By Oregon Coast TODAY
The fourth annual Oregon Paddle Out, honoring Oregon surfers who have died, will be held at the Agate Beach cove in Newport on Saturday, July 19.
This year’s event, which also includes events at Ossies Surf Shop, will also celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Agate Beach Surf Club. Formed by local teens in 1964, it was the first surfing club along the Central Oregon Coast. Some of the members still live in the Newport area.
The paddle out will start at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, with participants honoring 87 Oregon surfers who have caught their final wave. The best viewing of the paddle out circle is from Yaquina Head at the Quarry Cove parking lot.
At 11 a.m., surfers will replicate the paddle races that were popular in Oregon surf contests during the 1960s. Surfers of all ages and genders are encouraged to participate on a surfboard up to 11 feet long. Participation is limited to the first 25 people to sign up. Cash prizes and swag bags will be awarded to six winners.
From 9 a.m. to noon, surfers will display their personal 1960s-era surfboards at the Agate Beach cove. The public will have the opportunity to vote on their two favorite boards. At 12:30 p.m., there will be an expression session where surfers will repeat the experience of surfing on the vintage surfboards wearing their choice of swim trunks, swimsuits or wetsuits.
During last year’s event, surf shops Pura Vida in Otter Rock and Ossies in Agate Beach had longboard teams demonstrate surfing on vintage boards and wearing only swimsuits and trunks.
“It was wonderful and memorable to experience such a vulnerable form of surfing on historic board shapes at Agate Beach,” said Paddle Out board member Amelia O’Conner who was one of the Pura Vida surfers. “I am immensely more grateful for my wetsuit, leash, wax, fin setups and boards every surf since.”
At 7 p.m., Ossies Surf Shop will have a free showing of a new slideshow highlighting vintage images of local surfers, surf spots, surf vehicles and surfing memorabilia such as posters, newspaper clippings and trophies. Live music featuring Tastee Tiki musicians will accompany the vintage slideshow, which was the norm in the 1960s and ’70s. Videographer Casey Felton will also provide clips from the day’s surfing activities.
Ossies Surf Shop is located at 4900 N.E. Hwy. 101 in Newport. For more information, go to the Oregon Paddle Out page on Facebook.
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