Hosted by Newport Parks & Recreation, the event brings together local volunteers, businesses, experienced competitors, young surfers and spectators for a weekend celebrating the surf culture that has quietly thrived along the Oregon Coast for generations. The 2026 event is presented by Ossies Surf Shop and features divisions for both adults and youth.

For many coastal families, fishermen, and seafood lovers, canning albacore tuna is more than a way to stock the pantry. It has become a late-summer tradition. When Oregon's commercial tuna boats begin returning to port loaded with beautiful Pacific albacore, pressure canners come out, jars get washed, and kitchens up and down the coast turn into small-scale tuna operations.

If I had to pick one Oregon Coast destination specifically for early fall Chinook, Nehalem would be very high on my list. The reason is simple: the Nehalem has an early component of its fall Chinook run that begins showing up during the summer. According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, August is generally the peak for these early fish, while the more traditionally timed fall Chinook begin arriving behind them. As of early September 2026, ODFW was reporting Chinook throughout Nehalem Bay and tidewater, with multiple fish being caught daily.

Spring Chinook often move with the tides. On incoming tides, fish may push into bays, channels, and lower river sections. On outgoing tides, some fish hold in deeper slots, softer edges, or areas where current gives them cover. They are usually not looking for food in the same way they were in the ocean, but they will still strike bait, spinners, plugs, and well-presented gear out of instinct, irritation, or aggression.