THE 6TH ANNUAL ESeMMY AWARDS
COMPILED BY MATT PRUETT, NICK MCGREGOR, DICK MESEROLL, AND JIMMY WILSON

1. ESM COVERSHOT OF THE YEAR
EMPTY PUERTO RICO LINEUP BY HECTOR NOGALES (JANUARY 2007, VOL.16, #118, as voted by ESM's in-house staff and Senior Photographers)

Picking out the covershot every issue is a stressful procedure. Ultimately, it could very well determine whether or not a person will even pick up the magazine. It sets the tone and identity of the issue's content, even though it may or may not be directly related to what's actually inside. It's also the most critiqued image in the magazine, drawing a range of emotions from the reader, as it should. Sometimes it's a "Holy Hell! That's insane!" Sometimes it's a "What were they thinking using this? What a bunch of kooks!" Either way, the covershot is pretty damn important. 

Every year, we get a plethora of worthy images, but in the end there are only eight issues per 12 months. To help us decide the "Covershot of the Year," we first take a vote from all our in-house staffers, as well as giving our Senior Photographers and the Photo Editors of major American surf mags Surfing, Surfer, and Transworld Surf a vote. There wasn't much of a contest on this one. Hector Nogales' Puerto Rico lineup was a lock from the day it was chosen for that cover a year ago. The goal is always to get a good reaction from the front page of our magazine, and no photo this year evoked more of a "Wow!" than that image did. 

2. THIS GIRL IS DEFINITELY NOT FROM VENUS -- ESM GIRL OF THE YEAR JESSICA BY ADDISON FITZGERALD (NOVEMBER 2007, VOL.16, #125, as voted by ESM's in-house staff)

The ESM Girl has long been an Eastern Surf Magazine institution and is now an icon in surf publishing from coast-to-coast-to-coast, and in many parts of the world, as well. It is not unusual to be on a surf trip in any latitude -- be it by boat, car, jet plane, or on foot -- then roll up to your final destination only to find a back issue of ESM in a far-flung Mexican restaurant, the bar of a surfer-friendly Irish hotel, sitting on the counter of a Caribbean surf shop, laying on the table of an Indo charter boat, or in the living room of a South American surfer who invited you to stay at his casa... only to find your favorite East Coast rag, but with one page neatly torn out and gone-a-missin' -- that edition's ESM Girl. 

Until you look around, that is, and find her prominently pinned up on a wall for all to admire -- just like Jessica here, our November issue's exotic, curvaceous, dark-haired beauty who was this year's shoo-in favorite for "ESM Girl of the Year," and should already be up on many a wall worldwide. 

3. REUNITED AWARD
AARON CORMICAN AND ...LOST

"That's like a Satanic cult disowning Charlie Manson..." Our ever-astute ESM Assistant Photo Editor Mark Hill couldn't have put it better when commenting on Aaron Cormican's departure from longtime umbrella, ...Lost Enterprises (which won our "Breakup of the Year" Award in the 3rd Annual ESeMMIES). Now, three years later, the Mephistopheles of bad boy surf companies everywhere suffered yet another relapse and brought the highest-flying New Smyrna Beach, FL, surfer of all time back down to the fiery depths of their seventh circle. Though now a happily married homeowner who's managed to shed just a bit of the scaly, punk epidermal that made him such a fine lil' devil for ...Lost's marketing schemes, rest assured that Gorkin is surfing better than ever, winning more contests than ever, taking more mag trips than ever, and filming for more surf movies than ever. So this is one relationship ...Lost will not sacrifice anytime soon. Have faith in that. 

4. BREAKUP OF THE YEAR
ALLAN WEISBECKER AND EVERYONE

While most breakups involve two parties, acclaimed surf author Allan Weisbecker went one further in 2007 when he decided to break up with everyone. Following his popular novel In Search Of Captain Zero with the self-published memoir Can't You Get Along With Anyone?, Weisbecker shined a little light on his "idyllic" life in Pavones, Costa Rica, and in the process called out just about everyone he met there. Why? His version of the surfer's paradise contained unsolved murders, rabid dishonesty, and vengeful locals who ran him out of town with threats of death. As Weisbecker said in his Q&A with ESM Assignment Writer Matt Walker (Vol.16, #125), "When you fuck with a memoirist, you do so at your own risk." Consider that a warning, everyone. 

5. BIG BALLS TO BIG WALLS AWARD
TODD MORCOM

How do you explain one man's relentless, full-speed descent into madness, while giving the man, and the plunge, the respect they deserve? Webster's defines "madman" simply as "one who is insane," subsequently, "mentally unsound or deranged."  

