Blue Mountain Surf » Announcements

Surf’s Up & so is Blue Mountain Surf!

Mike Sturdivant — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:44:51 +0000

After an incredibly difficult year on the Gulf Coast, Blue Mountain Surf is back in the lineup and offering lessons again. If you are looking for personal and professional surf instruction for families and children, you found the right place!

Lesson appointments are available on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and most weekends. (If you are looking for counseling, I still see clients at Destin Counseling Center on Tuesdays and Wednesdays!)

We will schedule a Surf’s Cool children’s program for August. If you would like to be notified when the program is enrolling, send an e-mail to: Info@BlueMountainSurf.com

School’s Out Due To Oil Disaster !

Mike Sturdivant — Mon, 24 May 2010 18:23:33 +0000

Due to the unfortunate oil disaster in the Gulf, Blue Mountain Surf will not be scheduling a “Surf’s Cool” program until further notice. With petroleum fumes in the air and undisclosed chemicals in the water, I just can’t justify taking health risks with other people’s children.
That said, I personally continue to surf as often as possible, savoring every last wave. I will be glad to provide Individual lessons for adults and even private lessons for families but on a day by day basis as the conditions allow. We have had plenty of days where I allow my own 8 year old son in the water, and a few where I would not. If it looks and smells nice out… let’s surf!

Check out this brief video form Dylan’s surf session last week:
Dylan @ Surfing Blue Mountain Beach

Blue Mountain Visits the Hill

Mike Sturdivant — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:15:05 +0000

… Capitol Hill that is. Â We are in Washington DC today on a mission for the Surfrider Foundation and for anyone who enjoys a visit to the Beach! Â We will be present for a Supreme Court hearing tomorrow. FL DEP vs. Stop the Beach Renourishment (formerly) “Save Our Beaches” (hereafter referred to as S.O.B.)
Â S.O.B. ironically wants to save the beach for the few who can buy their way onto it. Â This is a convoluted case even beyond the misleading catch phrase names for the organizations petitioning. Â While the DEP is advocating Dredge and Fill beach “Nourishment” (not a preferred beach management solution) their essential position that the beaches are public is important enough to stand with them on this one. Â You may have noticed the abundance of bullying signs going up along the Emerald Coast, threatening prosecution for simply stepping foot on our beaches. Â (Check out the statute cited sometime and usually you will find that it does not exist, or if it does, has little or no bearing on beach access) Well, this case could help re-assert the publics right to traverse and enjoy the beach. This is our interest in the case. The actual legal matter is regarding whether the florida court effected a “judical taking” with it’s earlier decision. We’ll keep you posted.

Surf Spooktacular and Monster Paddle Report

Mike Sturdivant — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:52:28 +0000

What started with a scare ended with shrieks of joy! Â Rain threatened the start of our event but was nothing to this freakish group of watermen and women. Â Paddlers from as far away as Tallahassee spooked the Destin Harbor today. Â We saw costumes of every variety… spooky, funny and a couple that still have me scratching my head and asking what was that? Â We witnessed the maiden voyage of the oil rig”S.S. Not The Answer”. Â She did capsize once in heavy wind and sea, but her faithful captain Jack Slattery stayed with the ship and landed safely on Noriega Point. Â We also raised money to help Surfrider finance more rigs and hopefully keep the real monstrosities away from our beaches! Â Watch this page for plenty of pictures to come soon!

Here are pics! Â Â http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=10422

Beach Photos with Santa!

Mike Sturdivant — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:06:25 +0000

Join Blue Mountain Surf for pictures with Santa! Â On two Sundays during November (8th & 22nd) we will be offering photo ops with the Big Kahuna himself…beachside! Â Bring the family and get a leg up on your holiday cards. Â We will have two photo options… Â our camera or yours! Â Just $10 for you do it yourselfers…or $20 and we’ll take the shot- crop- edit-and e-mail you the finished file! Â If you want a gazillion printed, we’ll point you in the right direction to several local printing options. Â For times and location, or to arrange a private session, Â e-mail us at info@BlueMountainSurf.com

Surf School @ Back to Nature Festival!

Mike Sturdivant — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:27:48 +0000

Blue Mountain Surf will be contributing to the Back To Nature Festival this weekend at Seaside. We’ll be running a brief version of our school to give a taste of surfing to local children. For registration and to find out more about the weekend of great family activities go to theÂ “B2N” website!

Update:

We had a great time and witnessed more kids enjoying their first wave. Â Nothing better than that first wave smile! Have a look for yourself, link to pictures from the Surf School coming soon!

13th Annual Surf Spooktacular & Monster Paddle !

Mike Sturdivant — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:49:44 +0000

Blue Mountain Surf is proud to announce the return of our creepiest event of the year…

The 13th Annual Surf Spooktacular!

