Local invitees announced for Nelscott Reef Tow In Classic

Behemoth, LLC today announced the list of this year’s local surfers invited to compete in the 2009 Nelscott Reef Tow In Classic and Big Wave Paddle Exhibition. The winner of the paddle in event, and their tow in partner, win a free seed to next years tow in contest.

After the success of last year’s paddle in exhibition, contest organizers are going to again run the 2009 contest with a paddle in exhibition. The exhibition pits 5 local surfers against 5 pro surfers. The winner takes home a cash prize and a seed into next years tow in event.

In the Tow In event, Jeremy Rasmussen and Tom Miller of Gleneden Beach, Oregon have been invited back based on their stellar performance last year and their 8th place finish. Even more remarkable than their finish ahead of many of the pros, they had only formally started towsurfing four months prior to the event. They have undoubtedly established themselves as the premier tow team in Oregon. A couple years ago John Forse towed them both into their first waves at the Reef and struck the spark for these two very exceptional surfers to get their ski and go for it. Tom is a pastor for the Vineyard Church in Lincoln City and Jeremy is a local realtor, and both are pillars of the surfing community in Lincoln City.

In the Paddle Exhibition the locals will be competing against Gary Linden, a 59 year old big wave legend and head judge and director of The Big Wave Africa, Mavericks, Chile, Peru and the founder of the Big Wave Paddle Tour of which Nelscott will be a featured event. Chris Bertish, a hard charging South African big wave surfer and Rusty Long, a big wave pioneer from Southern California will also be competing. Jamilah Starr and Maya Gabeira, both former and current Billabong XXL Women’s winners, are also competing for the invite to next years tow in competition along with the local crew.

As part of on ongoing effort to include local surfers and bridge a long-standing rift, Behemoth is inviting 4 local surfers from the now defunct Association of Pro Tow Surfers Cold Water Crew. These include Tim Hinton, “Sugar” Jim Kerr, Dan Hasselschwert, and Jimmy Dewey King. Behemoth has also expanded the amount of locals invited this year to 12, up from 5 in the previous year. The first five to pay the entry fee will be given the main slots in the contest and the rest will be put on the alternate list.

The local invitees this year are:
John Tipple – Florence, Or
Geth Noble – Florence, Or
Matt Esnard – Seaside, Or
Mike Parnel – Waldport, OR
Andre Lorenz – Manzanita, OR
Jeremy Rasmussen – Gleneden Beach, OR
Steve Harnack – Lincoln City, OR
Mike ‘Danger Habit’ Barrett -Lincoln City, Or
Tim Hinton – Neskowin, Or (APTCWC)
‘Sugar’ Jim Kerr – Otis, Or (APTCWC)
Jimmy Dewey King – Panther Creek, Or (APTCWC)
Dan Hasselschwert – Depoe Bay, Or (APTCWC)

The Nelscott Reef Tow In Classic is now in its fifth year. It operates on a three month holding period, October 1 through December 31st, and unofficially marks the opening of the North Pacific big wave season. The contest has amazingly been held each year it has operated, boasting a better record than any big wave event in history.