We take them for granted, at least some of us (I'm raising my hand) do. But we really do have some of the most beautiful, calming, alluring beaches in the world. Find a quiet place in the morning, or as the sun goes down, and feel the breeze and salty air blow over you and you'll never want to step into an office again. Though we always have to.
But there are many Pensacolians whose visits are rare. Maybe once or twice a year. For many, it's been years. While working with the great folks at the Global Corner, a Pensacola nonprofit that brings programs on foreign culture and geography to elementary school students, I heard a couple folks say that they've encountered kids who have never visited our beaches.
But the surfers among us could never be accused of taking our beaches for granted. They live for the emerald water, the pillowy sand, the taste of salt, the lure of the surf.
They're the brave souls who wear wetsuits in winter if there's any hint of frosty surf, the ones who look for silver linings in tropical storms and approaching hurricanes. They're the ones who catch a wave at sun up and will be catching calls at work a couple hours later, because, again, the office is inevitable for most.
The 2025 Waterboyz Spring Surf Classic is coming soon, with surfers taking to the Gulf waters off Pensacola Beach for the annual competition. The event is tentatively scheduled for March 29 at the Pensacola Beach Pier, but that could change if the weather is gnarly in a bad way instead of awesome gnarly.
The event is hosted by Waterboyz Surf & Skate on Ninth Avenue, which has sold and manufactured surfboards since the late 1980s. I tried to reach owner Sean Fell to talk about the event, but he was out of country on a surf trip. That was the same thing that happened when I tried to reach him for another story involving Waterboyz last year. Surfers love to surf.
No matter, the competition will feature divisions for all surfers:
Grom (up to 12 years old)Juniors (13-17 years old)Women's Shortboard (18 & up)Men's Shortboard (18-34)Legends (35 & up)Men's Longboard Women's LongboardOpen Bro-Am Division
Fees are $20 for each division.
There will also be a "Bro-Am" division where cash prizes will be awarded to the winners. Registrations for the Bro-Am is $50 and space is limited. (Maybe that's why I never really surfed. I'm more of a "brother" type, than a "bro" type.) Go to www.waterboyz.com to register and for more information.)
For non-surfers "grom" is a term used to describe surf youngsters or those new to the sport, while "legends" is a term used to describe oldsters. My brother surfs, and he's a "legend." My son Jacob is a surfer and he turned "legend" in December. This story has made me think of him a lot.
I purchased Jacob's first surfboard in the early 2000s as an eighth-grade graduation gift from Waterboyz former satellite shop at Cordova Mall, which opened in 1994. He's surfed ever since, though his surfing and free time allotment is going to go down significantly next month when he and his lovely bride, Chelsea, welcome their first child, and I get another grandson to add to my grandson roster.
Maybe he'll teach his son to surf. I couldn't do that for him, I could only provide the board and support. But no doubt, a new generation of surfers will keep Pensacola's surf history moving forward.
And there's a long surfing history here that predates "Gidget" and the Beach Boys and the craze that erupted in the 1960s. Navy guys from the West Coast brought their boards with them during World War II, attracting curious eyes and helping build a surf culture that continues to this day.
But even before that, there was surfing in area waters. A Pensacola Journal article from April 17, 1927, under "Social News of Foley, Ala" reads:
"The Gulf Beach, ten miles due south of here, was the mecca for hundreds of cars filled with pleasure seekers during the past week, but more especially on Sunday. Large numbers took advantage of the surf which is particularly fine at this point.
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Martin, who live the year round at their pretty cottage on the beach, are finding great sport riding surf boards. Mr. Martin has written a most enlightening description of methods to be used in learning the use of the surf board".
It was so new they didn't even know how to spell "surfboard" properly.
Still, surfing would continue to grow and prosper, and in 1969, Pensacola surf legend Yancy Spencer III, known as the "Father of Gulf Coast Surfing," opened up a surf shop that would two years later be renamed Innerlight. (Still, there were already others shaping and selling boards at Hutson's Surf Shop in Warrington when Innerlight began.) Spencer died in 2011 after surfing in California at age 60.
There is a sculpture of Spencer in the Casino Beach area of Pensacola Beach.
Today, Innerlight Surf & Skate is the oldest surf business in Pensacola, and Innerlight is also one of the sponsors for, and will have a participating team in, the annual Waterboyz event.
Both surf shops offer lessons and camps for little groms like my grandson will be someday. Me, I tried a couple of times. I'm not really a water guy. Give me trees and trails and a disc golf basket in the woods and that's my Pensacola paradise. But it's a beautiful sport, one that is addictive to most who take it up.
Ask Sean Fell. If you can find him.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola surf history includes Waterboyz Spring Surf Classic.
