Annual Sock Burning Ceremony 2024 Season

A Brief History of the Burning of the Socks

The annual sock burning began on the Spring Equinox of 1978 in Annapolis Maryland, when, after a snowy winter, boatbuilder Bob Turner bid his oppressive sock-wearing days farewell for the summer by throwing them into a campfire.

What was an act of defiance turned into tradition, and this weekend marinas and yacht clubs around the country will celebrate the return of Spring, Sperry topsiders, flip flops, and best of all: boating season.

As Turner stated to Baltimore Magazine, he was amazed at what a lasting impression he's had, stating, "It was never meant to be taken seriously. It just says, 'Enough with the socks! Time to go sailing!'"

And so, in unity with Yacht Clubs across the nation, Bob Walck will read the Poem “Ode to Sock Burners” as you add your socks to the fire and toast the 2024 boating season.