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By Allison Goldsmith
I&M Sports Editor
It had all the perfect ingredients for a day at beach: sun, surf and a little friendly competition. Local surfers and hordes of curious spectators packed Cisco Beach last Sunday for the Third Annual Ozone Classic.
Hundreds took advantage of the pleasant day to experience the thrill of the wave, the company of the crowd, and the celebration of life as a surfer on Nantucket.
The friendly competition was founded in memory of avid local surfer David "Ozone" Ozias, who died in June 2001 at age 30.
"The most important thing about the contest is celebrating the life of David, and his friends and family more than anything," women's longboard champion Caren Oberg said. Oberg, who has surfed Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Long Island, learned how to surf 15 years ago at Nobadeer under the careful
instruction of Ozias.
"It's such a nice community event, even for people that are not surfing. It's great to see kids competing each year and moving up in the divisions," founder and event organizer John Jordin said.
Last year the Classic raised approximately $20,000, which was donated to the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club. This year organizers have decided to spread the proceeds around to other island children's organizations including the skateboard park, Friends of the Nantucket Public Schools and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
One hundred twenty surfers were divided into respective divisions based on age, sex and board style. Surfers were given a 15-minute block of time to surf and were judged by a panel of experts.
"The judges are all local surfers and so they know what to look for. They work together. Everyone of them has competed in this competition before," Jordin said.
With the exception of a brisk wind off the water, creating choppy surf, for the first time in the brief three-year history of the event, the sun and the surf agreed with one another.
"The waves are the best we have had in the last three years. There is a good swell with occasional sets that are chest high. We can plan all this months in advance and it's up to God if he will help us out," Jordin said.
While most of the participants were in agreement that the waves were the best they have seen in the competition, they weren't completely perfect
and required a particular strategy to earn high scores.
"Waves like this, it has to do with selection. If you pick bad waves you can't get the score you want. In waves like this it's key," two-time defending men's shortboard champion and this year's third place finisher, Billy Bartleman said.
"The wind is making it rough. But there is a good swell and that's a good thing. It could be flat," Oberg said.
Despite the rough water conditions, there was an overwhelming sense of camaraderie rather than competition, especially among the respectively small group of female surfers.
"The waves aren't that great. It's choppy, but it's fun to be out there with all the girls talking in between the waves," girls two-time longboard champion Alex Kennedy of Cleveland, Ohio said. "I don't get to do this very often. We are all friends, so it's all good."
"I am not really big into contest surfing, but my friends kept egging me on. I like to enjoy myself. I am not out to prove anything. I didn't get nervous and that was the difference," women's shortboard champion Paula Maloney said.
"We are all rooting for each other. It's not a competition. It's more of a sisterhood. We cheer for each other and build up our self-confidence," Oberg said.
Other division winners included Ripley Nielsen(boys 8-12 longboard), Justin Schaeffer (boys 13-17 longboard), Gary Kohner (men's longboard), John Welden (boys 8-12 shortboard), Danny Woodruff (boys 13-17 shortboard), Pete Osley (men's shortboard), Molly Schaeffer (girls shortboard), Jim Briard (masters), Rosie Quick and Emily D'Antonio (tandem).
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