Updated 12:35 p.m. Monday to include more information about award winners.
Despite small waves and poor weather, near 150 surfers from San Diego and Baja California took to Imperial Beach waters Sunday for the 9th Annual Dempsey Holder Ocean Festival and Surf Contest.
The contest is named after Dempsey Holder, a former IB lifeguard and local surfer whose 16-foot statue stands at the end of Palm Avenue and Secoast Drive.
The meeting room and its surf museum in the lifeguard station is also named after Holder.
Due to recent sand replenishment, competition shifted north of the Imperial Beach Pier. Waves were about 2-3 feet high.
"It was the best surf possible, given weather conditions," said Serge Dedina, executive director of WiLDCOAST.
About 500 people attended, organizers said.
For receiving the highest score of any man or woman competing, Candice Appleby was crowned the Queen of the Dempsey, a new tradition that began this year. Appleby also won 1st place in the Women ages 18-39 division and 2nd in Longboard and Stand-Up Paddle divisions.
In another new award category, for competing in three back to back divisions, Josh Burns was won the Waterman's award.
Money raised at the contest goes toward WiLDCOAST's efforts to conserve and protect shoreline environment in South San Diego and Baja California.
Menehune Boys
1stLance Mann 2nd
Peter Stewart 3rd
Cole Quinlan 4th
Jack Stewart 5th
Jack Outlaw 6th
Emiliano Mendez
Menehune Girls
1st Lily Mann 2nd Shaylin Weygandt
Boys (12-14)
Jr. Men (15-17)
Jr. Women (15-17)
Women (18+)
1st Candice Appleby 2nd BreAnne Custodio 3rd Landy Spencer-Daly 4th Peachy Allredge 5th Michelle McDonald
Mens (18+)
1st Sean Fowler 2nd Jacob Szchely 3rd Joe Cowen 4th Ed Custodio 5th Chavo Nunez 6th Jay Christensen
Bodyboard
1st Eric Seles 2nd Cameron Bartz 3rd Joshua Shaw 4th David Apodeca 5th Tanner Ford 6th Robert Tschakart
Longboard
1st Sven Karlsson 2nd Candice Appleby 3rd Noah Bender 4th Terry Gillard 5th Darren Smith 6th Arthur Curtis
Stand-up Paddle
1st Anthony Vela 2nd Candice Applyby 3rd Arthur Curtis 4th Matt Bagby 5th Mark Field
Masters (40-49)
1st Michael Doan 2nd Craig Macia 3rd Terry Gillard 4th Matthew Lord 5th Mike Jackson
Masters (50+)
1st Tim Gillard 2nd Dave Lopez 3rd Jim Malabanan 4th Billy Huddleston
Kneeboard
1st Billy Huddleston 2nd Evan Odom 3rd Joseph Coyne 4th Jeffery Wallis 5th Fred Rodriguez 6th Alex Pina 7th Will Johnson