If you haven’t heard of URT Clothing company, you really need to power down your device and get on out to the ocean…yes, the ocean that is just a few blocks away from anywhere in Coronado. Ian Urtnowski is a former Coronado lifeguard and started the clothing company back in 2008. He explains that he heard a sea lion barking his name “URT” and he had to answer the call. Six years later, it’s hard not to spot URT stickers, clothing and locals looking forward to the next event. Our favorite shirts are the ones that have a hidden tide chart printed on the inside for quick reference to low and high tides.
We have a theory that the closer you live to something, the less likely you are to use it and appreciate it. Here in Coronado, locals live by the beach, but not all of them actively enjoy it…besides looking at it.
URT is making it harder to resist the “bark of the sea lion” that beckons us to the ocean…
Not only does URT make incredibly cool, comfortable and clever clothing, but they host multiple ocean-related activities that continue to build in attendance and more importantly, participation. Just a few events they host include: URT WOMP, LOB OFF (lobster diving), URT SPOOK (night surfing), URT DIG (hole digging competition), and many more.
Last Sunday, over 100 participants hit the huge surf to participate in URT WOMP – Youth, Adults and Handplane divisions. As the swell was building, so were the crowds. We estimated about 300 onlookers and supporters.
This is our fifth year doing the event and it has grown substantially each year. This year was our biggest turnout by far and it had a great deal to do with the big South swell that hit our North Beach. I put the bodysurfing competition on in the late-Summer because this is the time of year when we are most likely to see a strong South hit our shores.
Coronado’s North Beach is not known for their waves from a surfing standpoint because of the waves ability to break in unison and eliminate any form of a ridable shoulder, but from a bodysurfing perspective they are the real deal. Bodysurfing does not require a lot to have a good time; that’s the beauty of the sport. The average ride here is about 2 to 3 seconds, but it’s the second where the wave engulfs you in a tube and places you in its spin cycle.
Being a singularity amongst a whirl wind of spinning water and nature’s strength is a feeling that can be best described as euphoric. That is why this year’s shirt featured a Washing Machine door with the words “Welcome to the Machine.” That second when you’re in the tube, surrounded by water, breathing, looking around is unforgettable and completely addicting. It is this feeling that URT tries to recreate when I put this competition on every Summer. And this year we did just that.
Winners by Division:
SPONSORS INCLUDED:
Vita Coco
Watershot
Ocean Minded
Lij Handplanes
Orange & Park
Coronado Brewing Company
Enjoy Handplanes
Emerald City
Smith Optics
Claytons Diner
One of the attendees was Sean O’Brien who captured a very cool video (below) of the event using an aerial camera to record some pretty spectacular angles:
Click here to see how Sean O’Brien filmed the above video.
Thanks again to URT for creating, hosting and sponsoring this wonderful event. It really felt like Coronado was a true beach town with more to offer than just a pretty view of the ocean. These are the life experiences that continue to reinforce why Coronado is the jewel that it is. Here’s hoping that the URT swell continues to build.
More videos from the event:
Congrats to all the URT WOMP participants! Who knows, we might see some of our locals head North to Newport to try out The Wedge (video below):
More info: URTURT.com
