Shaper Studios, the world’s first DIY surfboard workshop, will host the 4th Annual Self Shape Surf Festival at Seaside Reef in Encinitas on Saturday, April 29, 2017. This is the world’s only surf contest where every competitor rides his or her own handmade surfboard.
Chris Clark, co-founder of Shaper Studios, started the amateur surf contest in 2014 to celebrate local innovators, athletes and artists in the community. “Our company exists to celebrate the art, the history and the tradition of building surfboards,” said Clark. “This festival is an extension of that effort and a way to inspire and give back to the community through not only surfing but also highlighting local craft brewers and local musicians.”
More than 1,500 people are expected to visit the Self Shape Surf Festival throughout the day. The festival is free and open to the public, and includes the following events:
7:00 am Surf Contest – Heats include Juniors Open, Men’s Open, Women’s Open, Men’s Longboard, Men’s Invitational, Women’s Invitational. Professional surfers, including Cam Richards, Andrew Doheny, Nathan Strom, Leah Dawson, Karina Rozunko, Mele Saili, and Jen Smith will all be competing on their self-made boards.
12:00 pm Backyard Beer Garden – Featuring local craft breweries, Fall Brewing and Duckfoot Brewing, and food by Fish 101. A portion of proceeds from the Backyard Beer Garden will benefit SurfAid, a non-profit that helps to improve the health of people living in isolated regions around the world.
4:00 pm Live Music Stage – Featuring award-winning local bands The Pesos, The Gloomies and The Verigolds.
5:00 pm Awards Presentation – Heat winners will receive a golden planer award.
Sponsors for the 2017 Self Shape Surf Festival include Vissla, The Inertia, Entropy Resins, Mizu, Surfhouse Adventures, and San Diego State University’s Sports MBA Program. Portions of the contest will be streamed via Facebook Live by The Inertia. In addition, volunteer beach cleanups before and after the event are being organized by Mizu.
For more information or to register for the Self Shape Surf Festival, visit www.shaperstudios.com.
About Shaper Studios
Emerging from San Diego’s progressive surf culture, Shaper Studios is a tribute to the original California surf shop. The first surf shops were a place where surfboards were made and a clubhouse for local surfers. Through private Surfboard Shaping Lessons and Group Surfboard Shaping Classes, novice surfers and advanced surfers alike can learn this time-honored craft. Today, Shaper Studios maintains a global presence as the world’s first do-it-yourself surfboard workshop and gathering place for arts, live music and community events. For more information or to find a location near you, visit shaperstudios.com.