This years event will be held in conjunction with the “Monster Paddle” poker run. Â Join us on Halloween for an unforgettable paddle on Destin Harbor- October 31st from 11am to 4pm!

The SurfÂ Spooktacular is a Halloween costume contest on the water! Â Dress up and paddle with us on Halloween and we’ll take your picture for the contest. Â That’s all there is to it! Â … or, put on a costume and hit the water anytime before October 31st, take your own picture Â or brief video and send the pic or a youtube link to: info@BlueMountainSurf.com .

Can’t decide what to wear? Â Enter as many times as you like! Â We’ll have prizes for the scariest, funniest, best kid and best action shot. Â Get tubed in a ballerina tutu and win a prize! Â You can surf, SUP, kayak, sail, swim, waterski or scuba dive…if it’s in the water and in costume, it’s all good!

Video from prior event :

2008 Surf Spooktacular

Beach Bonfire Saturday Sept. 19th

Mike Sturdivant — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:56:19 +0000

Join Blue Mountain Surf, Stone Mountain Surf, and the Surfrider Foundation for a beach bonfire this weekend.Â We’ll meet Saturday around dusk at the Van Ness Butler access (betweeen Watercolor and Seaside) .Â If you are participating in the YOLO event in Seaside, we’ll be just a few steps away after the concert. Walk on down the beach and hang with us.Â We also have a few spots left at the campground in Grayton beach if any paddle board racers need a place to stay for the night. Â Hopoe to see you at the YOLO race and bonfire after party!

Emerald Coast Beach Cleanup Day

Steve Combs — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:23:10 +0000

Sep ’09

8:00 am

Saturday at 8am Blue Mountain Surf will be volunteering along with the Surfrider Foundation Emerald Coast Chapter for a beach cleanup in the Santa Rosa Beach area. More info here. Contact us if you want to participate.

Then head to the YOLO Race and Celebration. Details here.

You can listen to Mike Sturdivant’s public service announcement here.

In Fond Memory of Bill :)

Mike Sturdivant — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:43:00 +0000

Well, it has been a few days now and I am finally getting back to normal after an amazing experience with Hurricane Bill. We traveled to the coast Friday evening and camped at Anastasia State Park for the weekend. This turned out to be an excellent call as the epicenter of Bills swell landed right at our feet. No searching around the state for the best break. Having reviewed the pics pouring in from up and down the east coast, it’s safe to say that St. Augustine was going off! Bill brought incredibly clean, long period swell and a variety of face shapes (as the tides changed the waves throughout the weekend.) The good size, at times approaching double overhead, was tempered with ample time between sets for getting into position. If you paid attention to the patterns, paddling out was no big deal…if you got to casual, well, then you got thumped and beaten like a rag doll! Needless to say, I kept focused and was rewarded with some of the best rides I can remember!

Saturday morning began with a bang as the largest of the swell was working it’s way in. The tide was making for what I consider violent pitching bombs. There was no easing into the session, just pick the wave carefully (for me that means wait out the back and claw for the biggest wave possible) and point the nose down. Riding a 9-1 HP longboard in macking surf has it’s advantages…covering some distance between sets on the paddle out and early entry. The disadvantages are it’s impossible to duck dive if you get into the wrong place and if you get hung up on the lip or flail in the barrel with that board there’s a good chance of getting knocked silly by it and then held under as it tombstones. I did not miss a single drop on Saturday and my fear of getting worked resulted in hanging in there for what turned out to be the biggest, widest, fastest barrel of my nearly thirty years surfing.

While many folks are debating about whether Bill was the best swell ever, I have my theories. I think it largely depends on how your session went, your surfing style, ability, and attitude. As for me, I love the drop. I especially like those way outside sets and dropping in before passing by the majority of the lineup that’s now scrambling to safety. I enjoy a powered up ride and snapping my longboard off the top, so I can drop again…no nose riding for me (perhaps, till the reform on the inside). Bill was ideal for my kind of ride. As for ability, I’m certainly no pro. Being over 40 years old I think I may just be a late bloomer. My skills are continuing to improve and this means that any big swell could easily be my own best swell ever. And my attitude, it’s all bonus! A good swell is anything that’s rideable, like most things in life it’s what you make of it that matters most. Having a young son also helps, cause I now look forward to even waist high days where we can surf together.

Obviously, I can go on and on. If you read this far you deserve a break! Check out the link below for some amazing photos of Hurricane Bill taken by Chandler Williams :

http://www.modusphotography.com/
Client login for Modus is “bill”
P.S.
Just a few hours after this post, Dylan and I hit Blue Mountain and scored some perfect glass waist high peelers…brilliant orange sunset with a half moon rising…perhaps the new best session ever!

Hurricane Bill Sunday Leftovers, Anastasia