Were you born with a board on your feet?

If you can rip on any kind of board  - whether it be in the water, on the slopes, or up a ramp - then the Ultimate Boarder contest is made for you.  

Last year's winner, OC's Chad Shetler

In what is being called “the triathlon of a new generation,” the Ultimate Boarder contest tests out surfing, snowboarding, and skating skills.

Now in its third year, the skate/surf portion has been moved from Ventura to a closer San Diego, with the snowboard segment staying up at Lake Tahoe.

There’s a bit of time to brush up your skills, with the contest running March 13-21. The overall purse is $50,000, with $30,000 going to the winner. 

“It used to be open registration, but this year we’ve really tried to streamline it to have quality verses quantity,” said  Tim Hoover, founder and CEO.
“I love it when we get unknown people – I never wanted to make it where it was a celebrity selection process,” Hoover said. “Most of these guys know each other. We find out pretty quickly if someone is legit or not.”

Famous skater Omar Hassan took second place in the competition

 There are plenty of potential winners here in Orange County - just look at last year’s winner Chad Shetler, of Dana Point. Shetler is team manager for the Lost skate team. Huntington Beach’s Omar Hassan got the bronze medal. Pro skater Tosh Townend also did really well, placing in the top 10.

The snow leg in Lake Tahoe at Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort, Saturday-Sunday, March 13-14; the surf competition at Seaside Reef in Cardiff-by-the-Sea (San Diego County), Tuesday-Friday, March 16-19; and skateboarding contest at Del Mar Fairgrounds in Del Mar (San Diego County), Saturday-Sunday, March 20-21. 

A concert will be tied to the skate event on Saturday, March 20, and Ski Dazzle will produce a consumer trade show focused on surf-skate-snow tied to the Del Mar event.
 
“A growing increase in action sports popularity has been phenomenal at both the participant and fan levels,” said Tim Hoover, Founder & CEO of Ultimate Boarder.  “We are proud that Ultimate Boarder continues to grow year-over-year which has inspired our move to locations that opens up the event to a broader audience…”
 
After the inaugural Ultimate Boarder event in 2008, the event was named the “Best New Sports Event of the Year” by SportsTravel Magazine and heralded by media such as the New York Times.  To sign up, go to ultimateboarder.com.

(Photos courtesy of UB Entertainment)