4th Annual Switchfoot Bro-Am A Success!
All signs were calling for a typical day in Southern California. At about 9 am gray skies began to dissipate as rays of sunshine crept through the usual June gloom. With a healthy dose of weekend traffic most experienced beachgoers opted for their beach cruiser as a primary source of transportation. However, anyone who crossed the PCH in the vicinity of Encinitas on June 7, 2008 knew that this day was anything but typical.
The 4th annual Switchfoot Bro-am returned to moonlight Beach in Encinitas this past weekend and the turnout was better than ever. This year’s charity surf contest and free beach concert were coordinated to raise money for the San Diego and Oceanside chapters of Stand Up For Kids -- a nationally sanctioned non-profit organization dedicated to helping rescue homeless and at risk youth.
Only days before Switchfoot hosted a silent auction night at the Pacific Coast Grill in Solana beach. We donated a mural painted by several of our talented artists like Kelli Murray, Johnny Rodrigue, Ekundayo, Pancho, and Eukarezt to the auction that ended up selling for $2,100.00. It was the perfect Bro-am kick-off that raised over $40,000.00 for Stand Up For Kids.
The surf contest began at 7am Saturday morning with fierce competition from several action sports brands seeded in Southern California. Jedidiah, Hurley, Reef, Transworld Surf, Surfing Magazine, Surfer Magazine, Macbeth, AKA, Anon Optics, and Surf Ride all contributed 4 man teams in which each surfer was required to ride one wave in their regular stance (either regular or goofy), and one wave in their switch stance, hence the Switchfoot Bro-am. Jon Formean, Tim Foreman, and Chad Buttler of Switchfoot linked up with 3 time world champ Tom Curren to compose the official Switchfoot team. Spectators were gifted with an ironic juxtaposition of each competitor surfing really well on one wave and then looking like a complete idiot on the next while trying to surf switch stance.
At 11 am bands began kicking out the jams with live performances by Escalera (with pro skateboarders Danny Way and Bob Burnquist), Musket (with pro surfer Brad Gerlach), surf legend Tom Curren, Stripes and Lines, A Fine Frenzy, LA Symphony and Switchfoot. Thousands of eager fans were blessed with a free concert on the beach.
The beauty of this event was that even if you hated the water and hadn’t ever considered trying to surf, there was still a ton going on. Jedidiah had a booth set up just to the right of the main stage and our goal for that day was to do more than promote our brand. Our primary intention was to connect with our customers on a personal level. We’re seeking out more ways to involve our customers in the process of product development and to provide a creative outlet for them to share their voice.
We asked the question, “What are you passionate about?” to everyone at the beach.and much to our surprise we received 217 written responses**. We were giving away a bag of goodies including a t-shirt, hat, belt buckle, and free cd to anyone willing to share their story and within the first hour we gave away over 100 goodie bags.
The Jedidiah tent was by far the busiest setup at the beach, as people would sometimes wait 15 minutes for their opportunity to share their passions and pick up a free tee. I was blown away by the number of people who weren’t only stoked on the free gear, but even more into the concept of being able to share their story, and to contribute a piece of themselves that could eventually inspire a t-shirt graphic.
In all the day was amazing. It was an awesome time of good music, fun waves, and community building. Switchfoot really went all out to give Stand Up For Kids the support and recognition they deserve.
**The stories collected will be entered into the community portion of our website. Our online users will be able to view these stories and vote on the artwork that will eventually be drafted from these stories. The designs with the highest ratings will then be printed on t-shirts and sold. To read the submitted stories visit www.jedidiahusa.com/community.
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