Last Night's Big Laguna Winners
Did your vote win?
In all of the 25 years I’ve lived in Laguna Beach, last night’s 1st Annual L.A.F (Laguna Achievement Festival) awards produced by Laguna’s KXFM Radio 104.7, was THE most amazing event I’ve participated in with fellow Laguna locals.
Now, this may be a stretch for most of you, but in my mind, it just eclipsed the Sawdust “private locals’ pre-opening party” AND the Patriot’s Day Parade AND the Hospitality Night. Maybe even combined.
I think it’s because this was an event truly attended by locals honoring its locals.
All of our “local traditions - like the “locals’ parties” and parades … even the “Take Back the Town” parties on Labor Day weekend that specifically celebrate the locals’ coming out of hiding after another busy season of visitors … these events have all been sorta invaded by the very same visitors.
I mean, don’t get me wrong - we love sharing our town with the world. We knew our great ideas like Hospitality Night with Santa arriving on an obliging firetruck would go viral.
But the LAF Awards was like an old-school gathering of Laguna Who’s Who – the individuals and businesses who actually made this town what it is today – with the up-and-coming Laguna Who’s Who that are now shaping its future.
It was a heady, funny, irreverent – and very reverent mix – of residents of all ages. As I stood there in the middle of it all, I realized that what I was feeling and seeing was the core, the true heart of Laguna Beach.
It all started with KXFM Radio’s Chairman Billy Fried getting another wild hair idea
Seven months ago, on Sept. 17th, Fried effectively relaunched the town’s almost-defunct non-profit radio station with a hearty cast of thousands. Well … ok … not thousands but EIGHTY of us - all volunteers - who had agreed to be radio hosts, each doting on our favorite thing about Laguna Beach.
Prior to Fried and his sidekick Jonathan Tufano riding in like white-hat cowboys, KXFM Radio had hung on by a thread for a few years, and God bless those few radio DJs and talk show hosts who clung to that thread. They were there for all of us wide-eyed newbies when we said “yes” to weekly radio show commitments that included hundreds of radio knobs, multiple monitors that fairly shouted “I’m an important duty, don’t ignore me!” and a line-up of microphones and call-in phone lines that we were supposed to figure out turning on for ourselves and our guests.
I would have crumpled in a heap without Jonathan and Jason Feddy there to fix my glaring mistakes and lying through their teeth, assuring me that they, too, had made similar gaffes.
So, that was Billy Fried’s FIRST wild-haired idea re: Pulling off the Lazarus trick by bringing KXFM 104.7 back from what assuredly looked like the dead.
But this Lifetime Achievement Festival awards show … the fact that Billy and basically four other loosely coined “staff” people managed to pull this off at such a grand level … well, they deserve an Oscar, not just an LAF award.
It turns out that this L.A.F. award actually means something to us locals
These businesses – these “establishment” founders of our community and these rising stars - they mean something to us and the ongoing skein that weaves the unique brand that is Laguna Beach.
This was the “Who’s Who” of Laguna Beach, but it wasn’t an entitled or stuffy group - these are the Cool Cats who remind Laguna Beach what its roots are all about. And here they were, mixing and mingling with the Emerging Cool Cats led by 27-year-old Mayor Alex Rounaghi.
Twenty-five votable categories were published at KXFMradio.org just weeks prior. Every category was a perfect reminder of how one small, non-profit radio station has attracted 80 radio hosts with a love for all of these things Laguna - we were the ones who curated the nominees list, each to our specialty.
Each category literally received thousands of votes - and yep, you could only vote once.
I’ve got all the winners right here in this list. But the real win happened when hundreds of people rolled out Saturday night to show their support for the indy spirit they love in Laguna Beach.
Thanks to Baruch Kaufman and Lex Simonton for photo help. I discovered this morning that I hadn’t been a very good photographer because I was so floored at the crowded red carpet, the Rasta Taco and AhBa peeps inundated with lines of hungry people, and the “old guard” - all the way up to 95-year-old Lifetime Achievement Nominee Dick Metz chatting with these 30-somethings who have moved to this town - or moved back to this town - because this town is their choice, too.
Presented by: Laguna Beach Police Chief Jeff and his wife Amy Calvert
1. Best Coffee Shop
🏆 Winner:
Laguna Coffee Co.
