By ARABELLA SERRATA
Special to the PRESS
South Padre Island is set to host the Texas Gulf Surfing Association [TGSA] South Padre Open on either Nov. 16-17 or Nov. 23-24, depending on the surf conditions.
The South Padre Open marks the first outing of the TGSA on SPI beaches. It was made possible by the City of SPI, Viva and Nautico Island Grill. The event will be at Clayton’s Pier. The initial dates for the event were postponed due to unpredictable wave size and strong winds.
The event has an extensive set of rules. For team competition, teams must submit a complete entry form before starting the first heat of the contest. Teams must be between four to six members. An individual cannot be in more than one division per team but can be on more than one team. Points are earned when members make a final place, this includes first to fourth place. More points can be earned in ratio to the amount of competitors in a division.
Divisions for boys and girls include Micro-Groms for ages eight and under, Menehune for ages 12 and under, and Junior for ages 17 and under. The Men and Women divisions are for all ages. The Senior Women category is for ages 30 and above, and Senior Men is for ages 40 and up. The Legends division is for ages 50 and older and Grand Legends for ages 60 and up. Each category has a board type and size specification.
Surfers may participate in more competitive divisions than their primary ones, which may cause back-to-back heats. TGSA encourages participants to consider this when deciding on divisions. Contestants must report to the ready area 15 minutes before the start of the heat. If they fail to arrive by the five-minute warning, they may be replaced by the highest-ranking alternative. Each heat will last 15 minutes, finals will last 20. The end of a heat will be marked by a horn blast or the red flag.
TGSA notes that anyone standing after the end of their heat and continuing to the beginning of the next heat may receive a 2.5 penalty to their scores.
According to TGSA, the judging criteria is the competitor’s ability to “perform radical controlled maneuvers in the critical sections of a wave with speed, power, and flow.” Competitors will also be graded on the variety of maneuvers they can perform. Results for all heats can be checked for errors up to 30 minutes after they are posted. If an error is not reported 30 minutes after release, the results will become final. Protests and complaints must be given to the TGSA competition director in writing and can only be entered by a competitor.
Trophies will be awarded for first through fourth places in all divisions and points-related contests. Open division winners can receive trophies and cash prizes as established by TGSA officials.
TGSA is a non-profit organization specializing in “grassroots surfing events.” According to its official website, TGSA’s goal is to encourage an enjoyable environment while maintaining sportsmanship and environmental awareness.
TGSA also seeks young Texan talent to increase its pool of surfers for its All-Star Team. Founded in 1988, TGSA boasts the longest-running tenure of any surfing organization. Members of the All-Star Team are chosen from contestants with the top season points in their under-18 divisions. Additional slots were opened this year through an essay submission; the winners were picked by TGSA coaches. Eva Castillo, Rudy Whittington and Elle Hable, young SPI locals, are notable members of the 2024-2025 lineup.
Interested parties can register for the event on liveheats.com. Entry fees range from $25 to $50 per division. Clayton’s Pier is located at 6900 Padre Boulevard, South Padre Island. For the full list of rules, specifications and general information on TGSA, visit their website at surftgsa.com.