East Coast Wahine Championships Luck Into Best Swell
In Years By Jeanne-Marie DeStefano; Photos by
Ken Blevins
TURF: 13th
Annual East Coast Wahine Championships; Oceanic Pier, Wrightsville Beach, NC;
August 8th-9th, 2009
ENERGY: From
Guppy (10 and Under) to Goddess (40 and Over), the scene at this year’s show
was, once again, full-force positive. ECWC veterans Jo Pickett and Paula
Bushardt held down the role model fort for the fledgling wahines, typifying the
essence of stoke and camaraderie. “The Goddesses were all teasing each other
because they’ve been doing it together for such a long time,” said event co-organizer
Mary Ann Mangiacapre. “They were out there in the water, saying ‘Oh, you take
the wave ... No, you take the wave!’ They’re really cute about how they try to
show the girls that you can be competitive in the water and friends on the
beach.”
FIRST TIME AT FIGHT
CLUB: The ECWC isn’t just for the ladies anymore; the wahines’
dads are starting to come into play. “It’s great to see how the contest has
become a father-daughter event,” said co-organizer Lisa Andree. “These guys who’ve
been lifelong surfers are now in the water with their girls.” Where the
contest-circuit norm seems to be moms doting over their surfer sons, the ECWC
didn’t just break that stereotype, it reversed it. Girl power abounded as
fathers tried to carry boards for their daughters, but most girls were quite
capable, denying assistance. Perennial ECWC sponsor Jack Viorel of IndoJax Surf
School was one of those fathers, on hand to cheer for his six-year-old daughter
Gabriella as she competed for the
third year in a row. “Jack has been so supportive of the event,” said Andree. “This
year he got out there and helped run the Guppy division and a surf clinic on
the beach. We’re really thankful to have him as a sponsor.”
SLIDE: For
once, the ECWC had a slide — a wave to slide on, that is. Barely rideable
waves have been the norm at this show for so many years that the organizers
replaced the traditional Open Shortboard division with Open Longboard in
anticipation of small summer surf. “There were years when we didn’t have waves,
so it was safer to switch the event out rather than put the contest on hold,” said
Mangiacapre. “Of course, this is the one year where the waves would’ve let us
hold it, but it worked out in the end.” Especially for Open Longboard winner
Leilani Pickett, who added this year’s trophy to her already massive pile of
awards from ECWCs past. “The waves were too big for this kook mama,” admitted Andree.
“But that’s all right, because everyone else seemed to enjoy it.”
This year’s show also witnessed
a display from the future of women’s surfing. The Guppy and Novice (competitive
surfing first-timers) divisions saw more entrants this year than any other in
the history of the event. “I could not believe how many parents were cheering
on the beach for the Novices,” said Mangiacapre. “We’re used to that big crowd
for the Guppies, but there were so many Novice entrants that next year we’re
going to have to divide the division into age groups.”
THE PAIN: For
the first year since the contest’s birth, event founder Anne Beasley-Weber was
unable to attend. “It was weird not having her here, but she is still the
director of the contest, and we certainly couldn’t have done it without her,” said
Andree. “I had a good cry back here in Seattle that I wasn’t on the East
Coast,” Weber said. “It was such a tough decision.”
THE MAN: Thumbs up to Reef, Billabong, Uhuru, Eastern Surf Supply, and all the other
sponsors who donated product, money, or time to the event. “In spite of the
economy, there was an outpouring of support from the community,” said Andree.
“People are hurting right now, but their generosity was overwhelming.” Weber
concurred: “With the surf industry under hard times, we had minimal funds to
get the event off the ground, but through support from local businesses, we
were able to look pretty good on the beach.”
YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT
FIGHT CLUB: “Am I in trouble?” –The unspoken
look in the eyes of four-year-old Emma Thornton as she was swarmed by wahines trying
to get a picture with her
FINAL
RESULTS OF THE 13TH ANNUAL EAST COAST WAHINE CHAMPIONSHIPS
OPEN
LONGBOARD
1. Leilani Pickett
2. Mallory Turner
3. Chelsea Gresham
4. Ana Barend
5. Kristen Kornegay
6. Casey Patterson
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
