COCOA BEACH — King Neptune was nice enough to donate a consistent flurry of 3-foot-plus waves all weekend and five Brevard County surfers took full advantage, displaying their impressive skills to sweep the pro divisions Monday at the 40th annual NKF Rich Salick Pro-Am Surf Festival.
Melbourne Beach’s Chauncey Robinson, 27, came out of two-year contest “retirement” to win the $5,000 Ron Jon Men’s Pro in a stacked final; Indialantic’s Daya McCart, 17, cruised to victory in the equal-paying Ron Jon Women’s Pro; and Satellite Beach’s Ian Honda, 16, established himself as a legitimate contender by winning the Luke Mackin Junior Men’s Pro.
“Those were the best waves I’ve ever surfed in a contest in Cocoa Beach,” said McCart, who earned 8.33 and 7.17 scores on her second and third rides to cruise to a 15.50-10.73 victory over Marlynn Glaub.
“I was stoked to get those scores early,” McCart said.
“She’s the best,” said Satellite Beach’s Isabella Goodwin, the third-place finisher in that heat, who completed her final long ride with a 360-degree reversal that earned applause from the several hundred spectators along the south side of the Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier.
McCart, ranked 12th in the World Qualifying Series, travels to Puerto Rico later this month, trying to earn a spot on the Challenger Series.
Robinson, who has been focusing on his marketing role with Sun Bum sunscreen products, earned his first NKF title by defeating defending champion Benji Lange 15.57-12.57 in a heat that also featured Tommy Coleman and Logan Radd, but both were tagged with interference calls early in the set.
A day earlier, Robinson posted 9.17 and 9.00 scores in one heat, and scored a 9.00 Monday on his third ride to fuel the win.
“I look up to all these guys,” he said, adding that he’s been doing a lot of free surfing during the past two years.
Honda, meanwhile, outdueled fellow Team USA rider Beckham McCart 16.10-14.30 in the four-man final of the Jr. Pro, scoring a 7.77 ride on a long left that must have covered more than 100 yards.
“My legs were getting tired,” he said, laughing.
Formerly of Delray Beach, Honda said he’s been coached by his dad and has earned Vissla surf clothing as his main sponsor.
Among the longboard riders, Suntree’s Madison Bennett, 17, showed her smooth style by winning the Women’s Pro; and Cape Canaveral’s Gavin Idone, 20, fresh off of a top-16 finish in a World Surf League event at Bells Beach, Australia, put on a solid effort in the Men’s Pro.
Bennett, who recently won a pair of Eastern Surfing Association titles in Nags Head, N.C., got a boost Monday, when her coach, former ASP touring surfer, Todd Holland, showed up on the beach despite still recovering from a nasty fall at home earlier this year.
Her 6.33 ride on her 9-foot, 1-inch traditional longboard came on her sixth ride and all but sealed the win over Fiona Sargente, 10.16-8.27.
In the Men’s Pro Longboard final, Idone avenged last year’s defeat at the hands of Shane Konrad by winning 15.50-14.43 this time around.
“We’ve grown up together surfing, even starting on longboards at the same time,” Idone said. “It was fun.”
Among the amateurs, Cocoa Beach Mayor Keith Capizzi, 47, won his second consecutive Men’s Longboard Pro title, capping his performance with a headstand as he rode in on his victory lap.
Asked if his opponents treated him any different because he’s the mayor, he said, “I hope not. I’m just like everybody else out there.”
Like many of the locals, Capizzi grew up in the Eastern Surfing Association ranks before switching to a longboard later in life.
The three-day event garnered $50,000 alone from Sunday evening’s Taste of Brevard dinner and auction at the Cocoa Beach Country Club (Grills Seafood Deck and Tiki Bar at the Port won Best Restaurant honors) to help organ transplant patients and implement critical programs for the National Kidney Foundation of Florida.
A live auction for a colorful surfboard honoring the Salick family, and designed by globally-renowned tattoo artist Mark Longenecker, collected $1,800 from the winning bidder.
Saturday night’s street party in the center of Cocoa Beach with the band, Beebs and her Money Makers, also proved to be a crowd-pleaser.
“It’s just another way to bring the community together,” Mayor Capizzi said.
Overall, more than $10 million has been raised through the NKF surf contests and alternative functions.
“It’s been a fun ride,” said Phil Salick, the host of the annual festivities.
To view all of the contest results, click on: https://liveheats.com/events/367634
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Chauncey Robinson wins Ron Jon Men’s Pro, Daya McCart wins Women’s at NKF Surf Festival
Reporting by Hillard Grossman, Florida Today / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
