National Kidney Foundation Surf Festival set to kick off for first time in October
Thirty-eight years in the making, Phil Salick has gone beyond the boundaries to collect "every dime we can scrape to get to our patients."
Switching this year's National Kidney Foundation Surf Festival, named in honor of his late brother, Richard, from Labor Day to this coming weekend, an ode to Indigenous Peoples' Day (formerly Columbus Day) will hopefully be the perfect decision.
More entries, especially at the pro level, are expected since this event at the Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier won't clash with a pair of contests off the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina that offer big money and valuable qualifying points for the World Surf League tour echelons.
Secondly, more restaurants (usually 30) will have more staff available now than during Labor Day for the annual Taste of Brevard and Silent Auction at the Cocoa Beach Country Club on Sunday evening from 6-9.
Surfing competition at the Pier begins about 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday (finals) and continues until about 5 p.m.
Registration will be online, but late entries will be accepted at the beach early Saturday morning only.
"A lot of surfers, especially the pros, will wait to see how the conditions are," Salick said. "Hopefully, with the direction of the storms out there, moving slow, we might get some good waves."
Delaying the contest a month also means slightly cooler weather than the heat on the charcoal-fire sand during Labor Day weekend.
The important fundraising event, which in years past has generated 1,000-plus entries, quarter-million dollar sponsors and entertainment from the Jimmy Buffett band and Bob Marley's family reggae band, still thrives on some 300-plus entries with the work of more than 100 volunteers.
The event has raised "mega-millions" for patients with severe kidney and other organ problems, and those who require transplants, like Richard did on multiple occasions. But, the NKF also hosts other fund-raisers during the year, such as a huge golf tournament in Lakeland and beach walks.
Among this week's fundraisers:
Tuesday: The Pig & Whistle restaurant in Cocoa Beach will donate all money (up to $3,500 in gross sales) to the NKF.
Wednesday: A 45-minute surf movie, "Chasing the Unicorn," and two shorts (one featuring Pensacola's Sterling Spencer) will be shown at the Surfside Playhouse from 7-9 p.m.
Thursday is a sponsors-only reception for VIPs and volunteers at FishLips at Port Canaveral and Friday, the city inspection will be completed.
On Saturday evening at the beach, a Hawaiian Revue will take place, along with a free surf movie.
Among the prizes to the pro winners this year will be gold medallions of 24-karat gold and sterling silver, designed by Jesse the Jeweler in Cape Canaveral. "They're really spectacular," Salick said.
The event is free but parking directly at The Pier is $20. Other options are across Hwy. A1A and in other paid parking beach areas.
This year's surf contest takes place a day after Salick's 74th birthday and the memories won't soon be forgotten.
"When we had the Jimmy Buffet band at the Pier, the place was packed," he said. "One year, I flew in 44 of the Marleys from Jamaica for the biggest concert they've ever had in Cocoa Beach (Lori Wilson Park). ... We charged $10 just thinking we could raise something out of it. But, later, they told me, 'You could've charged $50 and gotten the same crowd.' Bob Marley's family loved Richard to death. Anytime they played in Orlando, they made sure we had tickets."
Bob Marley, diagnosed with cancer, died in 1981 at age 36.
Rich Salick, the No.1-ranked surfer on the East Coast in 1980 (in the 24-35 age group) and an East Coast Hall of Fame member who designed Kelly Slater's first surfboard, died in 2012 at age 62 after complications from kidney failure.
Richard and his brother hosted the first fund-raising event in 1976, a six-man team contest, won by Slater's team of young kids. Slater went on to win 11 world championships and at 51 was still competing on the World Surf League's main tour this year.
The six-person team event, which has grown in popularity, still is included in all NKF contests as a fond reminder.
Benedetto, Guilbeau win
Palm City's Zoe Benedetto won the Women's Shortboard Pro title at the 61st annual Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championship last month in Virginia Beach, Va., but perhaps a bigger story was the triumphant return of cancer survivor Eddie Guilbeau, who won the Men's Masters (30-39) Shortboard crown.
Fellow South Brevard surfer Barry Pasonski was fourth in Grand Legends (60 and older).
Waterman's winners crowned
Brandon Russell and Erica Peek took top honors in their respective 40-49 categories in the recent 22nd Waterman's Challenge surf contest in Cocoa Beach. This year, the contest was redesigned only for those longboarders 40 and older.
Longtime surfing instructors Jimmy and Debbie Walker ruled the 50-59 categories, while Todd Kennedy and Suzanne Wagner won the 60-69 class. "Pepe" won the 70-plus event. Nohea Williams won the Vintage competition.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 2023 National Kidney Foundation Surf Festival takes place Oct. 7-9
