175 Frothing, Young Surfers Storm San Clemente’s T-Street

There’s one guarantee in San Clemente: When the Gudauskas brothers put on an event for the local kids, it’s always a smash success. Launching their new Little Urchins event, more than 175 little gremlins hit T-Street this past weekend for a day they’re definitely not going to forget anytime soon. With residual Southern Hemisphere swell in the water, the day, which was made possible by the support of emerging surf brand Abysse, was less about keeping score and more about getting kids together, sharing waves and building a little ocean community.

Created for kids from kindergarten through fifth grade, the event brought together groms as young as four and as old as 11 from local elementary schools. Instead of putting the emphasis solely on individual results, Little Urchins used a tag-team format that encouraged kids to surf alongside friends and classmates before joining forces as teams. From the beach, parents and teammates cheered every ride, with plenty of high fives and hoots.

“The event is for our next generation of ocean groms, and Little Urchins is our way of bringing the community together in a healthy, meaningful way,” said Abysse co-founder Hanalei Gudauskas. “We want kids to feel empowered to be outside and in nature, while learning kindness through teamwork and sportsmanship.”

Hanalei and husband Patrick Gudauskas founded the event with a simple goal: give local kids a meaningful reason to get outside, connect with the ocean, and each other. And while the surfing is the cornerstone, like their Stoke O Rama events of years past, it’s all about turning out the community and enjoying some fun in the sun.

“We wanted to invite all the kids from the local elementary schools for a fun day in the sand and
water, making new friends, cherishing old ones, and bringing everyone together around the
ocean for an impactful day of fun,” said Patrick. “Seeing all the schools interacting and enjoying the waves together was so special. It felt like the beginning of friendships that could last for years.”

Adding to the stoke, Dane Gudauskas served as the event announcer. After heats, the young surfers broke down their waves with Dane, talking through their rides and favorite moments.

There was also a solid community component. Abysse raised $2,000 for the San Clemente Junior Lifeguard Foundation, supporting the local program that teaches ocean safety, awareness and confidence. For a first go, Little Urchins looks like it hit the mark: plenty of waves, plenty of stoke and a whole new generation getting their feet wet in the San Clemente surf community.