Solento Surf Festival will screen best new surf films at La Paloma

Locally-owned Solento Organic Tequila will present the second annual Solento Surf Festival on Sept. 22-25. The four-day festival of surf films will kick off at La Paloma Theater at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22 and finish off with a surf competition at Seaside Reef in Cardiff-by-the-Sea on Sunday, Sept. 25.

Created by Solento founder and filmmaker Taylor Steele, the Solento Surf Festival is inspired by Steele’s formative years in the surf and film industry in his hometown of Encinitas. The festival will showcase some of today’s most captivating surf films as well as live conversations with world-class athletes and filmmakers.

“The success of last year’s Solento Surf Festival was a dream come true and it inspired us to really push the envelope this year,” said Steele in a news release. “The community can look forward to a showcase of the best new surf films, a lineup of world-class surfers, and the debut of the family-friendly surf competition and beach activation at Seaside Reef.”

The festival line-up includes “Facing Monsters”, “Gravity”, “Sweet Adventure”, “Physics of Noseriding”, “Everything to Me”, “Interlusion”, “Surf Film”, and “Beyond Sunset”. There will be musical performances by Emily Afton, Low Volts and a standup comedy performance by surfer Benji Weatherley.

The Sept. 25 surf competition will take place from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is free to attend. All proceeds from surf competition entries and festival drink sales will be donated to charitable partners Changing Tides Foundation and Sustainable Surf.

The festival is supported by sponsors including Pedal Electric, SunBum, Yeti, and Ting, as well as local businesses and the Encinitas community. For more information, the full schedule, and tickets, visit: solentotequila.com/surffestival