Surf Edit Contest

Adam Mar Surf Edit Contest: Celebrating the Culture and Creativity of Surfing

There was a time when your local surf shop, the neighborhood pro, a magazine, or even a sticker on your board wasn’t just a symbol of our culture—it helped shape the way people lived. The surfing community thrived on support, creativity, and a shared purpose. Lately, it's felt that the industry as a whole has been taking more and giving less—where a few top guys thrive, and most are left to scrap—where a box of seasonal tees and a few stickers constitute “support.” Our little shop/brand is hoping to change this perception.

This year, Adam Mar is hosting a surf edit contest to celebrate and support the individuality and culture of surfing. The winner will take home $10,000 USD.

There’s no other agenda here—just a desire to ignite some excitement and give back to a community that has given us so much.

1. Contest Rules

  • Film Length: Must be between 2-5 minutes (no more, no less).
  • Footage: All footage must be original and filmed by the submitting creator or their team. Please make sure to tag and credit all contributors. 
  • Fresh Content: All footage must be fresh and unseen content. Unpublished works from past years are fine to submit, as long as they have been unseen. Note: edits should not be submitted to any other surf video contest for the duration of this event. After the event, you're welcome to send them where ever. 
  • Music Rights: Contestants must have the rights to all music used. If you need assistance with music rights, contact Ryan Adams at ryan@greetingsfromrockaway.com. If you’d like to create an original score, contact Ryan Miller at ryanmillermusic@gmail.com.
  • Submission Dates: All edits must be submitted between 4/1/2025 and 12/1/2025. Anything submitted after this date will not be accepted.
  • One Submission Per Contestant: Each contestant can only submit one edit.
  • Private & Unpublished: All submissions must remain private and unpublished until the event release date, which will be at the end of December 2025.
  • Submission Email: All submissions should be sent to info@adammarclothing.com and titled “AM SURF EDIT CONTEST” and your name in the subject line. A brief bio of your vision needs to be included. Still photos will be helpful but not 100% necessary in promoting everyone's edits, so feel free to send over a few stills as well. 

2. Surfing & Creative Guidelines

  • Surfing Disciplines: All surfing disciplines are welcome—shortboards, fish, mids, logs, gliders, etc.
  • Location: Wherever there’s surf!
  • Creativity: No rules here—let your creativity flow.
  • Storytelling: Have fun with it!

3. Eligibility & Judging Criteria

  • Who Can Enter: This is a global event, and all are welcome—amateurs, professionals, filmmakers, and surfers.
  • Number of Surfers per Edit: There is no set number. Edits can feature 1 surfer or 100. Just make sure to discuss the winning split with your team if you take home the top prize.

Individuals must have obtained all necessary permissions from surfers featured in the videos.

  • Age: All entrants under the age of 18 need to provide parental consent.
  • Judging Panel: A panel of judges, including filmmakers, writers, surfers, and shapers will determine the winner. The judging panel will be announced at a later date.
  • Judging Criteria: Will be based on a 50 point scale.

    Surfing Performance (1-10): Judged based on the type of surf craft being used.

    Wave Quality (1-10): A perfect waist-high longboard wave is as much a “quality wave” as a double-overhead barrel.

    Cinematography (1-10): How visually striking and dynamic the video is.

    Creativity (1-10): How unique and imaginative the edit is.

    Storytelling/Impact (1-10): How engaging and impactful the story is.

Total Possible Score: 50 points.

4. Legal & Disqualification Rules

  • Copyright & Permissions: Entrants must ensure no copyrighted materials (logos, brand names, music, etc.) are used without permission from the original source.
  • Code of Conduct: No illegal, dangerous, or environmentally harmful behavior is allowed.
  • Tax: The $10,000 prize is subject to local taxes, and the winner is solely responsible for reporting and paying any applicable taxes in their country or state.
  • Ownership & Usage Rights:

    We will be posting edits on our website and YouTube page.

    Some edits, but not all, will also be featured on our Instagram page.

    All submitted edits will be subject to marketing/promotion of this event.

    Filmmakers will retain full ownership of their edits at all times.

Adam Mar reserves the right to disqualify any entry that does not comply with the rules, appears to infringe on copyrights, or reflects poorly on the event.

Entrants agree to indemnify and hold harmless Adam Mar, from any claims, losses, or damages arising out of participation in the contest.

Sorry for the legal stuff, but it has to be stated. 

Hope everyone has a blast with this project. Please reach out to us at info@adammarclothing.com or on our CONTACT page should you have any questions.