Drum-roll, please… Surfline’s inaugural Spirit of Surfing Cuervo Problem grand prize winners are: Chad Carlberg, Cody Welsh, Gina Cardo, Tim Warden, Isaac Teixeira, and Cliff Kapono. Oh, and tack on a chum/spouse/circle of relatives member in their opting for, each and every, besides. Sure, 12 extraordinarily fortunate winners will probably be off to the Surf Ranch for an all-expenses-paid day of unforgettably best surf.
Jealous? Yeah, us too. However what precisely, might you ask, set the ones six aside from the rankings of alternative entries? Past (and, inside) some extent machine primarily based off our particular judging standards, that sure je ne sais quoi used to be merely: Originality. All six have been refreshingly earnest. All six have been deliberately other. No gimmicks. No traits. Irrespective of manufacturing worth, each and every successful video confirmed plain effort with a in particular compelling storyline. And the cocktail used to be bomb, too, in fact.
Isaac Teixeira, (the Claymation man) claims he manifested the win via a chain of near-lucid goals…so possibly he’s directly to one thing extra metaphysical than we all know.
Nonetheless, one thousand thank yous to everybody who entered the inaugural Spirit of Surfing Cuervo Problem. The extent of creativity proven on your entries used to be past our wildest goals, and to mention that we have been inspired…could be an irony. Whilst we couldn’t invite everybody to the Surf Ranch, due to Jose Cuervo®, the highest 3 runners-up will ranking a Gerry Lopez surfboard and EVERYONE else will probably be receiving an ideal Jose Cuervo® Tradicional® x Surfline present bag.
Our Runners Up:
Within the intervening time, we were given some backstories from each and every of our winners on what it took to nail their access. Learn, assessment — and absolute best of success subsequent 12 months!
Chad Carlberg: “I in reality got here into it past due. I believe I realized the advert for the competition at the Tuesday ahead of it closed the next week. However I briefly learn the main points, started shaking with glee, walked upstairs, yelled at my youngsters for being on monitors observing Instagram movies, then pointed at myself, announcing, ‘Guys, have a look at me. Mark my phrases. I’m going to surf at Surf Ranch.’ And then, I promptly went downstairs to start out writing an Instagram video. This sort of factor is so in my wheelhouse (I run an artistic company) and I knew that I had an excellent shot; particularly since, with just a few days to head, I used to be ready to observe a large number of the opposite motion pictures which have been all in large part reduce of the similar material. Mine could be other, I knew that. I simply had to get sufficient votes to get it spotted. And that changed into the onerous phase.”
“So, I wrote it on Tuesday. Shot it on Wednesday. Reduce my ear hair and nostril hair on Wednesday evening. Reshot it on Thursday. Edited Friday. And touched it up on Saturday ahead of filing. Probably the most particular phase must had been getting a answer from Tom Servais after discovering certainly one of his pictures with an artistic commons license on wikimedia. I emailed him and, like, 90 seconds later he wrote again announcing, ‘Don’t use that crap. Use a just right percent. They’re far and wide the web. You have got my complete permission. Thank you such a lot for asking.’ After which, after sending him the video, he wrote again once more telling me he loved it and could be rooting for me. (Now we’re absolute best pals. He’s coming over this night to observe “Fried Inexperienced Tomatoes” and “Sleepless in Seattle” with me.)”
Cody Welsh: “My dad and I did this travel a couple of years again and I put in combination an edit for private use. After we noticed this contest arise, I figured it might be best to post, so we shot a couple of further pickup pictures and my dad did the voiceover and the guitar riff. We idea it got here out lovely smartly, however didn’t know precisely what you have been searching for. Additionally, I suck at social media so we idea we might get beat out at the votes. However we figured, what the hell, we might as smartly post it. We’re actually stoked to get to surf the Ranch. When that first Kelly Slater clip got here out on the net, like everybody else, we have been blown away and sought after to surf it. I’m in reality most commonly having a look ahead to seeing my dad get in a pair just right lengthy barrels. It’ll be rad to surf with Gerry too.”
