New Smyrna Beach, Florida

For two reasons, this year’s Bum Rush Tour was unlike any before. First, with surfing’s CEO (Chief Entertainment Officer) and freshly “Sonny” stickered Mason Ho leading the charge, we arrived at one of the most puntable waves on the North Shore. Second, there was $5K and an invitation to a Stab pool party in Japan up for grabs.

The 11th year of Bum Rushing brought us to the epicenter of the surf world, where our two judges, Tosh Tudor and Barron Mamiya, have spent the Hawaiian winter scoring endless days of swell at Pipeline.

What we wanted was blue-bird skies and fresh powder. What we got was whiteout conditions. But with a sudden showdown that ended with a truly epic ollie, nothing could dampen the stoke when Bum Rush Tour returned to Mammoth.

To help set the scene, there are probably more surfers in Encinitas than there are in the entire country of Jamaica. When you paddle out into the lineup, it’s like slipping into a time warp. Sort of what we imagine surfing in California was like back in the 50’s, when you knew everyone out there because they were the same few dedicated locals, day after day.