Just A Few Reasons You Should Attend The Duct Tape Festival In New York This Week(end)

The Vans Duct Tape Festival, under the discerning eye of Joel Tudor, has been running nine years strong.

What we like about the event is the competition is just a vessel to bring together a sprawling group of individuals for three days of music, art, drink and good food – all in honor of playing with floating toys in the ocean and the joy it brings. The Duct Tape attracts some of the world’s best loggers and stylists, and an invitation to the event is most cherished in the longboard community. 

The Duct Tape is about enjoying the moment and escaping the corporate nature of the WSL. It’s about drinking a beer between your heats with friends on the beach then sharing a wave with another competitor when it’s your turn to surf.

This week, starting Thursday, October 3rd, the Duct Tape Fest will be in full swing on Rockaway Beach. One major initiative they’re taking this go-round is encouraging the backyard shapers to show up and set their boards alongside the handshapes of Al Knost, Karina Rozunko, Pat Schmidt, skateboarder Andrew B Allen. If you’re a shaper looking to get known, or just get pleasure out of people riding your boards, bring a few down and let the public have a go.

In addition to the daily festivities (Oct 3-6th), here are three events we highly recommend attending:

Friday, Oct 4th, 7-11 PM is Vans movie night at the Rockaway Surf Club. There will be beverages and a collaborative showing of films by hip surf gals, Karina Rozunko, Ainara Aymat, and Hanna Scott. The film will be followed by live music from a TBD act. Stay tuned!

Saturday, Oct 5th starting at 9 AM the first official board demo will kick off. Come to the event site, grab one of Al, Karina, Andrew, Pat or some local’s handshape and go wiggle in the Atlantic brine.

Saturday, Oct 5th, 7-11 PM at Rockaway Brewers, Alex Knost’s self-directed, scored and starred-in film, Tan Madonna will play. After the showing, Surfboart and Ice Balloons will plug into amplifiers and keep the party flowing.

If you’d like to attend, we very much encourage it. There will be art, tunes, food, drinks, and good vibrations. And if you’re a four-wheel enthusiast, Friday and Saturday (5 PM) Rockaway Skatepark will host skate jams.

Come on by, say hi and enjoy the show.