If There's One Event That Has Serious Good Karma, This Is It

SURFER:When did all of this get started and what was the whole idea behind it?
Mike LaVecchia: The event started around 15 years ago as a small casual potluck with friends. We had Jon Wegener here for a paipo workshop and people just came around and made food. It was great and very organic. From there each year we just kind of grew it a bit, showed a movie or got a band. Pretty soon it took on a life of its own and we decided to give it a name… Surf Re-Evolution. The idea is all based around sharing all the great things going on in and around the surf industry. Celebrating the people that are trying to re-evolve products, materials, methods, etc. It’s kind of a party with a purpose. 

The first few years or so took place at our old shop which was on a 20 acre farm complete with cows, chickens, pigs etc. It had a real festival vibe, with artists in the barn, music around a massive bonfire, shapers, craftspeople and artists sharing what they do. We moved around 8 years ago and for a few years held the event at a local town ball field (and missed a couple years for Covid), but in recent years we’ve brought it back to our shop just a couple blocks from the beach which has felt great. 

SURFER:Sounds like quite the get together. You bring out guests each year too, yeah?
Mike LaVecchia: Oh yeah, over the years we’ve been fortunate to host some some incredible guests including The Mattson 2, Andy Davis, Ryan Lovelace, Donald Brink, Andrew Kidman, Greg Long, Ben Moon, and this year we were honored to have Cliff Kapono join us for the event and a few days of fun waves. 

I’d love to say the event doesn't take much work, but that would be a lie (laughs). It’s a serious effort on top of running our shop. But we absolutely love gathering the community and sharing this place, especially this time of year. We couldn’t do it with out the amazing brands that step up to be a part of it. Finisterre has been an incredible partner for a few years. This year we were thrilled to have Dogfish Head join as a beer sponsor. Parley for the Oceans is always a massive help. We also had local hotels including Stones Throw and The Nevada and Long Sands Surf School join us. The event simply couldn’t happen with them. Gathering the community is the point of all of it for us. It’s really a celebration of all of the creativity going on around us. We love sharing our place. 

SURFER: Harry, can you tell us a bit about to connection between Finisterre + Grain?
Harry Fricker: Maine has always just made sense for Finisterre. The cold water, the tight-knit surf scene, the focus on craft and sustainability, it all aligns with who we are. I’ve been connected with Mike and Nick LeVecchia for years, and there’s always been this natural overlap in values and vision. Having Tom, our founder, meet them last year was a special full-circle moment. So being the lead supporter of the Re-Evolution event at Grain this year felt like more than just an activation — it was a continuation of something already rooted. We’re not here to drop in and disappear. We’re here to be part of the community.

SURFER: Mike, could you share any special moments from over the years?
Mike LaVecchia: Lots of amazing moments, too many to share really, but there's certainly a couple that really stick out… one year the bonfire pile grew to be massive and nearly lit the hay barn on fire. Right when people were calling 911, the sky opened up and poured. It saved the day and definitely saved the barn.  Another year we had a bit of a hectic shift where we had to move the event by a full day due to a heavy hurricane but it still came together and went off without a hitch.  We all loved it when The Mattson 2 played live on our hay wagon, that was a great show.

In terms of waves, basically every time Jon Wegener comes, we have waves. He has yet to fail us. This year there were no waves on the day of, but plenty of waves for the days leading up to it and now the several days after. Pretty much ideal set up to ensure people are in town and come to the event. He’s our good luck charm.