Spooky surfing: seventh annual Haunted Heats Halloween Surf Contest

This past Saturday morning, ZJ Boarding House held its seventh annual Haunted Heats Halloween Surf Contest at Santa Monica beach, where many ghouls, witches, and other Halloween creatures were prepared to surf their best. Proceeds from competition went to Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a healthy and active lifestyle for the prevention of breast cancer. The morning's costumes ranged from characters such as Katniss Everdeen, from the "The Hunger Games" films, Ghost Busters characters to skeletons and a Playboy Bunny.

Surfers in the competition had to incorporate costumes into their wetsuits, and then act out the character for fifteen minutes while catching the big swells.

While also trying to remain balanced on his board, Captain America brought out his shield and tossed it into the ocean. One surfer in the competition was dressed as Katniss Everdeen, with her bow and arrow included.

There was even a female matador, complete with a separate person on the beach dressed as the bull. As she surfed close to the shore, the bull charged into the surf and the matador "teased" the bull with a pink silk cloth.

One surfer dressed as the character Joe Dirt, from ht movie of the same name, and brought along a plastic baby doll with a cigarette in its mouth to reference the character's controversial smoking baby in the 2001 film. While balancing on his board in the waves, the surfer threw the plastic baby onto shore, and then theatrically gave the doll CPR.

For best grom (or rookie surfer), in first was Zoe Morgan as Little Red Riding Hood, in second, was Clara Weider as the Big Bad Wolf, and Jack O'Rourke as Santa Monica and Golby Palacio as the Statue of Liberty tied for third place.

Competitor David Nickerson took home best costume dressed as the beloved Robin Willaims character Mrs. Doubtfire, tied for second were Rich Mudge and Greg Delger as space rappers, and in third was Sarah Strazi as a Hershey's Kiss. For best surfing, first was Vienna Werner who dressed as a Playboy Bunny with puffy tail and ears included. In second place was Jason Michael Dodd as a golfer, and in third was Andres Quiros as a matador.

But for best overall surfing, the winner was John Broz who was riotously dressed as a person from a fictitious 'redneck yacht club.' As of Tuesday, ZJ Boarding House reports the competition helped raise $1,500 for B4BC. ZJ Boarding House is already planning for next year's Heat contest and hope to see just as many and more festive, avid surfers riding the waves.