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StandUp for Switchfoot

San Diegans have always had a reason to brag about the local music scene. With bands like Blink 182, POD and 3 against 1 originating in America’s Finest City, locals have certainly earned the right to be proud. With the increased emphasis on charitable causes and giving back to the community, San Diegans have an extra reason to brag about local band Switchfoot, who are not only kick ass musicians, but also kick ass humanitarians.

On Saturday, June 27th, Switchfoot band members Tim Foreman, Chad Butler, Jon Foreman, Jerome Fontamillas and Drew Shirley will host the 5th Annual Switchfoot Bro-Am Surf Contest and Concert at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. For those not in-the-know, Switchfoot created this annual event as a way to raise money for a local charity and increase community awareness. This year the guys chose StandUp for Kids (www.standupforkids.org) which is an organization that seeks to help homeless children.

“StandUp for Kids is a community-based organization that started in San Diego and has expanded nationally,” explains Chad, who moved to San Diego with his family in the 4th grade. “When we get charity requests, we look into the structure of the organization to see how much money really goes to help the cause. Seeing that StandUp for Kids is well-run and accountable to people in the community was really important.”

Tim agrees, “We work with a lot of organizations in San Diego, and this one fit in with the ethics of our band – grass roots, hands-on, do-it-yourself. StandUp for Kids are the same way: hardworking and hands-on with their goals in the community.”

“Working with kids is something that really resonates with us,” Chad continues. “We were so fortunate growing up in San Diego to have the support of our families and friends, and we’ve been given so much that we wanted to find a way to give back to kids in our city that are in much worse situations than we’ve ever been in.”

The day itself is “laid-back,” as Tim describes, “Surprise guests have been known to show up to surf without warning and people just kind of hop up on stage to play; there is not a structured schedule.”

The surf contest is set-up so that teams of 4 compete together, and are a mixture of pro surfers and those who just enjoy the sport. Everyone who surfs in the contest has to surf one wave goofy-foot and one wave regular “so it makes it even for those of us who aren’t pros!” Chad laughs.

Last year's surf contest featured riders representing Hurley, Reef, TransWorld Surf, Surfing Magazine, Surfer Magazine, Surfline.com, to name a few . In addition the Switchfoot members partnered with surf legend Tom Curren, and will do so again this year.

Performances from local and national musicians will take place throughout the day and past events have featured appearances by Jason Mraz, Nickel Creek's Sean and Sara Watkins, Stripes and Lines, and Switchfoot's Jon Foreman and friends. There are also dozens of vendors with free items for attendees, as well as unique experiences for the kids, such as guitar or surfing lessons.

“On this day, the kids get a chance to just be kids, which they don’t get to do very often. They had to grow up fast with challenging adult lives. With the Bro-Am Surf Contest and Concert, they are being honored in a unique way,” Chad points out.

“These kids have never had an experience like this, and to have people donate their time to help is an amazing, life giving moment,” Tim adds. “The Bro-Am has become so much bigger than us, which is what we wanted.”

The surf contest and concert are merely one part of this creative charity event. The event is free, so to raise money for the charity there is a pre-event auction night soiree where community members can bid on donated items the proceeds of which will all go to StandUp for Kids. Items auctioned off last year included signed memorabilia from the sports and music worlds, such as a jersey signed by Kelly Slater and guitars signed by Dave Matthews.

“Our friends really get involved and help out, which is great,” Chad explains. “Tony Hawk, for example, always comes through and donates really cool, unique items.”

In addition, there will be a Switchfoot concert at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on the night before the surf contest and concert as well as an after-party following the contest at The Belly Up Tavern, which is hosted by Switchfoot and will include special guests that the band is keeping secret – for now.

How did growing up in San Diego help influence you musically? Chad: The music scene is equally as embracing [of all music types] because it is a community of people who are excited about different genres. The focus is more organic and less competitive in the sense of commercial. It’s just about making music, not making money. Tim: Making music was never about getting a career; it is just what we did and it just so happens that it became a career. We’re so fortunate; it’s an honor [to have earned this much success] when you look at the grade of talent out there and in San Diego in particular.

You have traveled all over the world, yet your home base remains San Diego. What is so appealing about this city? Chad: The people are really laid back, warm and friendly. Also, we have the ocean and a lot of great surf spots, [as well as] great restaurants and local hole-in-the-wall places. Tim: The surf culture and laid-back atmosphere. People aren’t nearly as competitive as NY or LA.

Best Local Surf Spots North County Camp Ground; La Jolla Reef; Swammies; Seaside Reef

Best Non-Local Surf Spot Chad: The most amazing surf similar to San Diego surf is in Sydney, Australia. It has the exact same longitude and is the same distance from the equator.

Favorite Happy Hour Spot: Tim: Fidel Norte’s in Carlsbad and Kai’s, which overlooks Cardiff Reef. Chad: Sushi Station in Solana beach or Las Olas because both are on the water and are great spots to see the sunset.

What can fans expect next? Tim: We’re in the studio right now finishing an album we’ve been working on for about 2 years, which is the longest we’ve ever taken [to complete an album]. It’s a new direction. We left Sony about a year and a half ago with the specific purpose of enjoying the creative freedom of an independent band. We did a song for Habitat for Humanity so that kids would buy it and money would go to Habitat for Humanity – you can’t do that with a label. We wanted to make a record that showed a tremendous amount of growth artistically, so we wanted to wrestle with that and figure out what that sound is. We built our own studio, and are taking our time.

For more information on the 5th Annual Bro-Am Surf Contest and Concert, please visit www.switchfoot.com/bro-am.