The Loggerhead Classic Returns to Jacksonville This September with a $20,000 Prize Purse Split Equally Across Three Divisions

Come September, the world’s best longboarders will be rolling into Jacksonville Beach, as the city prepares for The Loggerhead Classic Longboard Festival.

Started by Jacksonville hometown hero, World Champion Justin Quintal, and now in it’s seventh iteration, the Loggerhead has evolved into an annual weekend-long extravaganza combining one of the most talent-rich and wildly competitive Men’s and Women’s longboard contest, with three days and nights of fun in one of America’s most underrated coastal cities, from the shrimp boats of Mayport to the beach bars by the Jax Pier, to live music at historic venues like Vooswar. This year's festival will be headlined by The Mystery Lights.

"It's a surf contest within a larger festival. We definitely want to see some real competition and some incredible surfing—but we also wanted to distill some of the best experiences in North Florida into one weekend for everyone," says Justin Quintal. "That's always been the vibe.” 

One of the country’s largest cities by landmass, Jacksonville is home to nearly a million residents, wIth a sprawling downtown skyline and a busy coastal port. Despite the population, much of Jacksonville still feels Old Florida—fishing boats idle along the St. Johns River, weathered fish camps share the waterfront with a century's worth of Southern architecture, beneath canopies of ancient live oaks heavy with Spanish Moss.

Jax beaches reflect that same blend of old and new—Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, and nearby Mayport have long been melting pots where surfers, fishermen, Navy families, artists, and lifelong locals cross paths, where deep Southern roots tangle Caribbean, Latin American, and military influences, creating one of the most diverse cultural landscapes on Florida's East Coast. 

“Everyone comes a few days early, explores the area, scores good waves, and enjoys three nights of live music that's open to the public.” says Quintal. “We have a huge opening night dinner for all the surfers, sponsors, and people flying in from out of town for the event, at Safe Harbor seafood, this historic spot with all this history and lore behind it, and great food for all the surfers and volunteers. Everyone watches the sunset behind the shrimp boats and gets hyped for the start of the event.”

“Friday night we have a big party with bands playing at Vooswar, which was the first African American bar in the beaches. The owner’s father was in the Navy, and opened it in the fifties. Log Rap is showing his films, surfers that are in town will be showing their clips and stuff they’ve been working on, and we have really good local bands lined up.” 

“Saturday night we move it over to the Ink Factory Brewery, with a big vintage surfboard swap, tons of vendors with curated selections of memorabilia, boards, and really it’s just an amazing place to chat with other surf dorks about the history and culture of surfing here. We’ve got bands playing Saturday night too. Then Sunday we have the closing party and awards ceremony at Casa Marina, this beautiful hotel on the water right by the pier, that’s over 100 years old. Everyone goes big Sunday night, we have tons of vendors, headlining bands, and we close it out proper.” 

For the international and East Coast longboarding community, festivals like this are massively important to the cross pollination of culture and community that’s existed in the scene for decades. The success of The Loggerhead has made it one of the most looked forward to events of the year for competitors, and one of the most prestigious to win. It helps represent Florida, and the US, on the global stage alongside events like The Mexi Log Fest, New Zealand's Single Fin Mingle, and Portugal's Gliding Barnacles. Events like these are no small feat, but they carry a huge impact. A big thanks goes out for all the work done by the team, volunteers, and the local Jacksonville community.

This year, a prize purse of 20k will be broken up equally amongst the Men’s and Women’s Field, as well as the mixed-gender Classic Log division wherein surfers compete on pre-1967 equipment. 

You can find more information on the Loggerhead Classic here. Registration for the event just opened.

Related: “The Best Longboard Contest In The World” Returns To Florida This Weekend