SURFSIDE BEACH — Attention groms: the
beach is the place to be Saturday.
The Texas Gulf Surfing Association is hosting the Taylor Surfboards Grom
Roundup beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Surfside Beach’s Stahman Park, 2211 Blue
Water Highway across from the crabbing pier.
The event is free to surfers 13 and younger, referred to in the surfing
community as groms, and includes three divisions — 13-and-younger,
11-and-younger (mini-groms) and 8-and-younger (micro-groms).
Entrants will receive a free T-shirt, medal or trophy, and a free meal.
A large gathering is expected.
“We had to move up to 50 entries because so many were registering,” Taylor
Surfboards associate Chelsea Meador said. “This is not going to be a
competition, it is only to give the young ones the heads-up that the season
begins Sept. 30. We’ll give trophies to the first four in each division. For
6-and-under, parents can get in the water with them and help them along.”
Registration is being taken at Taylor Surfboards, 1239 Highway 332 in Clute,
or by logging on to www.tgsa.org. Children also can register Saturday before
the event.
Boards of any size will be allowed, but normally shortboards are required
for the groms and mini-groms during the district competition, Texas Open and
any other major competitions.
Last year, the Texas Gulf Surfing Association only had two grom
competitions, but added two more because of interest. The Surfside Beach
event was added along with the a Sept. 16 event at South Padre Island.
“I was just overwhelmed by the great time we had at the two Grom Roundups we
did last year,” Texas Gulf Surfing Association President Charlie Cooke said
in an interview posted on the TGSA Web site. “Everyone involved agreed that
they were such a success that we should have even more of them this year and
spread them out along the coast.”
The Texas Gulf Surfing Association is recognized as the official surfing
organization in the state of Texas by Surfing America, the national
governing body for surfing in the United States.
Joel Luna is a sports writer for The Facts. He can be reached at (979)
237-0161.