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When you hear competitive news from the East Coast, it
usually involves one of two names: Kelly Slater or CJ Hobgood. But let’s forget
about Kelly’s nine world titles and CJ’s current #2 world ranking for just one minute;
let’s disregard Pro Juniors and the NSSA Nationals and the ESA Easterns, along
with all the grom contests, benefit events, and your local longboard classic comps.
To borrow a slogan from the losing side of the 2008 presidential campaign, let’s
think about “Country First” for once.
The PacSun U.S.A. Surf Team reasserted America’s
global dominance by winning the overall gold medal at the 2009 Billabong ISA World
Surfing Games, held August 1st-August 8th in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica. Former
WCT standouts-turned-current freesurfing savants Ben Bourgeois and Cory Lopez
anchored the squad, along with Kure Beach, NC, longboarder Tony Silvagni; the
other five members of Team U.S.A. (Courtney Conlogue, Sage Erickson, Nat Young,
Austin Ware, and Steve Newton) all hailed from California. The whole affair was
déjà vu for Bourgeois, who helped Team U.S.A. win its last overall title in
1996 via his own gold medal in Juniors, along with help from fellow Right
Coasters Damien Hobgood, Jeremy Saukel, Bryan Hewitson, and coach Kevin “Doc”
Grondin.
While the only gold medalist in ’09 came from
assertive wahine Conlogue in Open Women’s, all three East Coasters made their respective
finals: Lopez finished a close 2nd to current ‘CT Frenchman Jeremy Flores in
Open Men’s for the silver medal, Benny B placed 4th for a copper medal in the
same division, and Silvagni also placed 4th to earn a copper in Longboard (he lost
to another Frenchman, Antoine Delpero). The Rightside trio dominated their
preliminary heats, with Cory and Silvagni both advancing through each and every
main round, while Ben only fell to the repercharge loser’s round immediately
before the final. And just for perspective, the Open Men’s division had surfers
from 35 countries battling for a win, before the final ended up hosting two
East Coasters, a Frenchman, and a Peruvian. So in case anybody was wondering, the
East Coast truly does breed the finest in world-class talent.
But consistency was the key for Team U.S.A., as five
out of eight American surfers made their finals; even with two individual gold
medals, Team France was still a whopping 1630 points behind the Americans in
the overall tally. Perhaps the biggest influence came from legendary Australian
surfer Ian “Kanga” Cairns, who lent his enormous coaching talents to Team
U.S.A. and brought a fresh perspective of mental toughness, outward calm, and
individual integrity to the group. “We were the ONLY team that put the time in
on the two contest sites, studying the waves and running mock heats,” Cairns
told Surfline.com. “I would [also] like to think we were being less ‘in-your-face’
than prior U.S. Teams; [while] the other teams were at the water’s edge with
their country flag and whole squad burning energy in the baking midday sun, we
were in the shade staying out of trouble, hydrating, and conserving energy. This
is the personality that I would like the team to have during my tenure.”
Whether it was the new mindset, the WCT-level
experience of Lopez and Bourgeois, or the rapidly improving talent of recent
Hurley U.S. Open of Surfing winner Conlogue, Team U.S.A. returned to a podium
not visited since the ISA’s inaugural World Surfing Games in 1996. “We won the
gold after 13 years, but rest assured the other teams will be back with a
vengeance in 2010,” Cairns finished. “We relish the challenge.”
FINAL
RESULTS OF THE 2009 BILLABONG ISA WORLD SURFING GAMES
TEAM
GOLD: United States, 14910 points
SILVER: France, 13280 points
BRONZE: Australia, 10996 points
COPPER: Hawaii, 10856 points
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OPEN MENS
GOLD: Jeremy Flores (FRA)
SILVER: Cory Lopez (USA)
BRONZE: Gabriel Villaran (PER)
COPPER: Ben Bourgeois (USA)
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OPEN WOMENS
GOLD: Courtney Conlogue (USA)
SILVER: Roseanne Hodge (ZAF)
BRONZE: Sage Erickson (USA)
COPPER: Pauline Ado (FRA)
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LONGBOARD
GOLD: Antoine Delpero (FRA)
SILVER: Harley Ingleby (AUS)
BRONZE: Ben Skinner (GBR)
COPPER: Tony Silvagni (USA)
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ALOHA CUP
GOLD: Australia
SILVER: France
BRONZE: Peru
COPPER: Tahiti
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ALL ABOUT ANDREW
3rd Annual Big Andrew Surf Competition & Fundraiser Keeps Memory Of Fallen York, ME, Surfer Alive
By Ryan Knowles; Photos by Natty Graham
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BIG APPLE,
BIGGER HEARTS
4th Annual SEA Paddle NYC Provides Best Opportunity
Yet To Help Environment, Autistic Kids
By Allison Arteaga; Photos Courtesy
Furey Connection
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HOPE RIDES ON
New Florida-Based Non-Profit Seeks To Spread The Joy Of Boardsports To Impoverished Kids
By Allison Arteaga; Photos Courtesy
Mark Koch
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ENCENDER UN FUEGO
Puerto Rico’s First All-Girls Surf Contest Expected To Ignite Boricuan Surf Culture For Years To Come
By Allison Arteaga
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SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN
Rhett Lightfoot Boyd And Rogue Wave Surf Shop Bring Gentility Back To Charleston, SC, Surf Scene
By Will Tunstall
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UNSOUND UPGRADE
New York’s Biggest Surf Contest Grows Even Larger With Nike 6.0 Sponsoring Grade-4 ASP Pro Junior Event
By Nick McGregor
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LONG DISTANCE LOVE
Miami Paddleboarder Cynthia Aguilar Aims To Set New Distance Record And Help
Sick Kids Along The Way
By Allison Arteaga; Photos Courtesy Kim Foehringer
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COAST TO COAST
