More than 130 longboard surfers head to Jacksonville Beach starting Friday, Sept. 25, for the seventh annual Loggerhead Classic Longboard Festival.

The three-day competition runs through Sunday, Sept. 27, on the sand just south of the Jacksonville Beach Pier, according to the Jacksonville Beach City Government calendar. Heats begin at 8 a.m. Friday. A $20,000 purse is split across the Men's, Women's and other divisions, Surfer magazine reported.

Event founder Justin Quintal, a professional longboarder, posted on Instagram on Sept. 15 that evening venues are expected to sell out. "Just a reminder: these venues will sell out, so if you're planning on joining us, go ahead and grab your tickets ahead of time!" Quintal wrote.

Competitors check in Thursday evening, Sept. 24, at a private welcome dinner at Safe Harbor Mayport. That event, presented by Visit Jacksonville, is closed to the public.

On the water

Surfer magazine listed South Carolina's Kai Nau among the competitors to watch after Nau finished second in the Men's Pro division at the 2025 event. The field also includes returning talent from last year's podium. Ryan Conklin won the 2025 Men's Division, Jasmine Dean took the Women's Division and Saxon Wilson claimed the 60s Vintage title, according to a True Ames recap of that competition.

Surfer Ashton Goggan called the Loggerhead Classic "The Best Longboard Comp in the World" in a 2025 Surfer article, according to True Ames.

Off the sand

Each evening pairs live music with a different theme, according to 904 Happy Hour:

  • Friday: Log Rap Film Night and after party at Vooswar, featuring Seagate, Wes Chiller and Timing Belt.
  • Saturday: Vintage Surfboard Sip & Swap plus live music at Ink Factory Brewing, featuring The Elameno Beat, Los Muertos and The Haze Brothers.
  • Sunday: After party and award ceremony with vendors and live music, featuring The Mystery Lights, Brett Staska & The Souvenirs and Kelp.

What to know

Competition runs on the beach south of the pier all three days. Tickets and full event details for the evening events are available at LoggerheadClassic.com.

The award ceremony Sunday closes out the festival's seventh year at Jax Beach.