Video: Skimboarders ride perfect waves at SeaDog challenge – OCRegister

Posted On: October 2, 2019

Young skimboarders watch the competition during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Grom competitors wait for the start of their heat during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Four time world champion skim boarder and contest host, Sam Stinnett watches the competition during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Fans cheer for pro men’s winner 15 year-old Yahir Valencia of Mexico during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Gerardo Valencia of Mexico busts an air on his way to fourth place in the pro men’s division of the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Current skimboard pro men’s world champion, Lucas Fink of Brazil carves the shore break on his way to third place of the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Austin Keen gets second place in the pro men division of the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Current world pro men’s champion, Lucas Fink from Brazil, center, watches the waves with fellow competitors during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Current skimboard pro men’s world champion, Lucas Fink of Brazil gets a tube on his way to third place of the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Michael Reyes, red, is congratulated for winning by Finn Springston, who got fourth in the 15-30 age division during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Chance Boyer watches as Michael Reyes, red, wins the 15-30 age division of the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Finn Springston finds a foamy tube as he competes in the 15-30 age division during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
15 year-old Yahir Valencia of Mexico makes a turn on his way to winning the pro men division of the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Skimboarders; Michael Reyes, red, who won, Shane Webster, white, second place and Chance Boyer, yellow, third place, try to surf the same wave in the 15-30 age division during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Paul Carey gets second place in the grom division of the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Jordan Sitea gets second place in the pro women’s division of the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Kai Thompson wins the grom division of the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Iris Ibarra gets third place in the pro women’s division of the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Contestant Gehrig Mackay hits the shore break during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Skimboarder Chance Boyer gets air in front of a crowd during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Laura Treciokas and her son Jasper, from Brooklyn, NY. watch the action during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
People watch the skimboarders during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Janvince wins the 31-plus division of the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Competitors practice up the beach from the competition during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Chabe Blanco wins the pro women’s division of the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Four time world champion skim boarder and contest host Sam Stinnett gets a tube during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Four time world champion skim boarder and contest host Sam Stinnett banks off the shore break during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Skimboarder Chance Boyer rides a wave in front of a crowd during the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge Saturday, Sept. 29, 2019 with proceeds going to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)

Some of the world’s top wave riders were greeted with ideal conditions at the third annual SeaDog Skim Challenge, a benefit for the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach.

Four- to six-foot waves pounded Aliso Beach for the competition Saturday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, Sept. 29. Top honors went to Chabe Blanco, 21 and Yahir Valencia, 15 — both of Mexico — who took first place in the female and male professional categories, respectively.

Amateur awards in the male category went to Kai Thompson (age 9 and younger), Jacob Crouse (10 to 14), Michael Reyes (15 to 30), and Jan Vince (30 and older). Naz Mir-Scaer won the women’s amateur competition and Megan Vanbuskirk took second.

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The event, put on by four-time world champion skimboarder Sam Stinnett, raised more than $5,000 for PMMC, which rescues stranded marine mammals from Orange County beaches.

This year has been especially challenging for PMMC, with 181 rescues year-to-date, a nearly 40% increase from last year’s 131 rescues. At least 17 of the rescued animals this year had some sort of fishing gear entanglement.

PMMC also responded to calls for 17 dead or dying dolphins found along the beaches.

“It’s just so amazing to see the skimboard community rally around Sam, the event and PMMC,” said Krysta Higuchi, spokeswoman for the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. “PMMC is so honored to be at the center of this community.”

The contest this year drew 76 amateur and professional athletes. Over its three years, the SeaDog Skim Challenge has raised nearly $15,000, Stinnett said.

Anthony Liuzzi, director of the documentary “Shorebreak: The Evolution of Skimboarding,” said the contest was a perfect opportunity to get additional footage.

“Being a week after the last stop of the United Skim Tour all the best riders from the U.S., Brazil and Mexico are in town,” he said. “With swell on the horizon, it was perfect for the event. The energy was really high and the competition was fierce.”

Liuzzi caught images of riders catching siders (rogue waves made when high surf ricochets off the shore and goes out to sea) and aerial maneuvers, to showcase a sport not many know about.

Skimboarding — unlike surfing — needs steep, sandy slopes and a shorebreak, with sidewaves and a wedge helping to create ideal conditions. The sport got its start in Laguna in 1976 at Victoria Beach.

“I love an opportunity like this when you have all the riders in one location,” Liuzzi said. “It showcases the sport in the right light and shows how riders are doing it on a professional level. It changes what you think about the sport.”