It was an epic day once again for the 36th annual Stone Steps Invitational in Encinitas on Sept. 7, a long-running longboard contest put on for the love of the local community.
“We had a lot of fun,” said Justin Cote, the event organizer, Stone Steps commissioner/ring leader. “It was perfect weather, really good little waves and good people.”
With 56 men and 12 women competing, the contest is small, just for the neighborhood, but it’s actually one of the longest continuously running surf contests on the west coast.
“With the new and improved beach, spectators and competitors cheered on their neighbors, friends and family under blazing sunshine and warm vibes,” wrote Cote on his Instagram page. “For 36 years we’ve been doing this community gathering and we probably say this every year but this one was the best yet.”
This year, 15-year-old Riley Crescenzo was the youngest-ever winner in all 36 years of the contest, winning in her first time ever competing.
“I was really happy,” Riley said. “I’ve never really won an event so that was pretty cool.”
Riley’s roots are in snowboarding and she only started surfing three years ago during the pandemic: “I got really bored so I started going to the beach.” Last year she surfed for the San Dieguito Academy surf team, which won the national championship this past spring. The sophomore hopes to make the team again this year.
The contest was also Riley’s first time surfing at Stone Steps.
“It was actually really fun that day, it was a higher tide so it was more longboard friendly waves,” Riley said. “I think the judges were scoring more based off of style and fun tricks that you can add to make it more entertaining. I feel like I am more of a stylish longboarder versus doing more nose rides and stuff so I think that’s a component of how I won.”
She will go on to compete next at the Super Girl Surf Pro in Oceanside on Sept. 20-22.
On the men’s side, the winner was Kai Bennett who hails from a family of Stonesteps champs. Both of his parents Ani and Job are past winners. Adding an extra layer of coolness to his victory, Bennett even rescued a teenage girl who got stuck in a rip current in the middle of his semi-final.
“He stopped competing, grabbed the girl on his board and went back to winning the whole thing,” Cote said. “He could have sacrificed his win by doing that but did the right thing.”
Since the age of 14, Cote had surfed in the Stone Steps Invitational just about every year. Now 50 years old, for the last six years Cote has been spearheading the whole show. “Six years ago the older guys who were running it kind of pulled me aside and said ‘it’s your turn’,” said Cote, who by day is a realtor with Compass in downtown Encinitas.
The event is a huge community effort with volunteers stepping up to judge and help make sure the day goes off without a snag. Local resident Mark McNaught designs the t-shirts and Pannikin is also a great supporter, providing fresh coffee and a venue to host the post-event award ceremony. Local surfer, artist and craftsman John Peugh, “one of the most OG guys in the neighborhood”, handcrafts unique resin-based, surfboard-topped trophies for the winners. “I don’t ask him to do it, every year he just shows up,” Cote said.
Local professional photographer Mike Moore captured the day of amazing surf action and all of the families, friends and locals gathered together on the beach.
“It’s a lot of work but just seeing everyone having a good time and bringing the community together makes it worth it,” Cote said.
