2025 Del Mar Bodysurf Festival: A swell of talent and community spirit

The shores of Del Mar once again played host to the highly anticipated 5th Annual Del Mar Bodysurf Festival on Oct.12, drawing world-class bodysurfers, fans, and ocean enthusiasts from across the nation. This year’s festival, dedicated in honor of the late Mark Drewelow, was held under glorious California sunshine and consistent, rideable 4-foot swells, proving to be another resounding success, celebrating the raw athleticism and camaraderie unique to the bodysurfing community, according to a news release.

Del Mar Mayor Terry Gaasterland has been the awards presenter since the first contest in 2021.

“The Del Mar BodySurf Festival is a joyous community event revered by bodysurfers and beach lovers from around the world,” said Gaasterland in the news release. “Del Mar is proud to be home of the reigning bodysurf Team World Champions. We are honored to host this event now on the world stage featuring the top-ranked competitors in the nation.”

The contest at Powerhouse Park in Del Mar, hosted by the Del Mar BodySurfing Club (DMBC), was a sanctioned event that served as a crucial stop on the IBSA Bodysurf World Tour Qualifying Series (BWT QS) for the North America region.

Competition results from this event grant competitors valuable ranking points towards qualifying for the prestigious IBSA World Tour Finals that will be held in France from Sept. 25 to Oct. 5, 2026, the news release stated.

The contest saw incredible performances across all divisions, with participants demonstrating impressive wave selection, powerful rides, and innovative maneuvers. The judging panel, comprised of respected figures in the bodysurfing world, had their work cut out for them, meticulously evaluating each ride for length, control, criticalness, and overall style.

Men’s Open Division: The Men’s Open was fiercely contested, featuring top-ranked competitors from California and Hawaii. Darren Moody (Carpinteria, Calif.) secured a victory, consistently threading barrels and executing powerful maneuvers that left the crowd roaring. His precision and control in critical sections of the wave were truly a masterclass. After the first two of three Qualifying Series events of the Bodysurfing World Tour, Moody’s 1st place finish at Del Mar finds him at the top of the rankings for men in the North America Region.

The tightly contested Men’s Finals found Jason Napolitano (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) finishing in 2nd place, Adrien Deloffre (Los Angeles) in 3rd place, and Austin Quigley of the DMBC (San Diego) in 4th, the news release reported.

Women’s Open Division: The Women’s Open showcased incredible talent and fearless wave negotiation. Del Mar’s Meredith “La Mer” Rose took home top honors with her fearless drops into steep faces and incredible ability to ride the pocket with grace and power. Rose’s first-place finish also finds her the top-ranked woman in North America on the road to the BWT Finals.

Right behind Rose in the Women’s Finals were two Hawaiians, Delori Gomes (Wahiawa) in 2nd place, Katie McConnell (Maui) in 3rd, and Christina Gasparich (Los Angeles) rounding out the finalists in 4th place, the news release reported.

Junior’s Division (Under 18): In Girls U18, Coral McIntrye of the DMBC (17-La Jolla) impressed everyone with her youthful energy and advanced technique, snagging first place. Her ability to find open faces and carve across the wave belied her age. McIntyre is also in contention to make Team USA in the Women’s Open division for the BWT Finals.

Another junior girl from the DMBC making waves was Georgia Murray (16-Carlsbad), whose smooth style and long rides earned her considerable applause and a close 2nd place finish. DMBC’s Sabrina Jutronich (15-Solana Beach) took 3rd and Aime Honda (15-Torrance, Calif.) finished in 4th place, the news release reported.

In the Boys U18 division, Hawaiian Elias Hollenbeck (16-Oahu) won top honors in dominant fashion. Del Mar’s young men took 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Caden Bannan, DMBC (12-Solana Beach) finished in 2nd place, Rossi Gaona, DMBC (16-Huntington Beach, Calif.) in 3rd, and Parks McDoniels, DMBC (15-Carlsbad) finished in 4th place, the news release reported.

Year-end special awards for the Del Mar BodySurfing Cub were awarded in several categories:•U18 Boys – Most Inspirational Bodysurfer: Sawyer Neville (12)•U18 Girls – Most Inspirational Bodysurfer: Georgia Murray (16)•Women – Most Inspirational Bodysurfer: Scotti Shafer•Men – Most Inspirational Bodysurfer: Kevin Bowlin•Women – Volunteer of the Year: Cedar Sugarman•Men – Volunteer of the Year: Armando Cazares•Women – The Mark Drewelow Award: Meredith Rose•Men – The Mark Drewelow Awards: Greg Wilkinson

Looking aheadThe third and final stop on the 2025 Bodysurfing World Tour – Qualifying Series for North America will take place in Ventura, Calif. the weekend of Nov. 29-30. Final rankings for the N.A. region will be based on the top two scores out of three events.

More information can be found at: www.usabodysurfing.org and www.ibsabodysurf.com