Virginia Beach Longboarding Institution Livens Up Memorial Day Weekend, Adds Shortboard Divisions And Surf Art Expo To The Mix By Jeff Myers; Photos by John Wright
TURF: 7th Annual Virginia Longboard Federation Steel Pier Classic
& Surf Art Expo Presented By Freedom Surf Shop & Quiksilver; First
Street Jetty, Virginia Beach, VA; May 29th-31st, 2010
ENERGY: Blessed with mostly cooperative weather and very
contestable surf, it’s no wonder this event was completely embraced by VB’s widespread
surfing community. With the sun shining for most of the weekend, the 7th Annual
Steel Pier Classic was greeted with waist-high surf that was most favorable for
the longboarders on hand, although the waves were more than contestable for
shortboarders as well. With multiple entertaining surf divisions and a really
cool surf-themed art show, there was a little bit of everything for the
spectators and beachgoers on hand celebrating their Memorial Day weekend on the
Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
FIRST TIME
AT FIGHT CLUB: Well, this isn’t just
another surfing event run by surfers for surfers — the Steel Pier Classic
has an actual heartbeat driven by charity that gives back to more than just the
surf community and those visiting for the weekend. This event raises money for
the Virginia Beach chapter of The Noblemen, a philanthropic tool for
communities to use, belong to, and give to. Don’t let the charitable hearts
fool you, though, as divisions ranging from both Pro Shortboard and Longboard
to Tandem, Retro, SUP, and Longboard Club Challenges provided nonstop surf
action from the get go.
SLIDE: With so may divisions, my initial reaction is you
simply had to be there… I competed in the Pro Shortboard division and the
obvious standouts were a lot of the usual Mid-Atlantic suspects: Lucas Rogers, Tyler
Bohn, Alex Burdette, Barry Price Jr., Austin White, Julian Payne, Sebastian
Moreno, Michael Dunphy, myself, and Philip Goold. Phil came out firing,
practically sealing the Steel Pier win on his very first wave. Dunphy put the pressure
on mid-heat, actually forcing Moreno into an interference call around the
halfway marker, while I was stuck riding two buckled small-wave boards whose
“spring” resembled that of a creased hard-slick boogieboard, so I was pretty
much done from the sound of the horn marking the beginning of our final.
In the Pro Longboard division, three of the East
Coast’s top logging talents duked it out for the win, with New York/ Central
Florida half-timer Mikey DeTemple eventually holding off North Florida standout
Justin Quintal and Southern North Carolina star Tony Silvagni for the win. And
VB gal Kate Easton kept it close to home with her win in Women’s Pro Longboard.
DeTemple also won the Noseriding and Retro Longboard divisions, while Silvagni
claimed a win in Kanaka Longboard. Sweetening the traditional pot, legendary
longboard shaper Bing Copeland showed up at the Steel Pier Classic along with
current Bing Surfboards craftsman Matt Calvani to sign copies of Bing’s book
and mingle with the East Coast duffers in awe of the surfing pioneer.
In the Steel Pier Classic’s amateur divisions,
winners included Chris Crockett, who won both Makua Longboard and Shortboard,
Joey Elliott, Matt Aycud, Billy McGarry, Bradley Rose, Julian Payne, Tyler
Bohn, Andrew Curtin, Daniel Sacchi, Billy Almond, Daniel Barnes, Bobby Chenman,
Mike Clark, Sam Robinson, Carrie Travers, Tory Gilkerson, Jena Schmidt, Bill
Gassett, Rick Romano, Clayton and Kristen Huntington, Scott Labiak, Chad DeJesus,
and Dylan Goss.
THE PAIN: With Sebastian Moreno surfing great all weekend long,
it was a bummer to see him drop out courtesy of an interference call that early
in the Pro Shortboard final. Lucas Rogers lost a close bout in the semis with
yours truly, and honestly it was so tight it could have gone either way.
THE MAN: I’m going to go with both Mary and Dean Knight hands
down for putting on such an amazing event. These two worked so hard all weekend
and really succeeded at putting together a great Memorial Day weekend surfing
contest that no one will forget anytime soon.
