Dancing with the ‘Queen of the Coast’
Premiere 'Toes in the Cove' Was All About Longboarders at Rincon Point
The first-ever “Toes in the Cove” Rincon Longboard Classic took place on a brisk and sunny Saturday, November 11, rallying contestants from ages 10-78, male and female. As promised, the ideal — if small — waves for cross stepping, nose riding, and with endless faces made for 10 hours of elegant, smooth, and daring styles of surfing.
By 7 a.m., the surfers had poured onto the Queen’s shores, tiptoeing across the rocks with longboards under one arm, wetsuits in the other, and a block of surf wax between the teeth. They rode to the sand in the first two hours as “ankle breakers” and “hippie jumps” maintained spectators’ attention; bodies and boards were sacrificed for the ride during the high-tide conditions.
The men from ages 18-65 perched themselves onto the nose, soul arched down the line, and pirouetted with Her Majesty, displaying the undeniable skills of every surfer. An excited set rolled through around 8:45 a.m., setting fire to the men in the water and stoking the women whose heats were next on the schedule. The real fun began as the women gracefully and powerfully dominated the three-foot rollers.
Simon Merdoc, a competitor in the earlier heats, exclaimed, “The women are ripping way more than the men!” just as Jade Blair dropped in on what won the title of Most Inspirational Ride. Undeniably in flow with the Queen, Blair set up the trim perfectly for her five, then her 10 toes to drip off the nose, perching herself on top of the green silky water. She cruised in with the highest score of the day — a 9.0.
It was an ocean full of radical surfing women. Mother and daughter Stephanie and Rebecca Jamochian won their respective heats, as both waited for the last few minutes to overcome their competitors in the Women’s Open division and the Women’s Masters ages 41-55.
This classic was the first to feature longboarders only, brought by Surf Happens, which also sponsors the all-board-types Rincon Classic. The surf community — which included Cole Robbins Real Estate, Body Glove, and Surf N’ Wear Beach House, among others — organized a raffle to win a CI longboard, giving all proceeds to the Decker family to support their daughter Ava’s battle with cancer.
Event Highlights
17 U Junior Men’s: Wyatt Hoover
17 U Wahines: Luella Pace
18-40 Men’s: Trae Candy
18-40 Women’s: Rebecca Jamochian
41-55 Men’s Masters: Jeff Belzer
41-55 Women’s Masters: Stephanie Jamochian
56-64 Grand Masters: Wayne Rich
56+ Women’s Grand Masters: Miranda Joseph
65+ Legends: Andy Neumann