A Relic Of Surf Industry Titan Bob Hurley’s Past Comes Home To The Outer Banks
By Alex Lemonde-Gray
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GARDEN STATE GALLERY
New Jersey Surf Photography Across The Decades Gets Its Time To Shine At Tuckerton Seaport
On Friday, July 23rd
By Vinnie Gavone
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RISING TIDE
Cocoa Beach Surf Museum’s Florida Women Of The Waves
Exhibit Honors Sunshine State Wahine History
By Allison Arteaga; Photos by Nate
Adams
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BELATED TRIBUTE
Superior Surf Club Raises Great Lakes-Area Awareness Of Wisconsin Native And
Surfing Pioneer Tom Blake
By Allison Arteaga
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FAKE LEFT, GO RIGHT
Quiksilver’s “Gotta Make A Right To Go Left New Jersey Surf Tour” Kicks Off On Tuesday, July 20th
With Stacked Field…
By Nick McGregor
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STICK AROUND
Hurley’s Rip My Shred Stick East Coast Tour Circulates Stoke & Equipment Knowledge
By Matt Pruett
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INDIVIDUAL EFFORT
UNC Wilmington Anchor Mike Powell Makes Up For Team Loss By Slaying College Men’s Division
By Nick McGregor
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RETURN FLIGHT
2001 ASP World Champion CJ Hobgood Brings It All Back Home By Signing With
Cocoa Beach Institution Quiet Flight Surfboards
By Nick McGregor; Photos by Nate Adams
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OFF-DUTY RESCUE
Alaska-Based Coast Guardsman Saves Family While Home On Florida’s Gulf Coast
By Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Charly Hengen
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ROSS KRISPIES
Wrightsville Beach, NC, Stylist Ross Stevens’ Snap-Crackle-Pop
Breakfast Break At Masonboro
By Matt Pruett
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PAY IT FORWARD
Inaugural Surfers For Autism Of The Palm Beaches Event Stokes Out Local Groms
By Allison Arteaga; Photos by Greg Panas
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ALL TOGETHER NOW
2010 Duck Village Outfitters/ Division 71 Outer Banks Shootout Brings Pro Surfing And
Bodyboarding Under Same Tent For First Time In Dare County History
By Nick McGregor
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GET WET
South Florida Watershot Maestro Nicola Lugo
Displays Globetrotting Photography At 3rd Annual Hotter Than Wasabi Jam
By
Nick McGregor; Photos by Nicola Lugo
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LONG ISLAND LEG UP
Unsound Surf Shop Art Show & Auction Raises Money For
Tommy Brull Foundation And Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
By Nick McGregor;
Photos by Mike “Nellie” Nelson
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GALVANIZING THE GULF
Sarasota’s The Compound Board Shop Hosts 1’ @ 2 Seconds Exhibit Celebrating
50 Years Of Gulf Coast History
By Nick McGregor; Photos by Ryan Gamma
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SOUTH FLORIDA STORIES
Extensive Palm Beach
County Surfing History Project Exhibit Up In Stuart, FL, Until April 19th
By Tom
Warnke; Photos by Mark Hill
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FOR THE COVE,
FOR THE CAUSE
Florida
Surf Stars Turn Out For NSSA Southeast Conference Movie Night Featuring
Powerful Documentary The Cove
By Nick McGregor; Photos by Nate Adams and Tom Dugan
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RETURN TO
PARADISE
One Week After
His ESM Interview Hit The Streets,
Jesse Hines Gives Us An Inspiring Postscript
By Matt Pruett; Photos by Whitney Hines
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JURY OF YOUR PIERS
Volusia County
Council Meeting On January 21st Could Ease Sunglow and Main Street
Pier Restrictions
By Nick McGregor; Photos by Patrick Ruddy
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DEEP FREEZE
3rd Annual Dean Randazzo Cancer Foundation Freeze For A Cause Blitzes Seaside Heights On March 6th
By Nick McGregor
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ONWARD AND UPWARD
Cocoa Beach Surf Museum Continues To Expand With Eye-Popping Exhibits, Deep Historical Well,
And Grassroots Commitment
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GIVING FOR GREGG
Montauk,
NY, Surf Community Comes Together To Assist Gregg Goldberg; You Can Help, Too
By Nick McGregor; Photos by James Katsipis
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EASTBOUND AND UPWARD
Right Coast Amateurs Get First Crack At Surfing America Prime East This Weekend;
ESM Presents Montauk Movie Night With Ian Cairns & Dave Stanfield
By Nick McGregor
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DON’T GET WORKED
Take The Surf-First Survey By Labor Day...
Or Leave Your Homebreak Unprotected
By Matt Walker/ Surfing Magazine
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FRIENDLY FIRE
Wounded Warrior Project Gives Saltwater Dressings To Wounded Veterans At Camp Pendleton,
VA
By Matt Pruett
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NOW HEAR THIS!
After A Year And A Half Of Prayers, Donations, and Benefit Ragers, Let’s Hear
It For Martin! Sounds Off
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CREATIVE CARE
Surfrider Celebrates Their Silver Anniversary With
Largest Musical Event Ever On Florida’s Treasure Coast
By Nick McGregor
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BS
ARTISTS
Veeco Productions Promises Right
Coast Voyeurs “A Perfect Night In” With Their Latest Movie, BS
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GRAVEYARD SHIFT
Wax Up Them Roundpins — 2009 WRV Outer Banks Pro to Host Battle of the
Banks Qualifier
By Matt Pruett; Photos by Mez
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BEACON
OF SURF HISTORY
Palm Beach County Surfing History Project Opens Illuminating Exhibit at Tequesta
Lighthouse Center of the Arts
By Matt Pruett; Photos by Mark Hill
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