Dawn Patrol on Carmel Beach: Our Weekend at the 43rd Annual Carmel SurfAbout

There are few better reasons to be awake before sunrise than a weekend on the sand at Carmel Beach. This past Saturday and Sunday, May 30th and 31st, we packed up the trailer, fired up the grinders, and headed down to the squeaky white sand for the 43rd Annual Carmel SurfAbout. What a weekend.

As the official coffee sponsor, we got to do two of our favorite things at once. We poured cup after cup for one of the best communities on the Central Coast, and we watched some of the finest local watermen and waterwomen go to work in the cold Carmel surf. We also brought along a couple of new things we've been excited about for a while. More on those in a minute.

A little history: 43 years and counting

If you're new to the SurfAbout, here's the short version.

The contest has run every year since 1980, when local surf shop owners Brad Johnson and Tom Knight of Sunshine Freestyle in Monterey dreamed it up. Their idea was simple. Give the Monterey Peninsula's scattered "micro tribes" of surfers one weekend a year to come together, not because the swell happened to be firing, but because the community wanted to. Forty-three years later, that's still exactly what it is.

These days the event is produced by the Monterey County Surfers Foundation, the nonprofit that picked up the torch from the Sunshine Freestyle crew to keep the tradition alive. The SurfAbout is built around three core disciplines: shortboard surfing, longboarding, and the long-distance paddle. Together they crown the All-Around Waterman title for the surfer who can do it all. Over the years it has grown from a scrappy local contest into a full-on family reunion, with everyone from first-time groms to senior-division legends trading waves in front of a hometown crowd.

It's also an event with a lot of heart. This year's SurfAbout once again honored the memory of founder Brad Johnson, whose spirit is still all over this thing. The Foundation keeps giving back, too. Recent proceeds have gone to local causes including ocean-access programs for East Salinas youth and youth mental-health efforts here in Monterey County.

This weekend on the water

Carmel never makes it easy, and that's part of the charm. The beach is famous for its brisk water, punchy shore break, and conditions that can flip on you between heats. The surfers who do well here know this stretch of coast in their bones. This year water conditions were gnarly. Some last minute swells added to the fun, anxiety and the competition.

The All-Around Waterman race is always the one to watch, since it goes to the surfer who can do it all across surfing, longboarding, and the paddle. This year it produced something special: a rare three-way tie at the top between reigning champ Dane Anderson, Zach Brady, and Ryder Eldridge. Anderson came in having owned the modern era of the event, and instead of handing the crown over, he wound up sharing it with two surfers pushing the field forward. That's a pretty good picture of where this contest sits right now, with established names and the next generation tied at the very top.

While we're talking legends, Craig Cox, who dominated the All-Around title through the 1990s, is still right in the thick of it. He took first in both Open Longboard and Kahuna Surfing this weekend. Four-plus decades in, and the surfers who built this event are still out there trading waves with the kids who'll carry it forward.

Here's a look at this year's division winners:

• All-Around Waterman: Dane Anderson, Zach Brady & Ryder Eldridge (three-way tie)

• Men's Surfing: Enzo Gomez

• Women's Surfing: Eva Boynton

• Open Longboard: Craig Cox

• Distance Paddle: Zach Brady (20:04)

• Master's Surfing: Danny DeGeorge

• Grandmasters: Jonny Craft

• Kupunas Surfing: Dru Jensen

• Kahuna Surfing: Craig Cox

• Juniors: Ryder Eldridge

• Super Grom: Aaylan Braddock

• Menehunes: Miles Deyerle

Full results for every division are up on the Carmel SurfAbout Instagram (@carmelsurfabout). Congratulations to everyone who placed, and to everyone who paddled out.

Beyond the heats, the weekend had all the usual ingredients: dogs everywhere, kids darting between the canopies, old friends catching up on the sand, and plenty of friendly competition. 

What we brought to the party

We've been part of the SurfAbout family for two decades now, and every year we try to bring our best to the sand. This year we had two debuts we're especially proud of.

First, our new signature roast, Dawn Patrol. Named for the early-morning ritual every surfer knows, it's built for exactly the kind of cold, dark, hopeful mornings this weekend served up. We add nutty and rich Brazil to this blend to round out the flavor to get the unique malt flavor profile. The remaining coffee is dark roast blend so you get the richness and deep aroma and early morning requires. It poured all weekend long, and judging by how fast the carafes emptied, the dawn patrol crowd approves. We of course had our signature, rich and decadent Foglifter roast to keep all of our local regulars happy.

Second, our brand-new drink, the Toasty Waves, topped with real toasted marshmallows. Think campfire on the beach in a cup. It was the perfect fix for a 55-degree morning with your feet in cold sand, and it went over big with surfers and spectators alike. Our barista team was out serving and chatting up the community. We toasted a whole lot of marshmallows over the two days, and we'd do it again in a heartbeat.

See you on the sand

Big thanks to the Monterey County Surfers Foundation for putting on another great weekend, to every competitor who paddled out into that cold Pacific, and to everyone who stopped by our booth to say hello.

Missed it this year? You don't have to wait until next May for a taste. Dawn Patrol is available now , and the Toasty Waves is on our menu while marshmallow season lasts, come by any of our locations. Come grab a cup, and we'll see you back on the beach for SurfAbout 44.

Want to support the event year-round? Learn more about the Monterey County Surfers Foundation and how to get involved at carmelsurfabout.com.