Have you ever wanted to try a surfboard without buying it but never had the chance? Maybe you visited your local surf shop and found that “Magic” board on the racks, but $800—you can’t afford that price for something that just looks amazing, it needs to ride perfectly! Luckily for the surfers around San Diego, Camp Shred came back to Cardiff last March 11th and 12th. Everyone who came had the chance to demo surfboards from almost every brand, for free!
The setup is fantastic. A majority of San Elijo Campgrounds is converted into the demo event. Some of the biggest brands bring out their best gear for people to check out and try. Companies provide massive quivers of their best boards, allowing you to try out almost any board that you could dream of. Arriving at Camp Shred with nothing but your ID, you can grab everything that you need to surf all day, for free. Demo a wetsuit, grab the board, or boards, that you have always dreamed of surfing and hit the waves. Located right on top of the beach, you can literally grab a board and be in the water in a minute, surf a couple waves and run up to grab another board.
In between sessions, you can work your way through the endless booths, grabbing stickers and trying out the new “Kind” granola bars. It’s like going through the biggest surf shop in the world with the extra benefit of using anything that you see without committing to owning it.
All weekend, the surf below San Elijo Campground was fun for all ages and levels. Several peaks spread the crowds somewhat. But unfortunately even then, the water was so crowded that it felt like you could hop from one surfer to the next all the way down the beach without getting wet. With a little patience and competitiveness you could catch some sweet waves to really feel the boards out.
After you are done shredding for the day, you can hit the Pizza Port beer garden to enjoy live music while overlooking the beach. A perfect view for a cold beer on a warm day in Southern California. To add even more to the community aspect of the event, all the proceeds from the beer garden go to the Friends of Cardiff and Carlsbad State Beaches (FCCSB).
If you missed it this year, keep an eye out and make sure to go in 2018. It is a truly amazing and unique event that is a must do.