Earlier this year, well-respected Brevard County, FL, pro and Escondido El Rey Todd Morcom loaded up his 4X4 and headed down to an undisclosed, treacherous region of Mainland Mexico with his dog Kia, a no-nonsense quiver, and his jet-ski in-tow. Campfire tales of all sorts began trickling into the ESM offices like the last few drops of mescal off a fermented worm. Most of them had to do with Morcom and very large, very furious pieces of ocean: PWC-assisted step-offs in triple-overhead beachbreak with savage cowboys like Shannon "Hopper" Eichstaedt and Brian Conley. Almost drowning after getting trapped inside a tetanus-toothed jetty. But nothing was more gut-wrenching than "The Crash." With Hopper at the wheel late one night and Morcom sleeping in the back with his dog, the truck sped off a narrow, desolate, two-lane highway at 60 mph before the ski jackknifed and flew off the trailer in front of the truck. Morcom ended up in the other lane with the trailer on top of him as the truck flipped five times. After which, all parties involved -- Morc, Hop, even the dog -- miraculously walked away alive. But the thing that spooked us most was how spooked Morcom himself was -- a man who probably fits the "madman" epithet better than anyone on our coast. A few weeks later, after we witnessed a couple of his tuberides that won distinction as entries into the Billabong XXL Big Wave Awards, ESM finally reached out to the 35-year-old, offering our congrats, our support, and our most sincere prayers for his future safety. Here was his reply regarding the yearlong whirlwind of near-death experiences, and his newfound appreciation for life:  

"It's weird, I live and breathe for big tubes, but after the wreck and almost dying, nothing's as important as being alive. It can all disappear so fast. My new theory: Be careful on land and go fucking huge in the water. Love life. Nothing else matters. I've been talking to everyone I know just to hear their voice. We get going so fast, it's hard to take it all in. When I get that green light to surf again, I'm going apeshit. Lippers at Waimea and barrel rolls at Pipe. Eastside 'til I die!" 

Fearless, perhaps, but insane? Don't go there. He won't. 

6. WELL, SHUT OUR MOUTHS -- BEST EAST COAST COVERAGE BY WEST COAST MEDIA
FUEL TV

After giving "Best East Coast Coverage By A West Coast Mag" props to a website, Surfline.com, last year, we've permanently tweaked this award to include all surf media -- mags, sites, TV, books. Hey, that new movie rumored to hit next year, Joint Break! The Return Of Jeff Spicoli, might even have a shot at an ESeMMY. 

When Swell.com and other assorted surfing websites logged on at the turn of the millennium, threatening the very existence of Surf Magazinedom, print media dudes of all types wet their collective boardshorts while rallying for all kinds of witch hunts. But when Fuel TV made their courtship to surf fans via the cathode ray tube in 2003, no one was all that worried. Really, when you look at how surfing's been portrayed on television, past to present -- from the androgynistically bebop, cult gimmick Gidget of the '60s, to ESPN's embarrassingly vapid "Hot Summer Nights" in the '80s, right on up to HBO's latest supra-cerebral, "whatthefuck" series John From Cincinnati -- you've pretty much given up on any outsiders ever being able to make sense of this thing we do. So once Fuel TV rang the bell to fill its executive tanks on unleaded boarding culture, us surfers expected the same old, lame "why-are-they-filming-Pipeline-and-calling-it-Huntington-Beach-and-when-did-Tom-Curren-become-a-dark-skinned-goofyfoot-with-an-afro" ludicrousness. But here is a prime (TV) example of cable-done-good, laying ground as the first of its kind -- all action sports (surfskatesnowwakebmxmotocross), all the time, 24/7, utilizing enough knowledgeable insiders to get it right, and keeping a fundamental distance between each sport to maintain their individual integrity (in other words, you're not gonna see some snowboard goon dissecting the Pipe Masters). But the real reason we're bequeathing this award to Fuel TV is their consistent, impartial balancing of East Coast coverage with that of Hawaii and California, which frankly, is something we've never seen before. Big deal WQS comps like the O'Neill Sebastian Inlet Pro and local pro/am fundraisers like the Tommy Tant Memorial Classic were given just as much airtime as the Macy's California Trifecta or the Roxy Pro at Sunset Beach. On their no-rhyme-or-reason episodes of The Daily Habit, East Coasters were given the seat as much as anyone else this year -- with Matt Kechele, Alek Parker, Otto Flores, Alejandro Moreda, Will Tant, Matt Katsolis, and many more making the cut. The template is digestible and the host, Pat Parnell, isn't even a douchebag. If anything, he's the one who comes off as magnanimous -- constantly working around the interview barrier with guys whose vocabulary consists of nothing other than "Yeah, it's insane.... so stoked," to actually make a decent show.  

Plus, Fuel TV's ASP-WCT coverage is the best we've ever seen -- tight, zesty, thorough, well-scripted, and double-angle filming of nearly every significant ride. In fact, the only thing that sucks about Fuel TV concerns us surf editors. Day after day of reading surf mags, clicking around surf sites, shuffling through surf photos and surf videos, and talking with surfers and surf companies about surfing -- we finally get to come home and relax, turn on the television for some mindless entertainment to decompress with, and there it is right in front of us: Fuel TV.  

And yet, we just can't seem to change the channel. 

7. INDUSTRY INFILTRATION
MATT BEACHAM

Speaking of Fool TV... whoa, sorry, we mean "Fuel TV"... How about that Matt Beacham character? C'mon, you know we love the lad, but Beacham has always been a bit of a clown. Of course, we mean that in the best way possible. We can say that, too, because like countless other Right Coast rippers, we've known the dude longer than any media outlet out there. Heck, we'll go so far as to say we know him better: Outer Banks young gun follows Noah Snyder's lead to become legit pro surfer while attending college... racks up heaps of ads, editorial shots, and movie parts before moving to California and becoming a full-time crusader for his faith within the surfing consciousness... gets married and embarks on several Christian-based philanthropic endeavors to benefit some of the world's poorest peoples... becomes the host of Fuel TV's ode to the postmodern grom, New Pollution, currently in its second season, where Beacham probes the most intricate crevices of the teenage psyche to pull the shroud off mysteries like, "What's it like to rip?" or "Does your brother push you to get better?" 

