- December 20, 2024
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Spectators watch the comptitors during the Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic in Flagler Beach. Photo by Michele Meyers
11-year-old Kason "Seaweed Head" Kling has been competing in the Tommy Tant Surf Classic for three years. He placed third in his class. Photo by Michele Meyers
A surfer competes in the duo team event at the Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic at Flagler Beach. Photo by Michele Meyers
Friends and family join hands to honor each other at the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic. Photo by Michele Meyers
22nd annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic friends and family join hands to honor each other. Photo by Michele Meyers
Surfers run into the ocean for the 'expression session' at the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic. Photo by Michele Meyers
Memorial surf classic goers throw flowers into the ocean in honor of Tommy Tant at Flager Beach. Photo by Michele Meyers
Professional and amateur surfers compete at the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Surf Classic. Photo by Michele Meyers
Professional and amateur surfers compete at the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Surf Classic. Photo by Michele Meyers
Professional and amateur surfers compete at the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic. Photo by Michele Meyers
Professional and amateur surfers compete at the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jimmy Blumenfeld (left) and Tyko Tran (center) of the FB G's won the new Tommy Team division at the 22nd Annual Tommy Tany Memorial Surf Classic. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matt Tran laughs with his wife Heather Tran after competing in one of the heats in the new Tommy Team division. He was the second half of the Laid Back G's. Photo by Michele Meyers
A spectator watches the surfers compete at the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic at Flagler Beach. Photo by Michele Meyers
Professional and amateur surfers compete at the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic. Photo by Michele Meyers
Professional and amateur surfers compete at the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic. Photo by Michele Meyers
The surf was a little rough due to the ocean swells brought in by Hurricane Tammy. A surfer is porpelled in the air during the 'expression session' at the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jimmy Blumenfeld won the new Tommy Team divison with his friends' son Tyko Tran. Their team is named the FB G's. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matt Tran laughs with his wife Heather Tran after competing in one of the heats in the new Tommy Team division. He was the second half of the Laid Back G's. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matt Tran hugs his wife Heather Tran after finishing one of the heats in the new Tommy Team division. Photo by Michele Meyers
Kelli O'Reilly and Ellen Kincaid work the raffle tent where patrons of the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic buy raffle tickets to win prizes like the hand painted surf board by local artist and surfer Stewart Maxcy. Photo by Michele Meyers
Diana Beynovich supports her son Jonathan Galbraith at the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic. Galbraith won the Open Mens Longboard division. Photo by Michele Meyers
8-year-old Flagler Beach resident Jahziah Neste shows his handpainted seashells at the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic. Photo by Michele Meyers
Eight-year-old Flagler Beach resident Jahziah Neste (left), five-year-old Cora Leavins and seven-year-old Cove Leavins paint seashells at the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic. Photo by Michele Meyers
Surfers, supporters, family and friends gathered in a circle at Flagler Beach by the pier for the 22nd Annual Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic paddle-out on Sunday, Oct. 29. But due to ocean swells delivered by Hurricane Tammy, the circle and a 20-minute "expression session" replaced the paddle-out honoring Tommy Tant and those who are important to us.
Will Tant asked everyone to gather and hold each others’ hands.
“Grab the hand of the person next to you,” he said. “Odds are you’re standing next to someone who is incredibly important in your life. Someone who is shaping you into the person that you are today and will continue to shape you into the person you’re going to become. The thing is, the value of that person is something that we often can’t appreciate until that person isn’t in your life any more and that’s something that I learned.”
Tommy Tant, Will Tant's older brother, was a Flagler Beach local who was known and loved by many in the “tight knit surf community,” according to the Tommy Tant website. He died in 1998 of an undiagnosed aortic aneurysm.
Will Tant said that as amazing as the friends and families who stood in that circle and the 22 years of contests are, he would give it all up to spend one more day with his brother.
“To be able to paddle out with my brother one more time, I would give up all of this and that speaks to the value of the person that’s standing next to you,” he said.
The surf contest was initiated by the Flagler Palm Coast High School marketing class in 1999, run by the Z-Wave Surf Shop the following three years then taken over by Tant’s younger brother, Will Tant.
This year’s event kicked off on Friday, Oct. 27, and ran through the weekend. It has evolved to be a fundraiser for local scholarships, the Bunnell food bank and the Marfan Foundation. People who attended the event could purchase raffle tickets to win a variety of goodies, with a $20 ticket going toward possibly winning a surfboard painted by local artist and surfer Stewart Maxcy.
While the surfers battled in the waves at the Tommy Tant contest, others could peruse sponsor tents and their products while kids could take a break from the sun and paint seashells.
Jonathan Galbraith has been surfing and skating for 33 years—his entire life. He was born and raised in the area and has been competing at the Tommy Tant competition over 15 years. This year, he placed first in the men’s open longboard with 10.40, winning by 2.93 points.
“One of my first contests I ever did was the Tant,” he said. “It’s really great to come here. It always has a great community vibe—obviously in memory of an amazing person and a great family. It is really a great event that brings everybody together from south to north.”
Flagler Beach residents Heather and Matt Tran have been participating in the contest since they moved to the area eight years ago. They moved to Florida from Anderson, South Carolina for the surfing. Their son has also been competing in the event since he was 6 years old. His event fell on his 13th birthday this year.
Heather Tran held her first women-only surf contest in June this year, called Her Turn Surf Festival. It is an annual event to celebrate women.
The Tommy Tant contest, she said, "is so important to the community. I mean, that’s what’s really great about the Tommy Tant, the community. We all celebrate each other and support each other. That’s really what local grassroots contests are about. It’s so important that our son has gotten to grow up with that support and to feel the love of everybody here. It raises good humans.”
To view contest results, go to: liveheats.com/events/152177