YOU DO NOT
TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB: “The surf and
the event were super fun, but I definitely blew the weekend by falling asleep
Saturday night on the couch and standing up my date Sir Jeffrey Myers.” –Triple
winner Mikey DeTemple, stoked on his wins but bummed he missed out on the VB festivities
“I just want to thank the Steel Pier Classic event
staff for wrapping up the Pro Shortboard finals on the opening day of the event
while there was still a rideable wave for us to surf. That let us all rip up
our Memorial Day weekend festivities.” –Pro Shortboard champion Philip
Goold, who didn’t miss any fun
FINAL
RESULTS OF THE 7th ANNUAL VIRGINIA LONGBOARD FEDERATION STEEL PIER CLASSIC
& SURF ART EXPO PRESENTED BY FREEDOM SURF SHOP & QUIKSILVER:
PRO
SHORTBOARD 1. Philip Goold
2. Michael Dunphy
3. Jeff Myers
4. Sebastian Moreno
MENS PRO
LONGBOARD 1. Mikey DeTemple
2. Justin Quintal
3. Tony Silvagni
4. Mike Melchiorre
WOMENS PRO
LONGBOARD 1. Kate Easton
2. Tory Gilkerson
3. Anneke Barrie
4. Sam Robinson
MENEHUNE
LONGBOARD 1. Matt Aycud
2. Hiller Jennings
3. Noah Fiedler
4. Eric Kaiser
5. Jordon Montgomery
6. Billy McGarry
MENEHUNE
SHORTBOARD 1. Billy McGarry
2. Hiller Jennings
3. Grady Kenner
4. Jordan Montgomery
5. Tristan Jenkins
6. Eric Kaiser
OPIO
LONGBOARD 1. Bradley Rose
2. Michael Agnew
3. Dylan Goss
4. Cam Fullmer
5. Forrest Roberts
6. Luke Kohart
OPIO
SHORTBOARD 1. Julian Payne
2. Branden Minor
3. Forrest Roberts
4. Merrick Adams
5. Jennings Sessoms
6. Michael Agnew
KANAKA
LONGBOARD 1. Tony Silvagni
2. Mike Melchiorre
3. Drake Courie
4. Chase Barrett
5. Mike Haverly
6. Joe Elliott
KANAKA
SHORTBOARD 1. Tyler Bohn
2. Alex Burdette
3. Stephen Hunter-Hicks
4. Kevin Daisey
5. Ryan Leopold
6. Jay Glayson
MAKUA
LONGBOARD 1. Chris Crockett
2. Sam Cocke
3. Randy Seller
4. John Mitchell
5. Wes Aranat
6. Chris Burnett
MAKUA
SHORTBOARD 1. Chris Crockett
2. Randall Vaughn
3. Chris Burnett
4. Mark Tompkins
5. Junior Majetich
MAKULE
LONGBOARD 1. Andrew Curtin
2. Joe Gillen
3. Scott Labiak
4. Dan Trem
5. Ryan Merritt
MAKULE
SHORTBOARD 1. Daniel Sacchi
2. Joe Gillen
3. Joe Dabiero
4. Grant Mann
5. Jon Kleintop
6. Donnie Petty
KANAKA
MAKUA LONGBOARD 1. Billy Almond
2. Bobby Holland
3. John Barnes
4. CD Thomas
5. Bruce Willis
6. Jim Provo
KANAKA
MAKUA SHORTBOARD 1. John Barnes
2. Bruce Willis
3. Bobby Holland
4. CD Thomas
5. Jim Provo
6. Paul Eisenhower
KAPUNA
LONGBOARD 1. Bobby Chenman
2. Hank Marx
3. Donnie Davis
4. Mike Clark
5. Rodger Smith
6. Ronnie Mellot
KAPUNA
SHORTBOARD 1. Mike Clark
2. Rodger Smith
WAHINE
LONGBOARD 1. Sam Robinson
2. Morgan Knight
3. Dorothy Edwards
4. Nani Vrokes
5. Jennifer Stone
6. Heidi Markert
SUP 14’