Indeed, the script has flaws. New Pollution is still, after all, a television show. But every interviewer from Joe Friday to Ronald McDonald knows it's not always easy to get a kid to talk, and sometimes you have to go the extra distance. That's where Beacham's unique charm comes in. From goofing off in bonus segments in yesteryear's modestly received Foundnation videos to his ultra-witty musings in bigger films like The Outsiders and Noah's Arc -- Matt's never been afraid of making a fool of himself for the sake of making others feel more comfortable. New Pollution is no different. Whether it be shooting skeet or racing go-carts or trying his hardest not to embarrass his subjects in the surfing footage, he always manages to make a funny-ha-ha. But while he may have hit the big time, don't fear that the allure of Tinseltown will corrupt this chiseled, young Ralph Macchio in the making. A practicing Christian since his inception, Matt is perpetually alcohol and drug free and a devoted husband. But is his surfing getting soft, you might ask? Well, during a trip to Indonesia, notoriously salty Outer Banks charger Stuart Taylor called Beacham "the best guy on the trip," even outshining OB Kingpin Noah Snyder.  

Ya hear that, Matty? Stuart Taylor actually gave you props! Too bad he's not some clueless grom. You might've been able to put him on your show. 

8. PHOTO SLORE OF THE YEAR
ERIC GEISELMAN

Ever since he humored us by letting ESM use his well-coifed, pectorally flattering image to emblazon our ESM Guy page in last year's Wahine Issue, we've been waiting (or as them dang kids like to say nowadays, "frothing") to give Eric Geiselman this award. And boy, did "Middle-G" ever come through for us. In his first year as a pro (which basically means he doesn't surf NSSA anymore, 'kay?), Eric blew up like a rubber doll in Andy Dick's guest house. First, he was one of only six surfers invited to attend the inaugural Hobgood Challenge in the Caroline Islands (the Golden Ticket for young budding pros), which launched a full-blown 14-page Surfing Magazine feature, not to mention its own video. Then the New Smyrna Beacher joined his dad Greg on Surfing Magazine's elite "Surfer/ Shaper Trip" in Indonesia alongside some of the sport's greatest builder/ rider partnerships. Right around that time came a part in Fox's breakthrough surf video, All In The Family, which went on to earn Eric "Maneuver of the Year" at the Surfer Poll Video Awards. And finally, Eric capped off his hyper-visible year with an exclusive, eight-page interview in Transworld Surf's February 2008 issue. Suffice to say, that's quite a lot of exposure for a kid who would still get carded to buy a copy of Barely Legal. In fact, in the most recent tallies for the Transworld Business Surf Exposure-Meter, Eric slid into 46th, ironically sharing that spot with last year's ESeMMY "Photo Slore of the Year" Alek Parker. So with all that time in front of the camera, would it be safe to call Eric Geiselman a prettyboy? Yeah, he's pretty all right... pretty damn sick.  

9. ENVIRO HERO
MIKE LAVECCHIA

With everyone and their sister lining up to claim "green" status in 2007, it was hard to separate the real enviro deal from the growing hoard of eco-johnny-come-latelys. And while plenty of East Coast companies (including Homegrown Foam and Greenlight Surfboard Supply) stepped up to fulfill the growing need for environmentally friendly products, Mike LaVecchia and his company Grain Surfboards garnered attention for different reasons: Mike started handcrafting wooden surfboards purely for fun (after several years involved in snowboard design and boatbuilding); he was a relative newcomer to surfing; he lived in the frigid isolation of Maine; and he didn't get into the biz with any real hopes of success. In fact, it wasn't until an Associated Press article (focused on Clark Foam's shutdown) ran about Mike's efforts that he received any business at all. Once word of Grain's efforts got around, so many orders arrived that the company was forced to expand.  

LaVecchia and his team of builders get Grain's wood from a nearby family of growers, who harvest their stock of cedar and spruce at a sustainable pace. And aside from a milling machine and power sander, all of Grain's work is done with hand tools. National attention from NPR and the AP helped LaVecchia's cause, but his company remains a local force employing local workers; they just so happen to operate within an increasingly profitable international market. Hailing from their secluded pocket of the East Coast, Grain Surfboards and Mike LaVecchia were an easy choice for our Enviro Hero of 2007.

10. UNLIKELY HERO
ROB KELLY

Last January, Rob Kelly earned an ESM Who Da Guy, which is quite an honor for a 17-year-old kid from South Jersey. One full year later, Kelly represents the East Coast as the strongest Mid-Atlantic competitive threat, taking over for ascending pros like Zack Humphreys and old dogs such as Dean Randazzo alike. For proof of Rob's domination, just take a look at his 2007 laundry list: 1st-place Open Men's, NSSA East Coast Championships; 1st-place Open Shortboard and Junior Men's, ESA Easterns; Red Bull High School Cup MVP for four straight games; 1st-place 16-20, Grom Grudge Match; 1st-place Junior Pro, Brave New World Pro-Am...  

