Every year, Tamarack State Beach in Carlsbad, California is home to something extraordinary: Slamarack. And this year, Jamie O’Brien decided to get involved.
Slamarack is a wild idea. On paper, it sounds like a nightmare. Hundreds of surfers on softtops paddle out at Tamarack Beach with one goal in mind: to get every surfer on every wave. The result is a wildly packed lineup, but when everyone agrees that for this short amount of time all bets are off, something amazing happens. Although there are always the inevitable sprains, cuts, bumps, and bruises, for the most part, everyone just has fun. Which is what surfing is for, right?
Surprisingly, this was O’Brien’s first kick at the Slamarack can. Although he’s used to crowds on the beach, the crowds on the beach and in the water were stunning, even to Jamie.
“It’s loaded here,” he said as he waded through the crowds. “It looks like the US Open on finals day. They do this event every year and I’ve always wanted to be a part of it. It’s probably the coolest surf contest in Southern California.”
Although it’s not exactly a surf contest — it’s unsanctioned and there are no winners or losers — it draws a spectacular amount of people who come to watch the chaos. And this year did not disappoint.