Regina Cardo: “Making this video took much more effort and time than I at the start idea, however I had a super group (my circle of relatives!). I serious about being ingenious. Our drink is in point of fact scrumptious, and I believe it’s on account of my distinctive elements. I believe that probably the most particular a part of the video is my husband, despite the fact that. He went together with all my antics, unhealthy performing, or even contributed his song for the background. He killed it. He’s so stoked that I selected him to return. Through the best way, going to the Surf Ranch is a fable come true. Simply announcing that ‘I’m going to fulfill Gerry Lopez and surf the Ranch,’ is de facto ridiculous — nevertheless it’s actually going down. Through the best way, my youngest of 4 is called Kelly after the grasp himself! Additionally, when Surfline referred to as to provide me the fantastic information, I used to be operating round the home finding my youngsters as a result of I assumed they have been pranking me. I didn’t need to hold up simply in case!”
Tim Warden: “When my buddy who enjoys video/pictures sought after to lend a hand me make a submission video, it got here at a hectic time for me as a highschool historical past trainer gearing up for the brand new college 12 months. However, I jumped on the probability to proportion my tale of what it’s love to be a surfer who lives over a 100 miles inland from the coast of California. The entire ingenious procedure of having to report my love of browsing in a brief video used to be such a lot amusing! I sought after the audience of my video to really feel like they went at the over 100-mile adventure with me to the coast of California to surf. I additionally sought after to show the fantastic agriculture of the San Joaquin Valley, so I used contemporary, in the community grown fruit in my drink recipe. I will be able to by no means fail to remember the sensation of affection and give a boost to from my local people, circle of relatives, and pals who rallied round my contest submission wishing for me to revel in the Surf Ranch. I think venerated to constitute them after I surf on the Surf Ranch, which is in reality a 15-minute pressure from my area! Profitable this contest is in point of fact a present, and attending to surf my “native” spoil will probably be a dream come true.”
Isaac Teixeira: “I sought after to turn one thing which might stand out and display my very best day and the spirit of browsing, the usage of as few phrases as conceivable. I had carried out some passion experimentation up to now the usage of Claymation, and had such a lot amusing. I knew how a lot paintings it took and puzzled if I may just entire the duty ahead of the time limit. I used to be no longer positive on a storyline however knew that obtaining spit out of a barrel used to be a will have to. Through doing claymation, I would possibly have a possibility, but if I noticed the opposite entries, I frightened that mine used to be possibly a little bit misplaced and too other. I began to manifest “successful” by means of feeling like I used to be going to the Surf Ranch, or even interested by which forums to convey. The manifestation ended up with me having 3 consecutive nights of dreaming about successful. In my ultimate dream I used to be at the bus going to the Ranch, however didn’t keep in mind in reality being instructed I have been one of the crucial winners. After I won the true name, it used to be as though I used to be successful for the fourth time, most effective this time it used to be for actual! I used to be flipping out within and nonetheless questioning if it used to be a dream.”
“The particular a part of this video used to be observing it come to existence. Staring at how hundreds of nonetheless footage turn into a transferring tale. When the waves are flat, a dreamy clay, barreling, sandy pointbreak used to be one of the best ways I may just believe to create a clearer image of my dream surf day. With a little bit success and a large number of generation my goals became actual. I’m tremendous stoked to be sharing this revel in with my dad, who taught me how you can surf. After years folks speaking about Kelly’s wave pool and first of all even scouring Google Maps in combination, seeking to find (and discovering) the site, it used to be wonderful to search out it is just 1.five hours from our house. Now we’re going in combination and the stoke couldn’t be extra superior that I received a contest to get there!”
Cliff Kapono: “I’m lovely self-conscience with my motion pictures and with such things as this. I by no means be expecting to actually win. However, the method of constructing the movie used to be so fantastic. Brandan and I, we slept, like, 4 hours an evening over 3 days when making this little movie. We deliberate and shot scenes, redid takes, or even failed at catching an octopus the primary time we went out to dive. Identical to any significant challenge, within the 11th hour, we stuck the octopus, we painted the board, and likewise by means of success there used to be simply sufficient swell to trip it the following morning. That afternoon we completed the edit and submitted it. We simply sought after to honor browsing one of the best ways we understand how. Brandan is such an unbelievable particular person and it wasn’t like we scripted anything else. I simply knew that we needed to get him in entrance of the digital camera doing what he does anyway and the magic will occur. He didn’t even know I used to be recording part the time. We have been shedding it when he discovered I recorded the scene when he mentioned he would rub ink on his face. I’m tremendous thankful for Surfline and Jose Cuervo® for placing on one thing like this. This won’t appear to be a large deal for lots of, however getting an all-expense paid travel to Surf Ranch for anyone in our the city [Hilo] is like successful the lottery. This win used to be in point of fact one thing particular. The cherry on best, is that Cody Welsh additionally received, too.”