Comp: Luke, Huck, Burger & Callie Win The Tommy! Bonus Gallery -

Story and captions by Tom Dugan, Photos By Dugan and Ducer

The 21st Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Contest was held October 29th & 30th at the Flagler Beach Pier in Flagler Beach, Florida. Always the best weekend of the year, the community looks forward to it, and support has supported it every year since inception. The weather started out Saturday morning with the heavens opening up with pouring rain coming down. Sunday started a bit foggy with at least three fog banks moving from north to south, the third one coming through around two in the afternoon. Despite the rain and fog, but both days ended with beautiful Florida Fall weather, with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-eighties.

Friday night, ready for the weekend event. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Heat by heat surfers were whittled down, with two advancing, and the rest packing it up for the day. The caliber of surfing at the Tommy Tant year after year is just outstanding, and it shows with the amount of surfers surfing in seventeen separate divisions this yea . From the Tadpoles to the Pro Divisions, and every amateur heat, the surfing was top tier. One wave in particular stands out from Jr Pro Carl Burger. With the ride consisting of two top turns, a cutback, and an air to finish it up, Carl received the only ten of the event. I have a sixty four shot sequence of it start to finish.

Carl Burger pulled off a trifecta, winning the Open Men’s, Boys U18, and a 2nd in the Men’s Jr Pro. It probably helped it’s his home break. Carl posted the only 10 of the event. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Each division saw great surfing from Tadpoles’ winner James Davis to the Women’s Pro winner Callie Hertz, to the last heat of the day, Men’s Pro Final. The winner, Luke Gordon came down all the way from South Carolina. Luke was simply on a mission and could not be stopped after getting a second in his first heat to World Tour surfer Gabe Kling. He won his next two heats, with the third being finals and the one that really mattered.

The 21st Tommy Tant Women’s Pro winner Callie Hertz surfed clean and fast into first place. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

The crowd of supporters that showed up both days thru rain, fog, wind and sunny skies were amazing, and stayed until the very end when the last heat was over. A mid-day paddle out for Tommy Tant was as always the highlight of the memorial event, with over sixty-five surfers forming the traditional circle. Good vibes surrounding the 21st Tommy Tant can only be measured by the smiles on everyone’s faces and the community turn out. – Tom Dugan –

The Circle Of Honor paddle out in memory of Tommy. PHOTO : Duce

Results Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic

Open Men’s

1st Carl Burger

2nd Mako Musilunas

3rd Ben Lacy

4th Evan Tyson

Both days had overhead waves and North Carolina’s Mako Musilunas used this one in the U18 final to help him get a second place finish. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Pro Juniors

1st Ryan Huckabee

2nd Carl Burger

3rd Logan Coluccio

4th Benji Lacy

Aerials get points, and Ryan Huckabee knows how to do them Airs like this got him a 1st in the Pro Jr’s and a fourth in the Men’s Pro. Ryan fins high. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Women’s Pro

1st Callie Hertz

2nd Delaney Spruill

3rd Sage Pytel

4th Maggie Demsey

Women’s Finalist Sage Pytel demolishes this wave for the heat win that put her into the final for a 3rd place finish. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Men’s Pro

1st Luke Gordon

2nd Chauncey Robinson

3rd Robbie McCormick

4th Ryan Huckabee

South Carolinian Luke Gordon and his Dad, Tommy drove thru the night to be at the event. Even without a goodnight’s sleep, Luke was able to put it all together and take the win in the Men’s Pro and the $2,400 dollar check back home to South Carolina. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Open Men’s Longboard

Skye Blumenfeld

Bubba Tyson

Mako Musilunas

Jay Wolfington
Men’s Longboard winner Sky Blumenfeld having fun at his home break. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Grandmasters 45-49

Jimmy Blumenfeld

Stephan Nipple

Chad Brasol

Travis Ajay
Local Jimmy Blumenfeld was on fire during his heat and had the hometown crowd on their feet, clapping and yelling out with his every turn. One of the funnest heats of the day. PHOTO : Duce

Scaffolding view of Flagler Beach. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Brevard county’s Chauncey Robinson had one of those days you can never expect. He surfed three heats and got second in all of them at least earning him the runner up check in the Men’s Pro. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Speaking of checks, Pro finalist Ryan Huckabee and winner Luke Gordon pose for their big check photo with event co-founder / organizer Will Tant. Not too darn shab for a couple of hours “work”. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Speaking of Will Tant …. as a former top East Coast pro, who is still very much in form with a singlet on, Will always surfs the event he started to honor the memory of his beloved brother, Will. Here Tant lays it on a rail and fingertip turns his way into a clean left. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Robbie McCormick as usual was firing on all cylinders, but this year was not to be his. He posted a 3rd in the Men’s Pro so at least he did not go home empty handed. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

The Pro Judges. These guys worked a two day marathon of heat after heat, wave after wave, to make sure there was a clear winner for 2022. ( L to R ) John Brokaw, Chip Hall ( standing ) Barry Pasonski and Todd Frazier. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

World Tour Pro surfer Gabe Kling drove down with his son and they both competed in the event. Gabe was on a tear but was stopped by getting a 3rd in the Semifinal with a score of 14.07, tough heat. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Family affair. Gabe Kling heads out with his son Shane ( in yellow ) for the Tadpoles final where Shane got a 3rd place finish. Start them young. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Shane Kling heading for a 3rd in the Tadpoles. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Kyan O’rourke drove down from St. Augestine to surf the Jr. Pro and pulled the manuver of the morning with this drop wallet that had the crowd cheering. PHOTO : @tomduganphoto

Pre-heat concentration…. Carl Burger. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

One gets by un-ridden Saturday. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Being the announcer at many events puts Travis Ajay in the position to surf many different waves. Along the way, entering contests is also a plus, it keeps his words and surfing current which translates to good times. Trav walking it like he talks it with this searing off the top. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Beach-time Sunday after the fog. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

A clean turn on a clean wave at home for local Benji Lacy. With waves and clean conditions, the surfing performances were at an all-time high. Benji heading for a 4th place in the Men’s Jr Pro. How fun does that wave look? PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Speed run for Logan Coluccio on his way to a 3rd in the Jr Pro. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

The judges view of Ryan Huckabee throwing tail. PHOTO : Duce

Women’s Pro winners: ( L to R ) Maggie Demsey 4th, Delaney Spruill 2nd, Callie Hertz 1st, and Sage Pytel 3rd. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

Flagler Beach local Bob Lindsley throws some water at his home break for the first place win in the first heat of the Grandmaster’s. PHOTO: @tomduganphotos

The groms lined up waiting for the hardware to be handed out. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

The crowd both days where standing room only right up till the Final Final. That the fans stayed till the end shows what great support the Tommy Tant has had for 21 years. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos

When everything was over and done, it was time for a quick photo of the people who made things happen. ( L to R ) Tommy Tant, Phil Jackson , Barbara Tant, Will and wife Clarissa Tant. PHOTO : @tomduganphotos