Surfing Soapbox: Brooks Street surf contest marks 50 years

With summer on our heels, and soon to be here in the blink of an eye, here's a couple of Laguna Beach's longest-running events to look forward to, starting with the 50th annual Brooks Street Surfing Classic.

The Classic has a waiting period, which opened the weekend of June 4 and will run through the month of October. The Brooks Street Surfing Classic was first held in 1955 and could be argued as being one of the world's longest running surf contests based on its inception date, although it has been interrupted in the past because of poor conditions.

The surfing contest boasts a who's-who of Laguna Beach surfers and legends like Hobie Alter, Bing Boka, Renny Yater, Tom Morey, Mickey Munoz, Billy Hamilton, Mike Armstrong, Ron Sizemore, Corky Carroll, Joey Cabell, Mike Parsons and Jeff Booth.

With this year marking the 50-year anniversary of the contest—because of missed opportunities for the competition over the years—longtime participant Marcel Mead has designed the golden anniversary artwork, with 50 signed, numbered and framed as a special collector's edition with a portion of the proceeds being donated to Zero Trash Laguna.

For more information on Laguna Beach's greatest surfing contest, there has been a Facebook page set up that celebrates its history and legacy. People can share their photos, videos and stories as well as getting contest updates at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooks-St-Surfing-Classic/149024555171034

For those who enjoy the great art of Laguna Beach, the Sawdust Festival's special preview grand opening for Laguna Beach locals, friends and family will be from 6 to 10 p.m. June 21. This is one of my favorites nights in Laguna Beach along with Hospitality Night, so please come out and celebrate.

If you're looking for a great summer surfing read check out "The Worlds Richest Busboy," by J.J. Brito, sure to be a classic. For more information, visit http://www.sundazepublishing.com.

Until next time, stay healthy, keep surfing.

Peace.

JAMES PRIBRAM is a Laguna Beach native, professional surfer and John Kelly Environmental Award winner. He can be reached at Jamo@Aloha SchoolofSurfing.com.