Comp Report: Ron Jon 2024 Board Fest -

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Story and captions by Tom Dugan, photos by Tom Dugan with Mike Vuocolo

Something the East Coast Pro Events have not seen and may never see again. These two both won both events. The Women’s and Junior Women’s Pro Bella Kenworthy and the Men’s and Junior Men’s Pro Owen Moss. Pretty cool and great surfing to boot. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

This year”s Beach’N Boards Fest hosted the Ron Jon Quicksilver & Roxy Pro March 6th – 10th at Shepard Park in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The event is a five-day marathon of surfing and other activities held behind the iconic Ron Jon Surf Shop.

Last year’s winner Bella Kenworthy took her surfing one step further this year and won both the Women’s Pro and the Women’s Jr. Pro. Cocoa Beach has been very very good to her. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

To get waves for an East Coast surf contest is always a gamble, yet somehow year after year the ocean blesses the event with good waves. This year all five days had good winds and two to four foot surf, with Saturday being the only overcast and windy day. The other four had some offshore winds and a pulsing swell.

Year after year the contest continues to get swell and good conditions. For an East Coast event to have five days of waves is not unheard of, but it is a bit rare. Thursday, day two. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

The surfing was top caliber and it was insane to see how much talent these young surfers have. The waves held and each heat got better and better, as the talent in the water pushed out those who could not find the waves to up their game.

Like a Saturn 5 rocketing towards the stratosphere from nearby Cape Kennedy, Florida super gromette, Auburn Hilley is indicative of how fast and how far the youngest of talents have been traveling with seemingly hypersonic speed leaps and bounds ability-wise. Who are the kids and what are they feeding them these days?! Photo Mike Vuocolo @mikesshoreshots

The event had four divisions, Men’s and Women’s Pro, and Men’s and Women’s Jr Pro. With surfers from around the globe, competing heats were stacked, but the best always rise to the top and in the final moments of each final it was clear that two of the best would not only win one, but win BOTH divisions.

The weekend tent city takes over Sheperd Park in Cocoa Beach, Florida. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Wilmington, North Carolina surfer Owen Moss took the number one spot in both the Men’s and Jr Men’s, while last year’s Women’s winner from San Clemente, California Bella Kenworthy repeated her win and added to it the Women’s Jr Pro win. ESM cannot remember any event that both the winners won the Pro and Jr Pro on the same day, at the same event. It just goes to show you that when a competitor is on a role, it is really hard to stop them.

Down from Virginia Beach, Blair Barton surfed heat after heat, to eventually make it to both the Jr. Men’s and Men’s Finals. Unfortunately he came up just short of two wins and got second in both Finals. There’s always next year. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

2024 RON JONS BEACH AND BOARD FEST RESULTS

Quiksilver Jr. Men’s Pro

1- Owen Moss

2- Blayr Barton

3- Wheeler Hasburgh

4- Lucas Owston

Wheeler Hasburgh on the opening day moving towards the Men’s Jr Pro Final four days away. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Roxy Jr Women’s Pro

1- Bella Kenworthy

2- Daya McCart

3- Reid Van Wagoner

4- Kylie Pulcini

Local shredder Daya Mc Cart worked her local knowledge all the way to a solid 3rd place in the Roxy Womens Junior Pro. PHOTO: Mike Vuocolo @mikesshoreshots

Quiksilver Men’s Pro

1- Owen Moss

2- Levi Slawson

3- Blayr Barton

4- Kai Kushner

CalIfornian Levi Slawson on his way to a 2nd place in the Quiksilver Men’s Pro. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Roxy Women’s Pro

1- Bella Kenworthy

2- Ella McCaffray

3- Sara Freyre

4- Zoe Chait

Ella McCaffray and Levi Slawson share the same hometown of Encinitas, Calafornia, and they also share the urge to win. Ella on her way to a second place in the Roxy Jr. Women’s Pro. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Sandsational Sand Sculpture staff putting on the final touches to another one of their granular masterpieces. PHOTO: photo Mike Vuocolo @mikesshoreshots

Jersey Girl Brynn Gallagher add’s an exclamation point to one of her well surfed masterpieces. PHOTO: Mike Vuocolo @mikesshoreshots

It’s not a World Tour Event without one of the top dogs in attendance. 2001 ASP World Champion C.J. Hobgood manning the Salty Crew booth. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

New Smyrna Beach’s Carlie Eastwood headed south to surf the Women’s Pro Event and got a few good waves. Shown here surfing the first heat in the Women’s round of 40. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

OUCH ! Now that’s got to hurt! Spring Break reveler and the damage don, have fun taking a shower ! PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Kepa Media banging it out a backside blast. This kid can do it from dangerously closed out Backdoor Pipe barrels to flaccid Palm Beach drivel. Versatile is his middle name. PHOTO: Mike Vuocolo @mikesshoreshots

A family that surfs together….. Kepa, Peter, and Allie Mendia. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

When Huntington Beach’s Luke Guinaldo is not competing, he’s posting on his TikTok account that has garnered over 60 million likes, with 1.9 million followers. Check him out at : LUKEGUINALDO. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Lanea Mons From Jax Beach, FL hotbed is one of the Right Coast’s most promising talents who’s pegged to go far . PHOTO: Mike Vuocolo @mikesshoreshots

No Labels. Teddy Whittemann don’t need no stinkin’ logos to get respect for his hardcore ripping. PHOTO: Mike Vuocolo @mikesshoreshots

7:57 Thursday morning. The competition starts in ….three,two,one. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Carlos Munoz puts it up backside to one o’clock on Thursday in his round of 64 heat 16. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Brothers Alberto and Carlos Munoz charging some Pura Vida in Cocoa Beach, Florida with their Costa Rican neighbor, Charlie Kuhn, a former top 16 pro surfer, who was in town visiting his old haunts. Saludos hermanos ! PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Local Satellite Beach, FL girl and Roxy team rider, Isabella Goodwin snaps a clean one off the top in heat 2 of the round of 40, getting a second place finish and moved on to the next round. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Another Local Central Florida talent, Logan Radd goes vert in heat 10 of the round of 96. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Rubina Bromwell photo fully on rail and torqued out on this super rad slash. PHOTO: Mike Vuocolo @mikesshoreshots

South Floridas Sofia Gamboa surfs with true power and form and is a treat to watch or photograph. photo Mike Vuocolo @mikesshoreshots

Leilani McGonagle up from her home at one of the longest lefts in the world, Pavones, Costa Rica, tries out her backside attack in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Damn impressive we say. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Speaking of a long way from his home frequent Florida competition visitor over the years, Carlos Munoz, also from Costa, some how always makes the adjustment surfing in the ultra soft Cocoa Beach surf as opposed to the hard breaking beach break sandbars of Playa Hermosa as getting to enjoy his time with his brother here in Florida. Carlos waiting on the start of his heat with the iconic Canaveral Pier -and it’s powder puff surf – in the background. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos