Sayulita local victorious at the Sayulita Classic surf competition 2010

Kevin Roberts, a principal with event organizer, was thrilled. “This year’s Classic was blessed by good waves and a great community vibe that surrounded the weekend event,” he said. “Moreover, with the support of the competitors, sponsors, volunteers and spectators, the Classic was able to raise a total of US$9,000 for the local chapter of The Reef Check Foundation and the Punta Sayulita Foundation.”

In addition to the remarkable natural beauty of Sayulita, our Honorary Classic Ambassadors made the weekend particularly special, including surfing legends James “Eco Warrior” Pribram, Carlos “Coco” Nogales and local hero, Mexico’s National Longboard Champion, Patricio “Ticho” Gonzalez. They were joined by Mexico’s most recognizable celebrity couple, Andrea Legarreta and Erick Rubin, the Nayarit Secretary of Tourism, Edwin Hernandez, and the Mayor of the Bay of Banderas, Hector Paniagua.

And then there were the amazing competitions themselves, which featured an international field of professional and amateur surfers competing in longboard and stand-up paddle (“SUP”) surf contests, along with open ocean SUP distance races.

The festivities began on Saturday morning, with an hour-long blessing ceremony performed by an indigenous Huichol Indian group, captivating spectators and competitors alike, and making way for the great waves in every riveting competition that followed.

In a tightly contested Men’s SUP surf contest featuring SUP legends Chuck Patterson of Dana Point, CA, Ekolu Kalama of Molokai, Hawaii, and Sayulita resident, Ryan Helm, a relative newcomer to SUP surf competitions—26-year old Ikaika Kawai of Maui, Hawaii—took the SUP title, with Helm capturing 2nd place and Patterson taking 3rd place. Kawai’s win at the Classic qualified him to compete in the SUP World Tour Trials taking place in Biarritz, France next weekend. “I’m really excited, it was fun,” says Kawai. ”I’ve only been competing since last summer and this was my first contest with my new Focus™ gear, the 10’ Pro board and paddle.”

Iron man Chuck Patterson took charge in the 10k Punta to Punta open ocean SUP distance race, placing first with a winning time of 1 hour and 20 minutes, with Ryan Helm taking 2nd and Dave Collins finishing 3rd place.

After two days of competition lasting late into Sunday afternoon, Sayulita resident and 3-time Mexican National Longboard champion, Patricio “Ticho” Gonzalez, edged out “Toes on The Nose” team rider, Darren Eudaly, of Laguna Beach, CA to take 1st Place in the Men’s Longboard contest. Gonzalez pulled off an amazing and exhausting come-back win, working his way through the loser’s bracket after losing in his first heat on Saturday morning.

On the women’s side, professional Mary Osborne of Ventura, California took 1st place in the women’s longboard contest, edging out 15-year old, up-and-coming longboarder Hallie Rohr of San Clemente, CA who nabbed 2nd place with Michelle Richards of Nova Scotia, CA in 3rd place.  Hallie’s teammate on the San Clemente High School Surf Team, 16-year old Emmy Merrill, held her own being the only woman competing against the men in the SUP contest and in the 10k SUP distance race. Merrill outlasted several men in the SUP race, placing 8th overall with a time of 1 hour and 35 minutes.

According to Honorary Ambassador James Pribram, “The Sayulita Classic was a great example of an event that was predicated on the good old vibe in surfing know as the ‘aloha spirit’. Today surfing for me isn’t so much about riding a particular board or riding the biggest wave or competition for that matter. It’s about the people who are joined at the hip for the love of the ocean. I admire those who give back to the very thing that has given them so much and the Punta Sayulita Longboard & SUP Classic was a perfect example of just that.”

The Classic received significant interest from the media and was covered by both Fox Sports Mexico and Televisa Sports Network (TDN), as well as two independent television production companies, one of which is going to incorporate its coverage of the Classic into a tourism video promoting the Riviera Nayarit where Sayulita is located. Highlights from the Classic can be seen on these Mexican cable channels.

Here’s to many more and, if you were unable to join us this time, we hope you can make next year’s Classic and all the other great events happening at Punta Sayulita in the meantime!

Photographs from the 2010 Classic