Huntington Beach Board Riders capture the WHEAT CUP on Saturday 5 June 2021 at the Huntington Beach Pier
Great Surf, Great Weather, Great Crowd, and a Nailbiter Finish
Huntington Beach, California (6 June 2021)—The 2021 West Coast Board Riders WHEAT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP presented by SPORTOFKINGS went down to the wire on Saturday afternoon under sunny skies and with a crowd of more than 1,000 people on the beach who witnessed the hometown heroes of Huntington Beach Board Riders take home the WHEAT CUP.
With just 6 points separating Santa Cruz, San Clemente, and Huntington Beach going into the final heat, it was Huntington’s talented 20-29 division that came away with a heat score of 27.07 to take the win.
The event featured the top 6 clubs from WCBR’s 2019-20 season—Santa Cruz, Ventura, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, San Clemente and Encinitas—who convened for the first time in more than a year in celebration of the west coast surfing community and the life of WCBR co-founder Casey Wheat who passed away in May 2020.
“It’s a dream come true for all of us in Huntington,” said WCBR co-founder Ziggy Williams when asked for his reaction. “The West Coast Board Riders was one of Wheat’s true passions and to see the Wheat Cup stay home here in HB is incredible.”
For most of the day the powerhouse squad from San Clemente commanded a formidable lead, and at one juncture was ahead by more than 20 points. But after several miscues, the door was opened and both Santa Cruz and Huntington found themselves within striking distance.
HB’s Jake Saenz cements the win for the home team. in the last heat of the day.
And even with Santa Cruz’s 20-29s posting the highest heat score of the day with a 36.44 in the final heat, it still wasn’t enough to overcome HB’s lead and a final score that saw the local team win by 3.05 points.
“I’ve never been more nervous on the beach as I was all day today,” said WCBR co-founder and Huntington Beach Board Riders member Chris Moreno. “It’s almost like Casey wrote a script that kept us on the edge of our seats until the very end.”
FINAL RESULTS
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Huntington Beach Board Riders—179.93
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Santa Cruz Board Riders—176.88
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San Clemente Board Riders—171.09
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Encinitas Board Riders—154.26
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Newport Beach Board Riders—139.6
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Ventura Board Riders—138
“What an incredible finish to an incredibly challenging year” said WCBR managing director Don Meek. “On behalf of our entire team, I want to thank all of our clubs up and down the coast for everything they do, and to our partners for the support that makes it all possible.”
2019-2020 WCBR PARTNERS
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Sun Bum
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A_Shoc Energy
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Clif Bar
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Banzai Bowls
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Caliente Southwest Grill
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Huntington Surf & Sport
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Jack’s Surfboards
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Laguna Surf & Sport
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O’Neill
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Quiksilver
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Billabong
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Reef
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Vissla
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805 Brewing
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L8Night w/ Choccy
Highlights from the WHEAT CUP can be found on Instagram @west_coast_board_riders and an hour-long special will air on FUEL TV globally in August.
For more visit www.westcoastboardriders.com
WCBR Family and Friends—
We’re stoked to FINALLY share some good news with all of you!
We’ve gotten the green light from the City of Huntington Beach to hold our 2019-2020 WCBR WHEAT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP on Saturday June 5th 2021 on the Southside of the Pier.
This event will bring together the top two clubs from each division to compete for the Wheat Cup dedicated to our brother and friend Casey Wheat 🙏🏽
NORTH
CENTRAL
SOUTH
In addition, on Friday, June 4th Casey Wheat will be inducted posthumously into the ‘Surfers Hall of Fame’ in a ceremony that will be held at Huntington Surf & Sport. More details to come! #foreverwheaty
FINAL 2019-2020 STANDINGS
The WHEAT CUP will close out our 2019/20 season and the new 2021/22 season will kick-off in October!
Huge thanks to all of our partners who make it possible!
The Future is Local
Your WCBR Team,
Ziggy, Chris, Brillo, Don
WHEAT
“We are Brothers and Sisters across generations, united through city surf clubs and friendly competition, with a deep passion for surfing and positive movement, always paying it forward to those following behind us.”
– WCBR VISION
OUR PROGRAM
Inspired by the culture and success of the more than 200 board riders clubs in Australia, what started in 2017 as a way to bring friends and rivals in Huntington Beach and Seal Beach together to surf in a local competition has turned into a movement.
In just four years we have gone from 2 clubs to 15, from 1 event per year to 12, and we’re just getting started.
As Surfing Australia puts it “…club competitions teach the skills required to pursue a competitive career and introduce surfers to the benefits of the support and friendship offered by club membership.”
In addition to participating in the WCBR event series and annual championships, all of our clubs are having a major impact on their own local communities. From beach clean-ups, movie nights, and scholarship fundraisers, our clubs provide real connection year-round and are inclusive of anyone who wants to be part of the board riders’ movement.
Beyond California, there is an enormous opportunity to extend our reach. As surfers our home beaches are sacred. These are the places where we learn how to surf, hone our skills and build lifelong friendships.
And as building real-life community becomes ever more important in this digital age, we are confident that we will continue to go from strength to strength, and serve as the unifying foundation for real surfers for generations to come.
