Surfers are working hard this Labor Day weekend in Cocoa Beach; thousands of people are packing the sand to watch pros and amateurs during the city’s traditional surfing holiday.
After a slow start, the waves are finally picking up for competitors.
They’ve got the surfers, they’ve got the spectators, and now they’ve got the waves.
The surf has been building since a slow start on Saturday. And waves are only expected to get bigger for competitors in this 29th annual Labor Day Hang-ten tradition.
“We’re going to have some waves by the end of this weekend, Monday, Labor Day is going to be really good,” said pro surfer Chris Duff.
It’s all for the “National Kidney Foundation of Florida Rich Salick Pro-Am Surf Festival”, created by Surfing Hall of Famers Phil and Rich Salick.
“The reason for us doing this is Richard and I wanted to find a way to pay back the hospital for the first kidney transplant that they donated to him,” Phil Salick, Surf Festival Co-Founder
Phil’s twin brother, Rich died two years ago, just as he was preparing for his fourth kidney transplant. Phil keeps the surfing festival going to honor his brother’s legacy; and so far, they’ve been able to raise $8 million for the National Kidney Foundation. Their goal this year is $150,000.
“The money goes to medical bills, power bills, food cards, anything that our patients in Florida need because it’s really rugged, whether they’re being dialyzed even transplant patients, it’s very rugged financially,” said Salick.
The surf festival wraps up with finals on Labor Day.