Now in its eighth year, the Jetty Clam Jam has developed some longstanding traditions. One tradition is the team selection, randomly paired surfers from different age brackets into two-man squads. Another is having three generations on the beach, surfing and watching, right down to the family dog. But one of the most important traditions is the event’s namesake – the clams that are served every year by the Black Whale Bar & Fish House.

But because the event is held “on call,” waiting for quality waves on a weekend, it can be a blustery November event,…