Rell Sunn Memorial Benefit Surf Competition This Saturday

The 15th annual Rell Sunn Surf Competition and Art Auction will take place at Ditch Plains Beach on Saturday.

Rell Sunn, a Hawaii surfing legend, known by the nickname, the “Queen of Makaha,” was a former world surfing champion and among the founders of the Women’s Professional Surfing Association. Though she was diagnosed with cancer in 1982 and told by doctors she had a year to live, Rell continued surfing through the pain of surgeries and chemotherapy. She died 14 years later in 1998 at age 47. Every year since, the surf competition and art auction that bears her name has raised money for cancer patients and their families, as well as those with other disabilities.

“It’s a nice thing to do and it’s good karma,” said director Roger Feit, “but what I like about it the best is that kids get to see that selfless service is a thing that still happens. It helps them grow up to be better people. Some of them have gone on to create their own charities, so it’s like passing the torch.” 

Beginning at 8 a.m. there will be a surf competition featuring shortboard, longboard, bodyboard, stand-up paddle surf and a prone paddleboard race in men’s, women’s, and children’s divisions. All ages are welcome.

The art auction will begin at around 2 p.m. featuring work from local artists including Walter Ioos, Dalton Portella, Joni Sternbach, Marcie Honerkamp and Victor Kerpel. 

“[The art auction] kind of evolved accidentally,” Feit said.

When local surf shops began donating so many surfboards that the raffle became flooded, Feit said they decided to start auctioning off some of them. When local artists began to contribute their work, the auction's focus began to shift, and as Feit said, "The rest is history."

Prizes include dinners, massages, yoga classes and even donated fuel oil from local businesses. The raffle will conclude at the end of the competition, but participants don’t need to stick around all day: So long as they leave their phone number, the organizers will get in touch with the winners.

Raffle tickets come in books of six tickets, with each book being sold for $20.

To register for the surf event, come down to Ditch Plains around 7:30 a.m. Saturday or stop by Air & Speed Surf Shop in Montauk to fill out a registration form.  All contestants receive a goodie bag and the top three competitors in each category bring home a trophy.

In the event of rain, the competition will be rescheduled for Sunday.