It was a beautiful and busy day at Steamers Lane with about 30 surfers in the water. Taking refuge on a little patch of sand the low tide provided, the Bum Rush judges evaluated the surfers below the rocky cliff. The view was perfect to see a very close race between two local talents, but in the end it was 14 year-old Ben Coffey (injured with a fractured wrist and brace no less) who was crowned winner.
After collecting his massive check, his father, local legend and accomplished surf board shaper Ward Coffey joined in the celebration. When asked what he would do with his winnings, Ben chuckled, “I’ll probably just save it; I don’t really like spending money.”
“The surf was in the waist high range with a few bigger inconsistent sets rolling through,” said Event Director Dustin Smith. “It was a close race between Ben and another longboarder. However, Ben prevailed by connecting several long rides with numerous stylish carves all the way to the cliff. In fact, some rides were so long he would hop out of the water, run past the judges and back to the top of the point for another.”
“Ben surfed really well with smooth stylish turns, something you don’t always see in surfers his age,” said Kevin Campion, one of three judges on hand for the event. “He had great energy and enthusiasm.”
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Woot! Congrats Ward to your son. Keep it up!