YouGoogley - Google Earth Challenge

To the victor go the spoils. Or at least that's what we think will happen. After pouring through 589 entries and narrowing it down to 20 top candidates, taking into account factors like wind direction, swell direction, geo-political issues, accessibility, ummm... sea life, and whether anyone's actually been there before, SURFING has come to a conclusion.

After much deliberation, we narrowed the field down to six finalists, Justin VonDolteren from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Ben Colvin from Santa Monica, California, Rob Powell from Pittman, New Jersey, Kito and Travis Burns from Texas, and Brian Gable. The top candidates sent in potential surf spots from tropical places, cold places, rocky places, sandy places and even strange inlets. In the end, many of these are valid, but there can be only one winner.

And that winner is...

Brian Gable, 29, from Dana Point, California comes up with first prize for his detailed and high quality research. So just where is this winning location? Well, let’s just say it’s somewhere near Europe. Kind of.

In the spirit of searching and shredding, SURFING will dispatch its team of photographers, surfers, and, of course, Mr. Gable to this far flung sand point this coming spring.

What’s wrong? Was the spot description not specific enough for you? Well, you’ll just have to tune in to SURFINGMagazine.com as the plans develop, and keep checking copies of SURFING Magazine for the final conquest.

We will be doing another Google Surf challenge in 2008, so keep looking. You could be next.

Thanks to everyone who participated. And special congratulations to Justin, Ben, Rob, Kito and Travis who have all won one-year subscriptions to SURFING Magazine.

Second Prize: Justin VonDolteren from Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Second Prize: Ben Colvin from Santa Monica, California
Second Prize: Rob Powell from Pittman, New Jersey
Second Prize: Kito and Travis Burns from Texas
Grand Prize: Brian Gable, Dana Point, California