Event: Noll Longboard Classic, Oct. 4th, 5th 2008

A long, gentle slope and sandy bottom makes for great long board waves. Combine that with the renowned sunny autumn days on the California North Coast and the conditions for a surf contest are half-way perfect (the ocean can be overhead or knee-high, each year it's different). Noll Surf and Skate, owned by Rhyn Noll, the renowned shaper and son of Greg "The Bull" Noll, debuted the annual Noll Longboard Classic in 1996 in Crescent City, California.

Members of our local Standup Paddle Bend community are heading to the beach for this years' Noll Longboard Classic contest which will include a stand up surf category. There is no age limit and a division for every age group. If you're going to bring a surfboard, it has to be 9ft or longer - not a problem for the SUP crowd. They encourage beginners to join, so a few of us beginner SUP women are going to give it a try. (That should be an interesting blog!)

Here are the particulars. For more info, go the Noll Surf and Skate website.

• When: October 4th & 5th, 2008
• Where: Crescent City, California
• Cost: $40. includes a t-shirt and goody bag. Late entries are $45.00, but you take a chance that your division will be filled.
• Who to Contact: Noll Surf & Skate 707-465-4400
  

We just spent 5 wonderful days in Crescent City and checked out places to stay and eat. The waves near the jetty were small and perfect for beginners. Randall and the other experts paddled south a hundred yards or so for bigger waves. The largest waves were in front of the Crescent Beach Motel.

Places to stay:

• Harbor RV: 707-464-1724, 159 Starfish Way, Crescent City, CA -- A paved, flat rv site with gravel central medians. Clean bathrooms and showers. It is across a paved road from the beach, and near a good restaurant, a diner and a surf shop. This is the nearest RV park to the surf break. It's not a beauty, but the management is nice, it's clean and the location can't be beat. You can take walks on the beach or down the jetty towards Whaler's Rock or the Harbor. Space numbers that are closest to the beach are 11 thru 19 (looking at the beach through the trees) or 1 - 10 (on Anchor Way looking across the harbor). They don't have a website.

• Anchor Beach Inn: 800-837-4116, 880 Hwy. 101 South, Crescent City, CA -- next door to the Harbor RV. It's a good place to stay if you want to socialize with your RV buddies. Check out the Anchor Beach Inn website for details.

• Crescent Beach Motel: 707-464-5436, 1455 Highway 101 South, Crescent City, CA -- about 1/2 mile from Harbor RV and the Anchor Beach Inn. This is the only hotel actually on the beach AND right in front of the contest surf break. The hotel looks clean (I didn't go into a room, just the lobby).

Places to eat:

Bistro Gardens, 707-464-5627, 110 Anchor Way, Crescent City, CA -- a short walk from the RV park and Anchor Beach Inn, this restaurant is owned by a restaurateur from Beverly Hills. The locals raved about it and the menu has something for everyone. I asked, and the server said they only saute in olive oil.

The Beachcomber Restaurant , 707-464-2205, 101 South Beach, Crescent City, CA -- next door to the Crescent Beach Motel: The vinyl sign outside says "voted best restaurant on the coast". I don't know what year that was. Five of us ordered meals and paid about $23. to $30.00 for dinners that included a foil wrapped baked potato and dehydrated chives alongside Texas toast. The tarter sauce had a clear yellowish glaze (the sheen that usually means the sauce was left too close to a heat source). When I inquired, the server had to check with the kitchen about the fry oil. They use the standard hydrogenated cooking oil. The sauces where uninteresting and the fish entrees were over-cooked (very dry). None of us liked our meals and considered the experience over-priced.

Need some new gear for the Standup Paddle Surf contest? Check out our website at www.StandupPaddleBend.com