A One Year Air Comp With A $20k Purse

Santa Cruz is the kind of surf town that could really give two fucks about what the current corporate incarnation of wave-riding is doing. The town’s always had a rebellious, independent streak and that’s just as true with the core surf population today as it was when Jack O’Neill was first wrapping Pleasure Point in neoprene.

Enter the latest incarnation of this freewheeling spirit comes in the form of the Planetary Punt, a year-long video contest that’s giving away $20,000 for the best punt.

“I’ve always been a fan of the heavy freaks of surfing and skating. Santa Cruz has a deep air history going way back,” says Tim Ward, founder of Life At Sea, which is underwriting the endeavor. “And I’ve probably scoped John John’s latest cross-bone attempt about 30 times.”

“I got to share a pad on Pleasure Point with my good friend photographer Tony Roberts. TR would be shooting photos and blowing the surf and skate scene up. Living was cheap and fun, and we were all creating,” continues Ward. “A dark room and my t-shirt press all crammed into a one-car garage right on the surf. Rent was cheap and we just rolled.”

As Ward’s business picked up he decided to pay if forward and give something back to the raucous scene that has given him so much over the years.

“Hopefully this amps surfers up and makes something fun that people can watch as the year progresses,” explains Ward. “It’s fun to put a prize on the table and say, ‘Whoever gambles best and sticks it, wins.’ $20,000 may seem like a lot, but we’re simply trying to give the surfers the dough they should have been getting all along…and so $20K ain’t enough [laughs]. We’re hoping to increase it as we grow.”

The concept, which was initially launched with the Santa Cruz locals-only Hometown Huck event, is simple enough.

“Catch a huge punt on film, post it and tag it correctly so we’re sure to see it,” says Ward. “Any surfer can send multiple entries. And anyone can watch at their own convenience. The Life At Sea Planetary Punt means anywhere in the globe’s oceans and seas is fair game. Surfers should submit their moves as the year progresses and their latest moves will get showcased on LifeAtSea.com.

And there’s no stress when it comes to deadlines and getting entries in on time. The waiting period runs from June 1, 2018 through June 1, 2019, giving surfers a whole year to, as they say, stick the landing. As mentioned, $20,000 goes to the first-place finisher (with another $3,000 going to the photographer). Second place gets $3,000 and third takes home $2,000 (the photographers are also compensated because “as an artist-based company, we want to reward the photogs—these guys really put in some love and dedication to surfing.”

“The level of surfing nowadays is really beginning to show some huge, tweaked airs, with higher and higher pull ratios,” explains Ward. “If we can have some fun and play a roll in pushing that, we’re stoked.”

The Planetary Punt is open to “men, women and groms…anyone who brings the punts!”

Another thing Ward and company are stoked on is the fact that Life At Sea’s sales have been “blowing up” lately and they’ve been able to throw another $50,000 to help keep our oceans clean.

“Like Santa Cruz, every area has its own vibe, its own surf and its own characters, which make all these local, crazy movements become possible,” says Ward. “All these individual characters blowing it up around the globe. It’s fun and super progressive.”

So, if you’re punt-equipped, and light on cash, head over to the site to find more details on how to win 20 big ones from stomping one big ‘huck’.