Other Contenders:
Jedidiah
Succulent
Bear Coast
MoonGoat
Equator
2. Best Breakfast
🏆 Winner:
Coyote Grill
Other Contenders:
Anastasia
Heidelberg
Penguin Cafe
Orange Inn
Presented by: Diane Armitage (that’s me!) & Jonathan Tufano:
3. Best Swanky Joint
🏆 Winner:
The Drake Laguna Beach
Other Nominees:
Selanne Steak Tavern
Broadway by Amar Santana
Sapphire Craft. Cellar. Cook
Oliver’s Osteria
Alessa
4. Best Hippest Hang
🏆 Winner:
Brussels Bistro
Other Nominees:
AhbA / Helen’s
Laguna Beach Beer Company
Finney’s at the White House
5. Best Fast Reasonable (Counter Service Restaurants)
🏆 Winner:
La Sirena
Other Nominees:
The Taco Stand
Zinc Café
Gu Ramen
Saigon Beach
Wigz
6. Best Locals’ Hangout
🏆 Winner:
Adolfo’s
Other Nominees:
Reunion Kitchen
Starfish
Lumberyard
Rumari
Wine Gallery
7. Best Libation Station
🏆 Winner:
Starfish Laguna Beach
Other Nominees:
230 Forest
Lumberyard
Royal Hawaiian
Presented by: Heidi Miller & Michael the Greeter:
8. Best Event Space
🏆 Winner:
Rivian Theater
Other Nominees:
[seven-degrees]
Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center
9. Best Art Gallery
🏆 Winner:
Wyland
Other Nominees:
Vladimir Kush
Sue Greenwood
Joanne Artman
LCAD Gallery
10. Best Retail Store
🏆 Winner:
Bluebird Mercantile
Other Nominees:
WillBo
Mercado
Tuvalu
Business & Pleasure
Hobie
Presented by Cindy Obrand & Mark Christy:
11. Best Event / Festival
🏆 Winner:
Coast Film Festival
Other Nominees:
Fete de la Musique
Art & Nature, Laguna Art Museum
Patriots Day Parade
12. Best Live Music Venue
🏆 Winner:
Sandpiper
Other Nominees:
Ivan’z House - Mozambique
Hennessey’s
Marine Room
The Drake
The Cliff
Presented by Alex Rounaghi & Sue Kempf:
13. Best Newer Band
🏆 Winner:
Great North Special
Other Nominees:
Malaga
Salty Suites
Crimson Crowbar
Robert Jon & The Wreck
Black Tongued Bells
14. Best Photographers/Videographers
🏆 Winner:
Doug Miller
Other Nominees:
Tom Lamb
Jeff Rovner
Jacques Garnier
Presented by Jorg Dubin and Lex Simonton:
15. Best 2D Artist
🏆 Winner:
Andrew Myer
Other Nominees:
Mark Garry
Katlin Evans
Justin Bower
16. Best 3D Artist
🏆 Winner:
Casey Parlette
Other Nominees:
Stephanie Bachiero
Louis Longi
Kyle Caris
Randy Bader
Jesse Miller
Presented by Hallie Jones & 5th District Supervisor Katrina Foley:
17. Best Female Solo Artist
🏆 Winner:
Molly Bergman
Other Nominees:
Anesha Rose
Ava August
LeLe Rose
Grace Freeman
Kelly Fitzgerald
Beth Fitchett Wood
Presented by Ivan Spiers & Bob Whalen:
18. Best of All Time Band
🏆 Winner:
133 Band
Other Nominees:
World Anthem
Party Foul
Missiles of October
Presented by Tom Joliet & Rick Conkey:
19. Best Male Solo Artist
🏆 Winner:
Shawn Jones
Other Nominees:
Andrew Corradini
Zach Churchill
Ethan Staus
Adam Lasher
Presented by Brenden Hexberg & Brandy Faber:
20. Best Male Surfer
🏆 Winner:
Hans Hagen
Other Nominees:
Jeff Booth
Nate Zoeller
Ryah Arthur
Presented by Ryah Arthur & Hans Hagen:
21. Best Female Surfer
🏆 Winner:
Tess Booth
Other Nominees:
Kayla Cosino
Alisa Schwarzstein Cairns
Ruby Samson
Presented by Pat Parnell & Ben Warner:
22. Best Mountain Biker
🏆 Winner:
Hans Reyh
Other Nominees:
Richie Schley
Brian Lopes
Sten Kramer
Presented by Billy Fried & Jorg Dubin:
23. (Tongue in Cheek) Best Late Night Dining
🏆 Winner:
Jack in the Box
Other Nominees:
Ralphs
Stop N Go
Shop N Go
24. (Tongue in Cheek) Best Location for Cannabis Dispensary
🏆 Winner:
All of them
Other Nominees:
North Laguna
South Laguna
East Laguna
Downtown
Presented by Greg & Barbara MacGillivray
25. The Laguna Beach Legacy Award
🏆 Winner:
Beth & Steve Wood, Honk band, most awarded IMAX documentary film composers
Other Nominees:
Dick Metz, Surf industry legend, born 1929 in Laguna Beach
Jim Otto, in memoriam, Sound Spectrum store owner
Eric “Redz” Morton, in memoriam, Rebel Rockers reggae band
Let’s hope the L.A.F Awards becomes an annual tradition
I have a feeling the tickets will sell even faster next time around than they did this first time. Thanks to all you attendees who decided to give it a try. You helped make history last night in a really special way.
And please remember, everyone, this is a tiny non-profit entity running a significant radio station - the only real radio station in Laguna Beach. Your lovely donations make you one of the Cool Cats, too:
P.S. Monday Reminder! Incoming Piatti restaurant is interviewing with me
On my “Best of Laguna Beach” radio show tomorrow, Monday, March 31st at 2 pm PT/5 pm ET, I’m going LIVE on air with Matt Stuhl, the man behind the sizzling new launch of Piatti Laguna Beach.
We’re talking:
🏅 Why Laguna Beach made their shortlist
🍷 The inside scoop on Piatti’s rich history (what it takes to survive 3 decades)
🍝 A sneak peek at the menu unlike anything else in any other town
🚪 And yes– when they’re opening their doors
📻 How to tune in:
🎙 Dial your radio dial to KXFM 104.7 if you’re local
🌍 Stream it live anywhere in the world at KXFMRadio.org
📲 Or download the free KXFM Radio app at the Apple store or Google Play and listen wherever you are.
Oh thank you, Jo Anne! It was really special to be a part of it!
This is beautiful!!