For five years, the beauty of Pismo Beach has been the backdrop for the one-of-a-kind Break-A-Wave Rodeo.
“They want to see a picture of a cowboy or cowgirl riding a horse right next to the ocean, it's great," said Bruce Van Vort, Fin's Seafood Bar and Grill owner. Being able to see it unfold from his patio, his restaurant has had a front row seat to the event's growth.
For the past five years, the infamous rodeo on the beach has grown into a spectacle, with last year raising around $70,000 for the Cal Poly Rodeo Program and attracting 800 VIP guests and thousands of spectators. For the first four years, it had been run by the program itself.
“I would love to grow this as big as Cal Poly has become and Poly Royal has become,” said Ben Londo, Cal Poly Rodeo Head Coach. His program is consistently one of the top collegiate programs in the country.
However, this year will look a little different. Now running two nights instead of one, there will be a $10,000 purse for saddle bronc riders and breakaway ropers, $100 general admission tickets, and the events will be followed by concerts at the Madonna Meadows with performances from Midland and Ryan Bingham and the Texas Gentlemen.
Outriders Present, a concert and rodeo promoter in Southern California, has also taken over the organization of the event from Cal Poly.
“It fits kind of their genre of outside the box rodeo and looking at things a little bit differently,” Londo said.
For him, the goal is to bring in more people and more fundraising for the program.
Outriders Present recently introduced professional rodeo to San Diego’s Petco Park, where the MLB's San Diego Padres play.
For Londo, it means a higher caliber event, one that Van Vort has seen expand over the last five years.
“It will obviously double our business from last year," Van Vort predicted. "Last year was very chaotic on the day it happened because it really grew exponentially from the years before.”
Between setting up grandstands and working between high and low tide, the competition will bring in some of the best saddle bronc and breakaway ropers in the country for a chance to qualify for the rodeo in San Diego, where they can win upwards of $50,000.
“It's kind of what keeps it fun and interesting and why people are so drawn to this event," Londo said. "It's a unique opportunity and in a unique setting, and it's for a great cause.”
The rodeo takes place Sept. 24-25, beginning at 5 p.m. both nights on the beach. For more information, visit the Outriders Present website.
