Westport Longboard Classic returns this September

As the lowering clouds gather above Grays Harbor and the lengthening of night, a surf competition returns to life, resurgent after years of dormancy.

The Westport Longboard Classic returns to our fair shores this September, offering surfers the chance to compete in more than a dozen categories across all ages and skill levels at the jetty in Westport, demonstrating their talent as they whip their boards across the surface of the ocean.

“It’s a gathering of tribe. Long overdue, just something that has always been a huge part of our culture that’s been missing for a long time. That a lot of people have been missing for a long time,” said Hana Perlee, part of a surf dynasty here in Westport, and contest coordinator and organizer of this newest iteration of the surf competition. “It’s a gathering of tribes from the Pacific Northwest and California and Hawaii.”

The competition ran through the ‘80s and ‘90s and into the 2000s, Perlee said. Now, after hanging around in the collective consciousness of surfers across the coast for years, it’s returned, organized out of the Surf Shop right there in Westport.

“It’s never the right time or the best time. But there was a time we were finally able to make it happen. A lot of people are really stoked, excited, for the event,” Perlee said. “It’s been in talks for many, many years. In my mind and in my dreams for longer.”

Competitions like this are important to surfers in deep-rooted and structural ways, Perlee said.

“A huge driving force is me wanting my kids to have a core memory and upbringing growing up. Events like this really shaped our lifestyles,” Perlee said. “Wanting that for my family and knowing how important it was in a lot of lives.”

A dream of many

While the dream of bringing back the competition has been alive for years, the trigger-break has come in the last two years — a year to start thinking seriously, and a year of long nights working late to pull it all together, Perlee said.

“It was really just about a year. It was knowing we have a year to be really serious about the planning and organization aspects of making this happen,” Perlee said. “That started with making a few key phone calls to some really important people in the culture.”

A surf competition can be something you throw on next weekend, Perlee said, but for something of this scale and infrastructure, the process is a little more involved.

“You need lots of volunteers. You need a full judging panel of about five judges. You need an announcer,” Perlee said. “We knew that we had some really solid people who have strong backgrounds in also planning events like this as well as overall being good people. Loyal, close friends. Knowing we could put on a really special event together.”

Pulling together sponsors and support for the competition is no simple job to be knocked out in an afternoon, Perlee said — on top of purely financial support, it requires tents, speakers, the infrastructure necessary to a quality competition.

“Through the shop we have a lot of long standing relationships, not just business relationships, but close personal relationships,” Perlee said. “There’s no surf contests in Washington at all. There’s a few in Oregon, but none in Washington. People want to be part of that.”

Perlee said the amount of support they got not just from the surf community but from local businesses and volunteers was humbling.

“We have a lot of community support from local businesses who are jumping onboard,” Perlee said. “There’s a huge long list of community individuals, local and afar, who are on the volunteer list.”

Perlee made a point to thank Julie Hollen of Newport, Oregon for making the nearly 100 trophies for finalists across all the categories.

The competition

Without surfers, there can be no surf competition.

“You need surfers too. That’s been a really special thing — surfers who have also grown up in the lifestyle of contest culture, knowing what it takes,” Perlee said. “They love to travel. They love to surf together, to surf different waves.”

There are a variety of age groups and skill levels, Perlee said — there’s room for everyone, and entry is still open online. It’s not just for pros, Perlee said.

“People who aren’t super familiar or maybe weren’t raised in contest surfing get hung up on the word ‘contest.’ The beautiful thing about this is you have surfers of all levels of skill from all age groups. Men and women, girls and boys, novice surfers to professionals, and everything in between,” Perlee said. “It takes a little courage to step outside your comfort zone if you never have or never thought you could.”

Surfers from up and down the coast and the ocean will be coming into Westport for the competition, Perlee said, a welcome surge of visitors as summer winds down and the leaves of autumn change.

“You need numbers to fill a contest. Not necessarily those surfers coming from the town the event is in,” Perlee said. “The Westport surfing community is small. You have people driving from all over the place, and flying from all over.”

The wave conditions are generally good for surfing in September, Perlee said, but it’s never fully known until it happens.

“You just never know. That’s the scary and exciting aspect of holding an aspect in the Pacific Northwest,” Perlee said. “Surfers, luckily, they’re gonna get wet anyways.”

Events will begin Saturday morning and run through Sunday afternoon, including a paddle relay in Half Moon Bay and raffles of donated kits, Perlee said.

“Come on down and watch the magic happen,” Perlee said. “There will be a raffle with some amazing stuff. Lots of donated board and swag and gear.”

Whoever you are, competitor or spectator, there’s something for you here, Perlee said.

“Be a part of the fun. It’s not a world championship. It’s the Westport Longboard Classic. It’s about the celebration of surfing and fellowship and cheering people on in whatever part of their surf journey they’re in,” Perlee said. “We’re going to see some really incredible surfing, no doubt about that.”

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or michael.lockett@thedailyworld.com.