Surf Ambassador Ed Guzman's Contest Observations

To all who were in the Kayak contest,
I thoroughly enjoyed the event! My job as the Surf Ambassador became many things. The biggest responsibility was to keep surfers out of the contest area and prevent interferences. At Steamer Lane on the bigger days when the surf is Pumping, this will become a major diplomatic and logistical task. Weighing in at a fearsome 150 lbs of solid muscle and bone with an untrimmed mustache, knowledge of what to do in most aquatic situations; I can be a force to be reckoned with. (Never piss off a skinny guy with a big nose and an untrimmed mustache).
As luck for me had it, the waves were small and there were people surfing with paddles in their hands. Any smart surfer can understand that you should never pick a fight with anyone that is carrying a weapon. Throughout the event, I got to talk story, try my hand at announcing with a Harmonica riff here and there and make sure the Judges were well fed and watered down. As I stayed ready to leap into my wetsuit to corral any interlopers, the conditions didn't call me to action until Sunday after noon. It was requested of me to be a safety for the B-Site, just in case anyone went into the rocks or came out of their boats. With my trusty,"Shitty Little Camera", that takes good pictures; I took a few shots of you guys and gals goin' for broke. The B-site Bombers were a crew with a true sense of Aloha and determination. Small waves and rocks didn't scare anyone that I saw. I even got to help out a little.
At the A-site, the Stand Up Paddle Surfers and Kayak Surfers in the finals, put on shows that were inspiring to anyone with eyesight pointed in their direction. They dropped in late, carved off the bottoms, hit the lips, floated the sections, Helicoptered and overall put on a fabulous show demonstrating why they made it to the finals! As your Trusty Surf Ambassador, I thank you and hope to see you all next year at the 25th Annual Santa Cruz Kayak Surf Festival!

SeaYa, Ed

Ed Guzman
Owner/Operator
Club Ed International Surf School and Camps

http://www.club-ed.com
Office: 831-464-0177
Cell: 831-212-8333

Apr 01, 2009