Where'd this kid come from, you may ask? Pennsylvania, actually, and he just showed up on the surfing radar three years ago. That's right, Raw Rob's got three long years of competition experience. But more importantly, Kelly's got a solid family background (including Polynesian ancestry on his mother's side) and strong guidance from longtime Garden Staters, particularly from his mentor, Matt Keenan. Whether or not Rob can continue living up to his hero status, one thing's for sure: there won't be anything "unlikely" about his 2008 domination. 

11. BEHOLD A DARK HORSE -- WHO DA GUY AWARD
JOHN CAMMACK

2007 was a quiet year for Who Da Guys, until September (Vol.16, #123), that is, when South Florida funnyman John Cammack submitted his slightly twisted questionnaire. With nary a single serious response, Cammack considerably raised the bar from 2006's Dark Horse Warren Smith, who displayed true character but still chose to list his real sponsors. Cammack's sponsors of choice? "Golden Corral, Chucky's Whiskey Barn, Root Lube, and Winston." The kid's got balls, in addition to providing ESM with proof that South Florida surfers must have plenty of time on their hands (especially during the summer). A large portion of "Hook D's" responses had to be edited for over-the-top content, but we've included a few of the outtakes below:  

Education: I was raised by wild garbage opossums. Best surf trip experience: On a serious note, I went to Zimbabwe and smoked a whole pile of deer turds. I got so high I couldn't even surf. Local hero: Tito, he lives in a two-story Cheetos bag. Inspirations: Yeah, I perspirate a whole bunch. Thanks for asking. Credit due: I'm currently in some serious debt. I owe Tito $15, so please send me some money. What is today's surf culture lacking? Energy drinks that taste like Hellooski water.

12. IRONMAN AWARD
GABE KLING

13. BEST NEW CONTEST
RED BULL TRIAD

Florida's got the King of the Peak and New Jersey has the Garden State Grudge Match, but until 2007, New York surfers didn't have an exclusive venue to show off their Empire State talent. Sure, the Unsound Pro goes mental every September, but that event's been dominated by out-of-staters since its inception. So when Red Bull decided to return its spotlight to the Northeast (after several successful Ice Break events) with a three-event series of mobile NY contests, hardy surfers from across Long Island lined up for a chance at the considerable bragging rights. In the end, supergrom Balaram Stack took the honors (see Page 73), but most importantly, New York's melting pot of surfers representing all shapes, races, and sizes finally had an event they could call their own.  

14. SIGN THE APOCALYPSE IS HERE
CORY LOPEZ FALLS OFF THE WCT

You know what the biggest difference is between professional skateboarders and professional surfers? Originality. While American surfers are all pretty much upper-middle class white boys looking, talking, acting, and riding the same way, skaters are branded by much broader strokes of socioeconomic background, race, religion, dialect, etc., and thus tend to be more eclectic in overall style: hessians, B-boys, punkrockers, intellectuals, Bible-beaters, rednecks, goths, ghetto-rats, straightedges, emo kids, homosexuals, druggies, misanthropes, etc. Since their sport was spawned out of boredom in the first place, most of them don't believe skateboarding owes them anything; it's the other way around. And the way they pay it forward is by being the gnarliest motherfucker on the block -- and staying original. That's what riding a skateboard has always been about: freedom, and developing your own God-given style to become such an immaculate work of poetry in motion, people can't help but to say, "Fahhhhhk!" every time you push off. That's Cory Lopez. The skateboarder's surfer -- unpredictable, volatile, original. So we're sorry to say that after a full decade on the WCT, Cory will not be competing with the Top-45 in 2008. Which sucks, because most of the time a guy gets bumped off tour, it was somewhat expected -- "that guy was past his prime" or "that rookie was inexperienced." But Cory!?! It's simply absurd that he's not there. Here's a guy who always surfed the way he wanted to, redefining '90s judging criteria much like Kelly Slater did, yet modeling the true viability of the Eastern surfer like no other, being from the Gulf Coast. Cory is one guy whose style you could never, ever mistake for someone else's. The guy whose video parts regularfoots tend to watch in the mirror so they can imagine what they might look like drawing lines like that. The guy who could make a chop-hop, of all things, appear so radical as to erase its queer namesake. The guy who spearheaded the fish revolution in the mid-'90s to help make the design the most popular alternative equipment in the world today. The guy who did the unthinkable at Teahupo'o in 1999 before winning the pro contest there two years later. The most versatile surfer in the world. The original. 

We have no doubt that Cory will tap into his gnar reserves and hop right back on the WCT in 2009. And if he doesn't, it will be nothing short of apocalyptic. Can you imagine the surfing world turning on its axis without the possibility of, "And now for something completely different?" 

15. THE "HOLY CRAP WHERE'S THAT PLACE?" SECRET SPOT AWARD
NOVI YOUR BUSINESS LEDGE

Quoth the Raven!
Lundy, that is:
"Got back from Canada
Minding my biz.
Looking at land
And hoping to buy.
That's when this slab
Spit in my eye.
It seemed so surreal
This cold piece of sea
Existed right here
For a kid from VB.
But as much as I love
You guys at the mag
If I gave you directions
I'd get a ball gag."

16. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN EAST COAST SURFER (HOME)
BRYAN HEWITSON AT THE QUIKSILVER/ SURF CENTRAL TREASURE CHEST PRO/AM

"Me and Baron Knowlton were paddling out for our heat, and before we could even get to the outside, Hewy had already stepped off on the shore, claimed a skin, and got a nine-something. Me and Baron were just left sitting there wondering, 'What the hell are we supposed to do now?'"  

