It must have been an unpleasant phone call. At some point in the months leading up to the 31st annual Vic Contest the county of Orange contacted event sponsor and organizer Victoria Skimboards to break some unexpected news.
 

  “They decided to ‘adjust’ the cost of our event permit.” Explained Trigg Garner  of Victoria Skimboards. The “Adjustment” went something like this: For years now, the cost of the permit required to conduct the contest at Aliso beach was $300 for a three day event. The new price; $1,500… a day.
 

“Its tragic, really” noted 17 time contest winner and skimboarding icon Bill Bryan. “Tex Haines, the owner of Victoria Skimboards, and contest director has been running this event for the past 30 years as a charity event. The contest doesn’t make money. Time and time again, he’s been inches away from throwing in the towel on whole thing, as the numbers just never ad up. But it means to much to the sport, and it means to much to the community that surrounds it, to give up on it just like that… It would be a huge loss.”
   

Indeed “The Vic” contest carries enormous weight in the skimboarding world, and its loss would be great. Given its history as the longest running contest in the sport, at one of the best beaches in the word for skimboarding, it has developed into the premiere proving ground for skimboarders around the globe. A win at The Vic in any division is something to covet, as the best of the best from around the world are in attendance, all fighting for the win.
 

Unfortunately, with the permit situation this year, the contest had to be scaled back to a two day period.

  “4,500 dollars for a three day contest was totally out of the question.” Said Garner, “Even at $3,000 for the two days, we’re stretched to the max”  The limited time frame also forced event organizers to shift the contest to an invite only format for the first time in the contest’s history. A necessary move to limit the number of competitors to fit the time allotted.

All of this seems so far removed from the contest, and indeed the sport’s, humble beginnings.  The very first Victoria contest took place in 1977.  But calling it the very first “Victoria” contest doesn’t put it in the proper light.  Perhaps a better way to refer to it would be the very first skimboarding contest.  The event was not held at Aliso as it is now.  Appropriately, “The Vic” was held at Victoria Beach, as it was the premiere spot of the day.  There was no pro division, and there wouldn’t be for quite some time.  Divisions were based upon age alone, and the oldest division was 19 & up.  This was a young man’s sport. 

The inaugural event was actually sponsored by the city of Laguna Beach, and as such was only open to those that resided within the Laguna Beach School District’s boundaries.  The cost to enter the event?  Two dollars.  The total prize money?  Over $1000.  It would be nice to see that kind of support from the community again.

The contest spent three years at Victoria Beach before the decision was made to move it about a mile south to Aliso in 1980.  The introduction of competitive skimboarding was pushing the local riders to hone their wave riding skills.  Better skills required better conditions, and Aliso was the natural choice to take things to the next level. 

It is often asked who won these early events.  “Who won the Vic?”  This simple question has no simple answer.  These early events had no professional division, and the age brackets changed from year to year.  So there was no real answer to that question until the 1987 contest, when the professional division was first created.

This years event not only marks the 31st Victoria contest, but it also marks the twentieth anniversary of professional skimboarding.  In those twenty years, participation in all divisions has soared.  A few years back the competition had to be extended to a three day event to accommodate all the participants, and even so, many were turned away.  While the competition has no doubt provided some excellent exposure for the Victoria Skimboards company, there can also be no doubt that the competition has been a huge undertaking both in effort and finance.  Luckily for all of us, this sport has dedicated people like Tex who pour their blood, sweat and tears into these types of events.  Without this contest, skimboarding would not be what it is today.