Racing Dirt Bikes and Riding Waves at the 2022 Surfercross

Once a year, Southern California’s motorcycle and surf industries come together to do battle in the ever-growing competition known as Surfercross. The two-day event starts with a motocross race before heading to San Clemente for a surf contest. 2022 marked the 23rd running, which sees an increase in talent every year.

There are two classes in this team event—Industry and Pro. At the beginning, teams are decided by a draw of the hat. In the Pro class, every two-man squad must be a duo of one pro motorcycle rider and one pro surfer, while in the Industry class, the competitors are not segregated.

After the team draw and a quick meet and greet between partners, the first moto begins in no time. Each team is supplied with number plate graphics of the same digits to apply to each rider’s bike before heading to the gate. One teammate starts the race from the gate and completes one lap before entering the staging area, signaling the teammate to begin their lap. Alternating one lap at a time, each partner does six laps, making for a 12-lap race. The same procedure is carried out for both classes.

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The two-moto format combines teams’ results from both motos for an overall finish. In Surfercross, there are three awards given per class. There’s the motocross podium, the surf podium, and the Surfercross overall podium that combines each team’s results from both days.

After a hot one out at Fox Raceway, the surf contest is held at the beautiful beaches of Trails, one of San Onofre’s three beach areas. Similar to a traditional surf contest, each heat features three teams for a total of six surfers. Each teammate is scored off their single best wave for a two-wave combined score. The nine highest scoring teams move onto the semifinals consisting of three heats of three teams. The winner of each heat moves to the final to determine the surf podium.

After the Industry and Pro final, the scores are added up and the award ceremony begins. The organizers first call out the podium of both classes for the motocross race and then the surf contest before finally unveiling the coveted overall podium of Surfercross.

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The 23rd annual Surfercross marks the fourth year I have participated. As many others will attest, this is one of my favorite events on the calendar. Arriving on the first day, the entire field of competition is held in suspense of the unknown. Being a team sport, the phrase “you are only as strong as your weakest link” has never felt more real. At times, your chances of winning are seemingly decided before the first gate drop, but nonetheless, everyone has a great time.

As a teammate this year I drew Ryan Cavanaugh, who’s an employee of 805 Beer which just so happens to be a sponsor of the event. Cavanaugh was a great partner and someone I felt fortunate to meet. We are both in our mid-20s, which created a quick and relatable friendship.

As we lined up at the gate, I opted to start the first moto aboard Dirt Rider’s 2022 Suzuki RM-Z250. Picking an inside gate put me in the top 10 after the first corner, even with some wheelspin off the hard-packed dirt start. I finished my first lap in ninth place behind YouTube star Eli “Medium Boy” Steria. As I pulled in, Ryan’s took off, and we switched off trying to improve our top 10 position for the first moto.

After the chaos of the first couple of laps, the teams spread out and we found ourselves in a battle with riders of similar pace. We finished 21st, then watched the pros head to the line and waited for the second motos. The pits cleared quickly as everyone prepared for an early start the following day.

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For the surf portion of the event, heat 1 begins at 8:00 a.m. followed by heat 2 at 8:15 a.m., meaning if you want any kind of practice before the contest starts, it’s essential to be in the water early. As other competitors trickled in, my partner and I were surfing just outside the contest zone to get a feel for the conditions and narrow down our board selection. With small surf, we both opted for boards with a little more volume to help stay afloat.

We had the fourth heat of the morning, which started at 8:45. All surf heats are elimination rounds, meaning if you don’t score a high enough number to advance, your day is done. For many, their fate is decided before 9:00 a.m., leaving two options—hang out and watch the event or go home.

Fortunately, we had a combined score of roughly 7 out of 10, advancing us to the semi-finals. With plenty of downtime before our 12:45 p.m. semi-final heat, I was able to free surf some more, nap in the shade, and fuel up on Wahoo’s burritos (another sponsor of the event) before suiting back up for a chance to go straight to the final, which ultimately guarantees a spot on the surf podium.

After a 15-minute heat with few scoring opportunities, we were eliminated by a one-point margin. Although disappointing, it was nothing a few 805 beers couldn’t fix. Now with no expectations or butterflies as our participation in the competition was done, we had the pleasure of drinking some cold ones and networking with other great people while watching the deserving competitors duke it out in the surf finals for both classes.

Faster than anyone would have liked, another year of Surfercross concluded, leaving a bittersweet taste in everyone’s mouth as we all look forward to next year’s event.