So said Blake Jones after the Melbourne Beach, FL, ripper received the same treatment everyone else got at the 2nd Annual Quiksilver/ Surf Central Treasure Chest Pro/Am, which hit Stuart, FL, on April Fools' Day. Licensed wave surgeon Bryan Hewitson performed a saltwater lobotomy on the entire waiting room in head-high surf to take home $2700 and a whopping 12 skins -- a record for any skins event. To put Hewy's precision in perspective, the surfers who came closest to catching him -- runner-ups Adam Wickwire and Aaron Cormican -- only bagged four skins each. Not to mention, Hewy posted the highest score of the event, a 9.5, for gouging several huge cutties, mixed with a couple floaters, a couple lip spanks, and finally, an encore backdoor barrel. In fact, he averaged 8.3 on his rides, prompting onlookers to give the one-time WCT competitor a new nickname, "Doctor Demento." 

17. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN EAST COAST SURFER (AWAY)
DAMIEN HOBGOOD AT THE BILLABONG PRO TAHITI

The Hobgoods have always been dangerous in heavy, lefthand barrels, and their abilities only grow as the waves max out. But at this year's Billabong Pro Tahiti, CJ surprisingly went down in the second round, leaving Damien to avenge his 2005 Teahupo'o loss, when he dislocated his shoulder midway through the final and had to concede defeat. After a convincing victory over Joel Parkinson in this year's semifinal, Damo matched up with eventual World Champion Mick Fanning. Trailing Mick with less than a minute remaining, Damien needed an 8.21, but snagged the best wave of a set to earn an 8.60. After the win, Damien made his way up the ASP World Championship Tour rankings ladder, slotting himself in 3rd-place and instantly becoming a title contender. At the next event in Chile, Hobgood looked to strengthen his championship run, making it to the final where he fell to Andy Irons while injuring his knee. That led to the tough decision to withdraw from three events, effectively erasing Damien's chance at a world title. But Hobgood proved that after almost a decade on the WCT, he's still got what it takes to not only run with the Top-10, but to beat them all. 

18. BIGGEST SHOT FOR EAST COAST SURFING
NSL GAME COMES EAST

After years of X Games and California Cups utilizing his revolutionary "The Game" format, Brad Gerlach was unsure where to take the National Surf League (NSL) next. But after recognizing the success of the Red Bull High School Cup in California, Gerlach decided it was time to bring The Game East. Granted, the NSL only showed its face twice (Central Florida in April, South Jersey in May) on the Right Coast, but with four high school teams showing up for each event and two heading west for a national championship, plenty of sluggers got their chance to swing for the fences. With high school surfing spreading like wildfire through the Sunshine State (the AAU has also dramatically increased its involvement), look for the NSL to continue pushing East. 

19. DIRTIEST MANEUVER
CJ'S "SLOBGOOD"

If it seems like deja vu all over again, that's because this is Clifton James Hobgood's second "Dirtiest Maneuver" award following up his KEE-razy backside alley-oop lien grab, which easily won him the very same 2005 ESeMMY nod, as well as being the most rad clip in Taylor Steele's Campaign video, which is no small feat in itself. Hobgood's big bust this year -- an ankle-breaking, meniscus-tearing, frontside slob grab (no, he didn't actually get injured) -- occurred during a tow session with fellow Satellite Beacher Adam Wickwire. ESM Photo Editor Jimmy "Super Fan" Wilson was there, as well, posted up way back in the dune line at Sebastian amongst the sea grapes, gopher tortoises, and Florida rattlesnakes. And ESM co-owner Mez was on his own ski, too, helping capture a land n' sea crossfire angle of this clean-cut kid's triple-X-rated filth... the "Slobgood," if you will. 

All you four-stroke naysayers out there can say what you will regarding tow-ats, but consider these two points: 1) Look at Jimbo's sequence carefully... We could care less if he was slung into this by a PWC. If you could punt one this high, going about 25 miles per hour at that, would you even think about trying to land it!?! 2) Not unlike those crazy-ass freestyle motocross madmen using padded landing pits while trying to figure out approaches, rotations, and touchdowns to their next neck-breaking trick, CJ and the tow-at crew are simply using small-wave downtime and four-stroke assistance to learn, perfect, and consistently make the most progressive and technical aerial-based maneuvers once they get back to their paddle-in freesurfs.  

And that's 'Goods enough for us.

20. JOHN HOPE SWELL OF THE YEAR
TROPICAL STORM NOEL

No extensive commentary necessary here; after an abysmal Hurricane Season, Tropical Storm Noel came out of nowhere in early November to light up the coast from Miami to Halifax. Light winds accompanied the storm for three days, allowing for a weekend of gaping barrels (like the one Noah Snyder found himself in) and pristine conditions. While the recent Christmas swell delivered a fine bill of goods along the same broad swath of coastline, Noel will be remembered for saving the East Coast from a dreary summer of flatness. And, in welcome opposition to the destruction of 2004 and 2005, Noel never came anywhere near land, sparing us the pain of Hurricane Season while still inflicting more than 40 lashes of pleasure. 

