites.

Sector 9’s “Lava Roundhouse”

Between sessions out in the lineup, you can also do some on-land test-driving. Sector 9’s new “Lava Roundhouse” was designed by the godfather of Sector 9, Dennis Telfer. The new shape features Gullwing Sidewinders, some amazing art by Tom Kualii and will make you feel like you’re surfing the streets.

Dragon X Rob Machado Resin Collection Sunglasses

Beginning in Fall of 2019, Dragon introduced the resin sunglass collection designed in collaboration with longtime Dragon athlete and surf legend Rob Machado. Dragon utilized a special hand-painted technique under a crystal-clear overlay to emulate Machado’s resin design. All of the frames in The Rob Machado Resin Collection are produced using Dragon’s new eco-friendly, plant-based resin material and feature the brand’s proprietary, color optimized Lumalens® sun technology.

Billabong’s “Furnace Comp” Wetsuit

At Camp Shred, you’ll get the chance to check out the latest and greatest in wetsuit technology, like Billabong’s new graphene material. Billabong started using graphene-wrapped yarns (that trap and retain heat more efficiently than traditional hollow fibres) in their “Furnace Comp” wetsuits, which have resulted in one warm and flexible suit.

Billabong’s “Furnace Ultra” 3mm Boot

Southern California water temps in February are still less-than-balmy, which makes Camp Shred a perfect opportunity to test out wetsuit accessories as well. Billabong’s “Furnace Ultra Boot” is also lined with Graphene (a Nobel-prize-winning wonder material) for maximum warmth for those extra-cold winter mornings.