Via Jake Howard

“It’s already right here?!” my daughter exclaimed once I informed her that this Saturday is the yearly Gudauskas brothers’ Stoke-O-Rama at T Side road in San Clemente.

For the previous 8 years, Dane, Patrick and Tanner Gudauskas’ basis, The Sure Vibe Warriors, has been website hosting the unfastened contest for children, and yearly it simply appears to be an increasing number of amusing.

“It’s onerous to imagine it’s been that lengthy; it’s simply flown by means of,” Dane mentioned, when Dana Level Instances just lately stuck up with him. “It sort of feels that the primary one was once simply ultimate yr. It’s an actual honor so that you can do that yearly and feature the beef up of such a lot of nice households and pals.”

The brothers’ preliminary purpose for the Stoke-O-Rama just about a decade in the past was once to present the youngsters of their fatherland neighborhood one thing amusing and unfastened that celebrated the spirit of browsing and gave the entire native youngsters a possibility to compete with none power.

This system was once an instantaneous luck and has since grown into surf contests in different seaside cities, together with Huntington Seaside, Manasquan Inlet in New Jersey, and Makaha in Hawaii.

The entire Stoke-O-Rama contests are unfastened to go into, however because of the beef up of sponsors reminiscent of Vehicles and different fundraising efforts, the Gudauskas boys are in a position to donate finances to native charities which can be endeavoring to make the sea a greater, more secure position to surf.

On the Stoke-O-Rama in Huntington Seaside previous this yr, the brothers donated cash to the Ben Carlson Basis, which was once based within the title of the past due Newport Seaside lifeguard who tragically misplaced his existence within the line of accountability.

After his passing in 2014, pals and fellow lifeguards established the Ben Carlson Basis in his reminiscence. It supplies scholarship alternatives to aspiring lifeguards and is helping fund water protection lessons.

And for 5 years now, the Gudauskas brothers have written sizable assessments supporting the San Clemente Lifeguard and Junior Lifeguard Basis. Closing yr, they had been in a position to donate $10,000 to this system, which made them its greatest benefactor.

“It’s actually wonderful what the Gudauskas brothers do for the Junior Lifeguard Program and what kind of they beef up it. We’re without end thankful for what they do,” mentioned Greg Hulsizer, who is helping run the San Clemente Lifeguard and Junior Lifeguard Basis. “Their dedication to native communities, water protection and the ability of sure pondering have actually impacted now not most effective our the town right here in San Clemente, nevertheless it actually does succeed in all over the world to browsing communities in all places the globe.”

This yr’s incarnation of the Stoke-O-Rama at T Side road appears to be like to be even larger and higher than the ultimate. Signal-u.s.are capped at 120 competition, and the competition already stuffed up a few weeks in the past. In truth, it’s so fashionable that it stuffed up in fewer than 30 mins. However that doesn’t imply there isn’t just a little one thing happening for everybody this yr.

To additional incorporate the San Clemente Junior Lifeguards, this yr the Gudauskas boys have invited the dep. to come back right down to the seaside and run the standard lifeguard seaside video games. In any case, who higher than a junior lifeguard trainer to run a recreation of flags? They’ll actually have a sales space at the seaside that can be offering tutorial alternatives for children and fogeys alike to make certain that their time on the seaside is each amusing and secure.

And since this yr’s contest is so on the subject of Halloween, a dressing up contest at the seaside is a should. At lunchtime, everyone seems to be invited to come back down of their favourite dress and get within the spirit. Prizes will probably be given out for the most efficient costumes right through the awards rite on the finish of the day.

“It’s going to be such a lot amusing! We completely can’t wait! There’s such a lot just right stuff going down, and it’s going to be an excellent day,” Dane enthused. “Our courting with the junior lifeguards is so particular, and we’re pumped to take it to the following degree. And a dressing up contest at the seaside, are you kidding? It doesn’t get any higher than that.”

Closing yr’s Stoke-O-Rama at T Side road was once blessed (or cursed, relying on how large you might be) with a large, late-season south swell. In line with Surfline, the wave this weekend received’t be rather as ferocious. A average southwest swell is predicted that can convey wave heights into the waist- to shoulder-high vary.

And yet another factor goes to make this yr additional particular. Closing month, Patrick Gudauskas and his spouse, Hanalei, welcomed their first kid, Canyon Solar, into the sector—so this will probably be his first Stoke-O-Rama as a mum or dad.

Like Dane mentioned, that is going to be such a lot amusing!