21. MILESTONE OF THE YEAR
40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESA EASTERNS

For an organization like this, which claims the surfing world's largest amateur surfing membership and helped birth the competitive careers of Wes Laine, Charlie Kuhn, Gabe Kling, Dean Randazzo, Asher Nolan, the Hobgoods, Noah Snyder, Falina Spires, Benny Bourgeois, the Brothers Lopez, Karina Petroni, and The Champ, Robert Kelly Slater (along with many other impact players who used this well-constructed launching pad to skyrocket into Proland), the accolade "Milestone" seems too small a word to capture or describe the decades-long impact the Eastern Surfing Association has had on many facets of the surfing world. Or just how long the ESA has actually been a part of our lives and livelihood. 

Founded during the "Summer of Love" in 1967 and calling the legendary First Groin at the base of the Outer Banks, NC's, iconic sentinel, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, home for nearly all 40 years of its annual penultimate moments, the ESA Eastern Surfing Championships -- this stalwart organizational army of mostly nameless volunteers -- has borne witness to many historical things: The first man to put a footprint on our moon's surface; the forced resignation of our 37th president; multiple recessions; the tearing down of the Berlin Wall; the end of one horrible war in Southeast Asia's tropical hell and the start of another in an equally hellish Middle East desert; the falling of New York City's two biggest skyscrapers; and the price for a gallon of gas going from 33 cents to over $3.00. It's safe to say that no other surfing competition group on the entire planet has quite the depth of rich history or far-reaching influence that the ESA has had -- from nurturing local talent out of its 27 districts from the Great Lakes to Puerto Rico, to the weathering of many hurricanes, the moving of a 208-foot-high lighthouse, the changing of several leadership guards, and the untimely deaths of some of its most cherished leaders and talented surfers -- all who helped make this one-of-a-kind organization all it can be and much more, and are as much a key to the success of East Coast surfing as the surfboard itself. We'll call it a "Milestone" here just to honor the number of years of great service to our tribe. But we all know this number 40 adds up to so much more. 

22. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
LISA ANDERSEN

Lisa Andersen is many things to many people: figurehead of the resurgent women's surfing movement, embodiment of power surfing (regardless of gender), world champion, gold medal-winning head coach, mother, friend, competitor. But to Right Coasters, LA represents the true underdog success story: come from a wave-starved location (Ormond Beach, FL), receive no outside assistance (her father notoriously destroyed 16-year-old Lisa's surfboard in front of her), and do whatever it takes to become champion (including sleeping on the sand in Huntington Beach and waitressing at night for contest entry fees). From there, Andersen took fate into her own hands: she spent 11 years in the ASP Top-10, won four consecutive world titles, won the Surfer Poll six times, had two children, spearheaded the meteoric rise of Roxy, coached the U.S.A. Women's Team to gold at the X Games, won Waterman of the Year at the SIMA Waterman's Ball, wrote her autobiography, and became a legend. Just last month, LA got a little much-deserved icing on the cake, receiving an induction into the East Coast Surfing Hall Of Fame. Excluding Kelly Slater, Lisa Andersen has one of the most complete resumes of a surfer hailing from the East Coast. And for that, we're proud to give her this year's Lifetime Achievement award.  

23. PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
MIKE NELSON

To be perfectly honest, this award was chosen before the year even started, if not 10 years ago. Mike Nelson is the most integral part of New York surfing. He's as raw as they come. Hardcore, underground, talented, gnarly, and devoted are only a few words to describe him. Every swell, no matter size, wind conditions, crowds, air or water temperatures, or any other natural or artificial factors -- this guy is on it, and he always produces the best images. Not easy to do, especially when juggling a family, making videos, running Unsound Surf Shop with longtime partner Dave Juan and sponsoring and organizing the duo's own pro contest, the Unsound Pro, at the same time. 

Photo-wise, this has been Nellie's best year. He really nailed down the fisheye water angle, and came through with insane perspectives, namely at Bayhead, NJ, and usually in sub-40-degree water temperatures. He's shown us proof of the most promising New York surfer yet, Balaram Stack, by taking the kid under his wing and documenting his every move. He made chicken soup out of chicken shit on a trip to Costa Rica for Kamp Keenzo in less-than-average waves. To put it mildly, Mike Nelson worked his freakin' ass off in 2007 and we all want to thank him for it. Without him, New York surfing would not exist. Well, it might exist... but no one outside the state would ever know it. 

24. WAHINE OF THE YEAR
KARINA PETRONI

While several East Coast women stepped up to the plate this year with U.S.A. Surf Team berths and pro wins, no one personified hard work like Atlantic Beach, FL's, Karina Petroni. At only 19 years old, Petroni became the first Right Coast wahine since Lisa Andersen to make the ASP World Tour, proving that all those amateur titles really do mean something when you translate it to the international stage. We could give you the lowdown on Karina's life, but who better to deliver the information than the woman herself? Turn over to Page 90 for an in-depth interview with the Mainland U.S.'s only current female ASP representative. 

25. SURFER OF THE YEAR
BEN BOURGEOIS

Seven years is a long time to be doing anything. But when you're a professional athlete, that time is so much more critical, because the clock is always ticking -- the little hand on your reputation and the big hand on your aging bones, joints, and muscles. There's always someone younger and hotter coming up around the bend, and the suits pulling the strings just can't wait for you to disappear. Mental toughness is key. When you lose a game, relax. When you get sent down to the minors, focus. When you get hurt, remember. When you get criticized, forget. When you get closer to The Show, ignore everything else. When you fall yet again, persevere. And when you finally get your chance one more time -- Strike. Score. Win. 

