Emphasis on Fun in Upcoming Surf ‘Anti-Contest’ Party

Fifteen years ago, a soft top surfboard, or “foamie,” was considered little more than a pool toy. It was surfing’s version of training wheels (or a wheelchair, depending on the stage of your surfing career). It might as well have been an inflatable unicorn or a bellyboard from the 5 & 10, something parents used to push tykes into waves on without having to worry about the kid getting hit, or hitting someone else, with a heavy fiberglass projectile.

Ben Graeff, right, surfs a foamier with kids at Sandy Avocado Surf Camp last summer. (Photo by Ann Marie Coen)

But that has changed dramatically. Even the surfers who enjoy cutthroat heats and paddle battling for waves are riding…