Vince Boulanger Wins Reef/ K-Coast Surf Challange Despite Injuring His Ankle in a Pothole
Only Moments Before By Matt Pruett; Photos by Gunner Hughes
TURF: 11th Annual Reef/ K-Coast Surf
Challenge Presented by OC Beachfest; June 20th, 2009; 37th Street, Ocean City, MD
ENERGY: What the hell do we know anyway? We were too
busy cleaning up cig butts and discarded fishing line at Spanish House for
International Surfing Day. Let’s ask the guys who actually put this thing on
— Reef Mid-Atlantic Sales Manager Brad Beach
and Reef East Coast Team Manager Brendan Petticrew: “Knock on wood,” says
Brad, “we’ve had waves every year. I even saw one of the competitors, Travis
Knight, get a little barrel, but it was mostly waist to chest-high waves with
open faces.”
“It was actually pretty fun
leftover surf from that swell down south [Outer Banks] last week,” adds
Brendan. “There was a really good sandbar, too, but it was really tidal. It would
be super low then get high really quick.”
FIRST TIME AT FIGHT
CLUB: In its
11th year, the K-Coast Surf Challenge is the premier professional surfing event
in Maryland, and though the comp didn’t meet with the same hype as last year
— partially due, no doubt, to 2008’s Tropical Strom Hanna blowing
Delmarva a kiss with offshore winds and overhead barrels — Reef and K-Coast
reveled in prime placement at the Castles in the Sand Hotel on 37th Street
— a chop-hop away from the OC Beachfest at the 40th Street Convention
Center, a multi-sports, three-day extravaganza promoting an active lifestyle
complete with vendors, music, demos, fitness seminars, celebrity speakers, and
a multitude of interactive activities. Think ECSC with acai berry carts
replacing the beer tents. “It was a good move for us
to partner up with the OC Beachfest event,” added Beach. “I think with
this new partnership we can take this event to the next level come 2010!”
SLIDE: Once again, the Guppies won
everyone’s hearts. This division was set up for any child needing assistance in
the water. Organizers provided extra soft surfboards on the beach as well as
staff on hand to help any child, as there are often parents that aren’t
comfortable going in the ocean with their child. Each brave grom received a
medal and a goodie bag worth far more than the $10 entry fee. And while last
year the contest offered a $500 travel voucher for the Open Pro winner (plus prize
packages for all finalists provided by Dakine, Smith, Xcel, and Reef), this
year $300 cash went to the Open Pro winner while the runner-up received $200.
“There were some tight
heats,” admits Petticrew, who placed 2nd in the Pro final, “but it was pretty
much all local Delaware and Maryland guys this time. That was cool to see.”
THE PAIN: Last
year, top OC local Vince Boulanger (who smoked the 2006 contest, by the way)
took a healthy chunk out of his leg with his damaged board in the semifinals.
“This time,” says Petticrew, “Vince was running out to the water for our final, gave me a high-five on the way,
and immediately tripped in a pothole. His ankle swelled up and turned black and
blue, and they had to hold off the heat for five minutes. He won anyway.”
THE MAN: “The waves were inconsistent for the final,”
says Petticrew. “It was super high tide, but Vince found a really long left and
did a floater to ollie off the roof — like an air and a floater in one
— and got the best maneuver with that. It was the highest score of the
final.”
YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT
FIGHT CLUB: “They had an ESA-Delmarva
District contest going at the same time, so we had to double-beach heats, but
everyone played nice.” –Reef East Coast Surf Team Manager and
Open Pro runner-up Brendan Petticrew
“It was stomach-high, gray skies, and the best song I heard them play was
‘You Spin Me Around,’ but it was a cool contest nonetheless.”–ESM
Contributing Photographer and OC informant Gunner Hughes
FINAL RESULTS OF THE 11TH ANNUAL REEF/ K-COAST SURF CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY OC BEACHFEST
OPEN PRO
1. Vince Boulanger,
$300
2. Brendan
Petticrew, $200
3. Matt Meinhardt
4. Sam Sverson
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