THE 6TH ANNUAL
ESeMMY VIDEO AWARDS
by Nick McGregor 

 

MOST UNIQUE PRESENTATION: ZEN & ZERO

Not many surf flicks boast a storyline like this one: five Austrian surfers drive from Los Angeles to Costa Rica in search of acclaimed author Allan Weisbecker and, well, a whole lot else that isn't exactly clear. Maybe it's the exploration of "the deeper desires within the surfer psyche," as former ESM Assignment Writer Jon Coen wrote in his March 2007 review of Zen & Zero. Or maybe it's a flight away from suffocating Southern California crowds and the conformity of the West Coast-based surf industry. Or maybe it's just a glorified road trip movie, with a whole lot of footage documenting (wave-wise) a so-so journey. Either way, Zen & Zero isn't going to blow you away with hot surf action (these guys are from Austria, after all). But it does present an hour's worth of fascination like no other surf video before it. A little bit Beatnik philosophizing, a little bit Gonzo journalism, and a little bit postmodern Endless Summer, Zen & Zero easily had the most interesting and unusual presentation of any movie that crossed our desks in 2007. Now if we could just figure out what the hell it's all about... or maybe that's the whole point. 

COOLEST MESSAGE: BAGGAGE

Freshman filmmaker Nate Lee built up a lot of hype on the way to completing Baggage, but it certainly didn't disappoint. Traveling a similar road to The Best Laid Plans, Lee gave viewers a glimpse into the world of an East Coast pro, documenting the highs along with the lows while proving that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. Lee turned the worst waves of his video into a revealing segment on winning and losing while chasing swell, which furthered his message of slogging through it all with a smile on your face. As ESM Editor Matt Pruett said in his October 2007 review of Baggage, "I won't say Nate Lee is the breakthrough filmmaker of the year, but I won't say he isn't, either." Baggage may not be the "Video Of The Year," but its enlightening, go-with-the-flow message surely deserved recognition. 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN EASTSIDER: BEN BOURGEOIS IN THE BEST LAID PLANS

On land, Ben Bourgeois is a humble guy. But throw this Wrightsville Beach, NC, native in the water, and you'll get a flashy yet solid bag of tricks. That's what filmmakers Alek Parker and Jerry Ricciotti got from Benny-Boo in The Best Laid Plans, where this 28-year-old charges big barrels, executes butter-smooth turns, punts clean airs, floats heavy sections, and somehow manages to fit more maneuvers into less space than anyone else... not to mention he absolutely kills it on his backside. There's a reason Bourgeois qualified for the 2008 WCT, and there's no better display of that reason than his surfing in The Best Laid Plans. 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: NEW EMISSIONS OF LIGHT AND SOUND

While we love to dish out ESeMMIES to our East Coast brethren, this category tends to fall to videos backed by big corporation budgets. In fact, 2006's winner in this category was Globe's Secret Machine, which upped the ante by providing what we called "a sort of astral projection to a higher plane in the surf celluloid paradigm." Well, Globe and Sonny Miller have done it again, this time with New Emissions Of Light And Sound, a 37-minute journey through the postmodern version of surf bliss. NEOLAS' full electronica soundtrack turned out to be a love-it-or-hate-it phenomenon, but there's no denying the power of captivating visuals. And frankly, Globe has that market cornered. 

BEST SOUNDTRACK: THE DIRTY SOUTH 2

Not only did Joe Cheshire's video The Dirty South 2 feature only East Coasters, it utilized several Right Coast bands to get its hard-hitting message across. Wilmington, NC, bigwigs like ASG, Thunderlip, and The Needles joined Miami, FL, punks The Crumbs, and Washington, DC's, Haram to demonstrate that great music graces our shores, in addition to great surfers. Throw in a little North Carolina metal from Reason To Ignite and some Gainesville, FL, homegrown punk courtesy of Clairmel, and you've got one tight soundtrack to show the world what the real "Dirty South" is all about.  

BEST RECORDED MANEUVER: STERLING SPENCER IN FROTHING

Usually guys like Aron Gieger and Aaron Cormican win these awards, but this year, Gulf Coast prodigy Sterling Spencer tossed up a sick backside varial reverse air in Frothing to easily claim the "Best Recorded Maneuver" category. Sterling has quietly made his way onto the international stage, proving that you don't have to be from Indian Rocks Beach to be a successful Gulf Coast pro. And although Gieger almost pulled a similar maneuver in Knock It Off 2, Spencer's solid switch-stance landing put him over the top in 2007, earning him his first-ever ESeMMY. Hopefully it'll mark the beginning of Spencer's ascension up the ladder of video awards. 

BEST TUBERIDE: ALEJANDRO MOREDA IN FROTHING

Last year, this award went to Cory Lopez's superhuman 28-second-long pit recorded "Somewhere in Mexico." But instead of rewarding the length of a barrel, this year we were overwhelmed by the heaviness factor: Gabe Kling's filthy Box invasion in The Game, Shannon "Hopper" Eichstaedt's Mexican maulings in My Eyes Won't Dry 2, and Kelly Slater's Tavarua depth charge in Young Guns 3. Ultimately, we decided that Alejandro Moreda's Backdoor sickness in Frothing represented the dirtiest barrel. Not only did this freakin' Rican make a ridiculously late drop, he also dug his inside rail and nose on the bottom turn, barely squeaking behind an imploding lip before emerging in the explosive spit only Pipeline and Backdoor can muster. Word is Moreda built up his chops on a similar Puerto Rican wave, but after dissecting every barrel in every video released in 2007, it became clear that Ale and his Hawaiian bomb deserved this award more than anyone else. 

