Rincon Classic waits for better surf conditions

It was a tough decision, but contest director Chris Keet felt the forecast for optimal surf conditions for the Rincon Classic wasn’t satisfactory for the full weekend and he postponed the event for a later time.

Scheduled for Jan. 8-9 at the renowned surf spot at the Santa Barbara-Ventura County line, the Rincon Classic is the oldest and most revered surf contest on the Central Coast. It consistently attracts the area’s best surfers, many of whom have made names for themselves in the sport worldwide.

“After careful consideration and upon the advisement of our official swell forecasters at surfline.com we have opted to postpone the event from this weekend, rolling the dice into the waiting period for a superior swell,” Keet said in a statement. “With only head-high waves predicted for Saturday and dropping throughout the weekend, this is the best call we can make for our community.”

Among the big local names entered in the Queen of the Coast event are Demi Boelsterli, the six-time defending Women’s Open champion, and six-time Pro Division champ Kilian Garland.

“We also have 12 invitees selected for the Gunshow free surf expression session with some of the biggest names in the world that live in the 805 on board,” said Keet.

He noted that Surfline forecasters are predicting “some great long-period swells coming our way in the next few weeks that will provide superior conditions.

“We appreciate your patience and are looking forward to seeing everyone at the event when the Queen is truly Classic,” he said.