Registration is now open for the 21st addition of the Cape Kiwanda Longboard Classic. It will be our 9th year of organizing it and we are proud to keep this much loved event moving forward. When we inherited the role of organizer back in 2011, we knew that it needed to be a way of raising funds for giving back to our PC community. There had been talk in the past about building a skate park here, but no official organization had been established or funds collected that we knew about. We thought a park would be a great addition and give the local youth a place to go and take pride in. This became the goal of the contest and we started work on how to raise money. At the time, we hadn’t heard of the NVCA or the plan they had for a community park near Cape Kiwanda. It wasn’t until a few years later that we got wind of it and started talking to them about the potential of adding a skate park to their project.
Once we got their approval and joined forces with the NVCA, we reorganized the contest and collected funds under their Non-Profit designation. We came to the agreement that since the skate park would take up about 10% of the overall park, we would be responsible for paying the same percentage for any development expenses. For example, if it cost $10,000 to have the overall plans drawn up, we would be responsible for paying $1,000 of it. As of today, the property has been cleared, graded and rocked, a fence and gate has been installed, power has been hooked up, and the plans and engineering completed. You can read more about it at http://www.nestucca.org/
A few years ago when evaluating the income being generated by the contest versus the time and effort put in by everyone involved, we reached a point where we needed to either scale the event back (reduce expenses) or figure out a way to grow it further (generate more profit). We approached the Pelican Brewery about adding the brewfest and they jumped at the opportunity. From our very first meeting, they have been nothing but supportive and gone above and beyond to help make the overall event better and more profitable. The unrestricted use of their resources and dedication to the event has helped grow it into what it has become. We couldn’t be more thankful for everything they have done!
Between the Longboard Contest and Brewfest, we have raised approximately $87,150 for the skate park. Of that, we have spent roughly $34,300 on the development of both the overall community park and skate park. This leaves approximately $52,850 in the CKLC/NVCA account. So where do we go from here?
After taking a hard look at the overall event, we noticed an opportunity to grow even further on Sunday. We are currently paying for the tent to be there, waiting for the awards ceremony after the contest, but it wasn’t generating much income throughout the day. Having people buy beer (donated by the Pelican), purchase lunch, bid on items in our silent auction, and continue to buy a contest sweatshirt or t-shirt, are all ways we generate funds. So how can we get people to visit the tent on Sunday? We are proud to now bring you COASTAL CRAFT, celebrating the surfboard craftsmen of the PNW!
The event will be held on Sunday from 10am to 4pm and feature several surfboard shapers from around the PNW. We will also have other craftsmen within the surf industry participating and you will be able to demo surfboards and fins from many of these brands. A mobile shaping bay will be here which allows for demonstrations and classes, and we will be auctioning off all boards crafted during the event. In addition, each board will be glassed at a later date by El Brado. A beer garden will be open sponsored by Pelican Brewing, Jefe’s Fish Tacos will be serving up tasty grub, and live music will keep the good vibes flowing. More information will follow as we continue to put Coastal Craft together.
A big THANK YOU to all the volunteers, sponsors, participants and spectators who continue to make the Cape Kiwanda Longboard Classic and Brewfest possible. We are looking forward to another great event this year. See you at the Classic on September 13th, 14th and 15th.
