Vinny Rossi of Manahawkin was only 16 when he surfed in the very first Jetty Clam Jam. A younger brother of Nick Rossi, who was a hopeful competitive surfer at the time, he was among the youngest surfers that day.

“I was super nervous when it was time to put on the jersey and paddle out. I’d never had to compete with so many people on the beach watching like that before,” he recalled. “I didn’t grow up doing a lot of amateur events like my brother did, so it was a trip for me.