Thats a Wrap!
Another epic Grom Contest is in the books! Our 26th annual T&C Grom Contest presented by Duke’s took place at Queens, Waikiki, on June 1st and 2nd with epic surf and perfect weather. Queens, the birthplace of modern surfing, blessed us with two days of pumping surf for the kids. The wave at Queens couldn’t be more suited for the groms with its inviting take-off to its mellow roll towards the beach.
The format of the T&C Grom Contest Day keeps the vibe fun. The event only allows kids to participate who have yet to progress in the amateur surf rankings, such as the Hawaii Surfing Association(HSA) or the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA). This allows kids to get a feel for competing while mastering skills like time management in a heat, wave selection, and getting used to rules such as not dropping in on other competitors. Those that place in the top spots of their heat continue to the next round of competition.
One ohana that has made this a yearly tradition for quite some time is Rosie Vierra-Schoening and family. She states, “We've been coming since my daughter was a baby and she’s done the Kokua division since she was old enough and came every year all the way up until this year! This year, she ages out, so this is her last T&C Grom. My whole family and halal came to support. This event is definitely a family tradition for us; whether she places it or not, just being a part of it is the best part. We stay from 6 am to 6 pm.” Rosie’s family’s roots run deep at this very spot, where her grandfather and uncles are beach boys and still run the canoes there. “This place is special to us; it’s our stomping grounds. My daughter and I both grew up playing and surfing here, from Walls to Canoes. A lot of the kids that grew up here are like our family, and Queens Beach is the perfect setting for this event. This is where it all starts and continues, as T&C always says, ‘Deeply rooted in the culture,’ and that’s what this event is.”
This event could not have happened without the hard work of our beloved staff, our beautiful surfing ohana across the islands, and our presenting sponsor Duke’s Waikiki, as well as the Boys and Girls Club of Hawai’i, Freesurf Magazine, Dakine, GoPro, Futures, Vans, RVCA and many more that continue to support this special event. T&C President Ryan Sugihara sums it up by saying, “I am super stoked that our 26th Annual T&C Surf Grom Contest was a success and that we were blessed with such good waves for the kids! I know our staff, sponsors, and all the people involved have the best intentions in putting on a fun event for all the participants and families. Our driving force each year is to spread joy and share the stoke with as many kids and families as possible, bringing smiles to their faces. Mahalo to everyone who had a hand in helping to make this event possible, and a special thanks to our T&C staff and my family, too!”
Grom Contest History
T&C Surf has been organizing our annual Grom Comp since the 1998 at the iconic Queen's surf break at Waikiki Beach. The goal of the event is to give kids a positive experience with surf competition. To create a more relaxed and fun competitive atmosphere we don't allow ranked or national event competitors to enter our competition. It's for fun and spreading the stoke of surfing. Founder Craig Sugihara says "The arrival of summer creates a lot of anticipation for so many reasons - the end of school, long sunny days, south swells and the GROM Contest. This event has become an annual highlight for me kicking off summer. Creating a fun family-friendly environment giving keiki the opportunity to enjoy the sand and surf and get an introduction to competitive surfing is a true pleasure. Seeing the stoke in the eyes and smiles of the kids is priceless. It all about having fun!"
The two day event is held every summer and even during the pandemic we held a virtual competition online to keep the kids involved. Keikis from ages three to twelve convene from all sides of the island chain to compete in shortboard, longboard, and bodyboard divisions, along with the kokua division and the FreeSurf Magazine Expression Session, where parents and kids get to ride waves together. No one walks away empty handed. Each contestant receives a goodie bag full of cool prizes from the event sponsors including Dakine, RVCA, Vans, Vertra, and of course, T&C Surf Designs.
If you live on Oahu and surfed as a kid you probably participated in the T&C Grom Comp at least one time in your life. Notable past participants include current legends such as Billy Kemper, Brisa Hennessy, John John Florence, Carissa Moore, Barron Mamiya, Coco Ho, Betty Lou Sakura-Johnson, Mason Ho, Ezekiel Lau, Seth Moniz, Luana Silva, Kelia Moniz, Honalua Bloomfield, Kelis Kaleopa, Keani Canullo, Haley Otto, Keoki Saguibo and Kanela Stewart to name a few.
We look forward to many more contests and many more keiki to experience our event. We hope we play a part in their lifelong stoke for surfing and loving the ocean in general. The smiles and laughs say it all for us. We hope to see you all there! Mahalo from the T&C Ohana.