Offshore Winds and Swell for Gabe’s Grom Comp
If you check out St. Augustine native Gabe Kling’s team profile, he uses three words to describe himself: grom for life. If past Saturday’s event convinced us of anything, it’s that we should all strive to be the same. This past weekend marked the comeback of Gabe’s Grom Comp, an opportunity for the surf community to gather and support some of Florida’s best up-and-coming surfers.
Saturday’s event let us all feel like groms again. Over 100 contestants gathered in St. Augustine Beach, where offshore winds and an uptick in swell stoked the excitement of participants and free surfers alike.
“We’ve got waves, hundreds of kids here. I’m amazed,” shared Kling joyfully. “This is everything we could have hoped for.”
Kling is a St. Augustine native and former World Tour surfer, now married with three sons of his own. His Grom Comp is a way for the youngest talents in Florida to try their hand at competition. For some, it’s the first time putting on a jersey. For others, a low-pressure competition format allows them to hone their skills and gain more experience beating the buzzer during a heat.
The stars seemed to align for the reinstatement of Gabe’s Grom Comp, with unexpectedly fun waist-high, clean waves. Spectators on the beach marveled at the groms’ skills as contestants under 15 entered the water. For some, an uptick in swell meant surfing head-high waves compared to their small frames. But with the encouragement from Florida Boardriders commentators and cheers from the crowd on the beach, these micro surfers put on an impressive display.
Kling reveled in the success of the contest with a grin spread across his face like countless others on the beach that day.
“Thank you Tory, Endless Summer Realty, Quiksilver and Boardriders,” Kling said. “We’ve got a lot of great prizes, trophies galore. It’s going to be epic.”
While all the kids left the beach feeling like winners, the results from the contest are as follows:
U15 Winner: Benji Lange
U12 Winner: Zealand Stahr
U10 Winner: Owen Anthony
U8 Winner: Rowan Massiello