TIGHTEST EDITING: THE BEST LAID PLANS

Yes, The Best Laid Plans won quite a few awards this year. Not that Alek Parker and Jerry Ricciotti's project didn't deserve them... but Editor Nicole Orozco earned extra props. Combining footage from over eight different locations on three different continents, Orozco took hours and hours of East Coast surfers chasing swell and filtered it down to an action-packed 50 minutes. And no part of the movie comes across as unnecessary or superfluous, with slow-motion and high-speed edits, drawn-out testimonials, day-in-the-life scenes, driving, flying, and unpacking segments, and of course the obligatory surfers poring over their laptops, which all contributed to the best East Coast video to date. A diverse soundtrack backs up Orozco's fine work, with the perfect mix of live audio and recorded music adding artistic flourishes to an already-solid documentary-style video. Filmmakers always get the biggest applause, but in this case The Best Laid Plans' editor may be due a few pats on the back.  

CAJONES GRANDES: SHANNON "HOPPER" EICHSTAEDT IN MY EYES WON'T DRY 2

Plenty of Right Coasters put their sack on the line in 2007, but no one took the madman mentality further than Shannon "Hopper" Eichstaedt in Brian Conley's mesmerizing My Eyes Won't Dry 2. Working with Conley to develop helmet cams and board cams mounted on both the nose and the tail, Hopper threw himself into countless Mexican beachbreak maelstroms with more luggage than a pop-star diva, coming out unscathed but scoring some of the most remarkable tube footage to date. And although it wasn't caught on video, Hopper earns an even grander Cajones award for surviving (along with fellow Mex-pat Todd Morcom) a brutal truck and jet-ski crash deep in the pits of Mainland Mexico. All in all, a heavy year for the Hop; this underground charger earned more than a little recognition, and we were happy to throw some his way. 

FUNNIEST SEGUE: DYLAN GRAVES IN KNOCK IT OFF 2

In the latest installment of Baywatch, Mini Slade and his mullet-sportin' bodyboarder friend ponder the paddle out in a restricted area. The eternal rebel Slade paddles out anyway, since his favorite photographer The Professor is ready to capture all the action ("sequence rips, you're really shredding"), even though The Professor mistakes Slade for Rick Kane. The bodyboarder foolishly paddles out in a restricted area and almost drowns, before Mitch Buchanan comes to the rescue. Who's to blame? Slade, of course. Hey, if you can't laugh at Baywatch parodies, you might need to remove that stick from your ass. 

SICKEST EAST COAST FOOTAGE: THE BEST LAID PLANS

Most years, we give this ESeMMY to the video that documents the best East Coast swell, whether hurricane or nor'easter-generated. But in 2007, we decided to congratulate The Best Laid Plans for its cumulative effort. Documenting the Right Coast in all its moods and humors, Alek Parker and Jerry Ricciotti gave us footage of heaving New Jersey barrels, summertime Florida fun, clean and green Massachusetts, gnarly Barbados, playful Puerto Rico, and the now-infamous Andrea swell. So rather than focusing on one given season, Parker and Ricciotti went one further by providing us with a broad glimpse of what the East Coast represents. Hard work, if you haven't realized it, and that's award-worthy in our books. 

BEST CONTEST FOOTAGE: INAUGURAL HOBGOOD CHALLENGE

Two WCT mainstays, one a world champion, invite six of the world's best groms to a perfect South Pacific righthander. The result? Inaugural Hobgood Challenge, and 2007's best contest footage, hands down. Employing an innovative format while emphasizing progression and fun, the Hobgoods pushed the envelope by securing the first-ever sanctioning for an ASP Pro Junior specialty event. The wave didn't disappoint, either: flawless barrels breaking in translucent water, plenty of punt sections for the kids to get their aerial kicks, and enough energy to keep even the hard-charging Hobgoods happy. Add in some finless sessions and a few go-rounds on a retro MR fish, and you have not only the most exciting but the most thorough contest footage of the year. And as always, Globe stepped up to the plate with excellent cinematography and tight editing. Here's to many more Hobgood Challenges to come. 

VIDEO OF THE YEAR: THE BEST LAID PLANS

What more needs to be said? Four ESeMMIES, national praise, 12,000 results when you Google "The Best Laid Plans," an East Coast all-star lineup, a year's worth of solid swells, footage from three different continents and over five different islands, professional backing from surf vid heavyweights Studio 411, excellent editing, cinematography, surfing, and soundtrack... the quintessential East Coast experience, distilled into 50 superior minutes. The Best Laid Plans was a shoo-in for "Video Of The Year." If you haven't seen it yet and you consider yourself a proud Right Coaster, well, get with the program. 

Editor's Note: We could only review videos that were made available to us at the Eastern Surf Magazine office. If you have a release you'd like us to check out for possible review in our Peepshow column or be considered for future ESeMMY Video Awards, mail a copy with cover art and the following information -- running time, cost, and contact info -- to: ESM Editorial Department; 321 Ocean Avenue, Suite 7; Melbourne Beach, FL 32951.