CLASS 1. Bill Gassett
2. Mark Schmidt
3. Kimberly James
SUP SURF 1. Rick Romano
2. Bryan Mordecai
3. Bud Easton
4. KC Fullmer
5. Randy Sellers
6. Dean Knight
TANDEM SURF 1. Clayton & Kristen Huntington
2. Debbie & Mark Gale
3. Myra Burg &Charlie Christensen
4. Talin & Bear Woznick
5. Allison Bowman & Sebastian Moreno
6. Andrew & Reagan Curtin
NOSERIDING 1. Mikey DeTemple
2. Tony Silvagni
3. Michael Agnew
4. Jeremy Carpenter
5. Chase Barrett
6. Drake Courie
BIG KAHUNA
LONGBOARD 1. Scott Labiak
2. Chad DeJesus
3. Donnie Davis
4. Barry Davis Sr.
5. Aaron Remley Sr.
6. Sean Knight
BIG KAHUNA
SHORTBOARD 1. Chad Dejesus
2. Ric Harriman
3. Pat Cunningham
4. Lee Atkins
RETRO
LONGBOARD 1. Mikey DeTemple
2. Tony Silvagni
3. Chase Barrett
4. Drake Courie
5. Bobby Holland
6. Ryan Merritt
RETRO SHORTBOARD 1. Dylan Goss
2. Brandon Minor
3. Jeff Kwiatkowski
4. Mark Tompkins
5. Ric Harriman
6. Schuyler Beecroft
DANIEL
ROACH SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD Joey Elliott
NOVICE
LONGBOARD Nick Vogel, Jillian McGarry, Michael Loule, Eddie
Barnes, Elizabeth Mazuch, Blake Curtin, Evan Nied, Elizabeth Bowles, Stephen
Gershen, Deme Malbon, CeCe Malbon, Nick Schafer, Jaden Lachman, Jack Ennis,
Bailey Ennis, Annika Thoman
STUDENT ART
SHOW 1. Grace Gibson, Princess Anne High School
2. Yazmin Chandler, Cox High School
3. Elizabeth Major, Princess Anne High School
4. Mariah Dunlap, Princess Anne High School
5. Crystal Bonney, Cox High School
6. Ariel Sharp, Princess Anne High School
RETRO SHOW
BOARD COMPETITION
Best
Original Board Bill Sheeley
Best
Restored Board David Portch
People’s
Choice Dick Jones
LONGBOARD
TEAM CHALLENGE 1. VLF Team
3 (Bobby Holland, Tony Silvagni, Brad
Rose, Anneke Barrie, Drake Courie)
2. Freedom Surf
3. VLF Team 2
4. Coastal Edge
5. VLF/Freedom Surf
6. Del Mar Pools & Spa
SHORTBOARD TEAM
CHALLENGE 1. All Ready Lost (Carrie Travers, Junior Majetich,
Alex Burdette, Chase Travers, Jon Kleintop)
2. Patriot Surf Club of First Colonial High School
South Carolina’s Cam Richards Steals 12th Annual
Tommy Tant Memorial Classic Men’s Pro Title From Florida Vets; Cody Thompson, Amy Nicholl,
Noah Schweizer, And Dan Worley Also Win Big
VQS
HITS THE JACKPOT AT CASINO PIER Jellyfish Surf Series Winners Include Local Boys
Hammer, Schmidt, Vanaman, And Siganos, Along With Florida Girl Emily Ruppert
DUBIOUS RECORD The WRV
Outer Banks Pro Presented By Hurley Offers Locals Genuine Perspective & More
Money Per Square Foot Of Wave Than Any Surf Contest In History
Sweetwater Leaves It Up To The Grom At Oakley Surf Shop Challenge Mid-Atlantic Regional Qualifier; “Uncle” Andrew Gesler Drives Heritage Win Home In Northeast
By Matt Pruett and Nick McGregor;
Photos by Matt Lusk
