Bro-Am

The Switchfoot Bro-Am surf contest and concert returns to Moonlight Beach in Encinitas on Saturday, June 27, 2009! An annual event near and dear to Switchfoot's hearts, the Bro-Am was created to give back to the San Diego community while also benefiting a local children's charity through funds raised at a pre-event auction night, as well as from vendors on the beach day-of, sponsorships, and an after-party at the Belly Up Tavern.

We are delighted to announce that this year's event will again benefit the San Diego and Oceanside branches of StandUp For Kids, a national nonprofit volunteer outreach organization that started right here in San Diego and is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of at-risk, homeless, and street kids. (www.standupforkids.org)

"The Bro-Am has been my favorite day of the year ever since we started it back in '05," notes Switchfoots's Jon Foreman. "To see our hometown come together to help out a deserving group of kids is an incredible experience � surfing, music, and the San Diego scene at its best. We feel truly honored to again partner with StandUp For Kids, an incredible organization serving at-risk youth here in S.D."

"The Bro-Am event changed our chapter, our kids, and our volunteers last year," explains Kim Goodeve-Green, director of center operations for the Oceanside branch of StandUp For Kids. "Not only did it raise crucial monetary support that we used to expand programs for our kids, but it increased awareness of who we are, and this in turn generated more volunteers, more support, and more community involvement. We need your help now more than ever. We've seen a rise in numbers and are currently servicing 50+ kids each night (at our chapter alone). These kids deserve to be loved, cherished, lifted up, and to stand up on their own two feet."

The Switchfoot Bro-Am will again work with San Diego-based Sustainable Waves to offer cutting-edge solar-powered sound and staging. Sustainable Waves utilizes the renewable energy sources of the sun to deliver 100% pollution-free concerts. By using solar power rather than a diesel generator or grid power, the Bro-Am will avoid emitting approximately 1,000 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere (the equivalent of not driving your car approximately 1,100 miles or the annual sequestration of 66 trees).

Surf contest participants include riders representing O'Neill, Billabong, Transworld Surf, Surfing, Surfer, AKA Surfboards, Walking On Water, Macbeth, INT, Surf Ride, Jedidiah, Surfcurls.com, Keep A Breast, Surfline.com, and Dental Specialty Associates, as well as professional surfers Timmy Curran and Rob Machado, and members of Switchfoot.

A free concert on the beach will feature performances by a number of well known local as well as national bands including Tristan Prettyman, Timmy Curran, The New Archaic, The Howls, Indivision, Jane Carrey Band, and Switchfoot's Jon Foreman and friends.

More about it here.