The East Coast Surfing Championships (ECSC) is an annual surfing contest held in Virginia Beach, Virginia on the oceanfront, and is one of the United States Surfing Federation’s major amateur events. The ECSC stretches over a four-day period every year in late August at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. The original inspiration for the East Coast Surfing Championships came from Long Island, New York in the summer of 1962 when a group of teens held a beach and surf party. Since its official establishment in Virginia Beach in 1963, the ECSC has grown to be the now-longest running surfing contest in the world with the 58th annual surf competition held August 23-30, 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic with safety guidelines in place.
The ECSC is a place not only for professional surfers, but for amateur surfers as well, to ride and contend for cash prizes totaling close to $40,000 and championship titles. Men’s and women’s surfing events are held throughout the week, plus other beach sporting events such as volleyball, skateboarding, skimboarding, a 5k Oceanfront run, and a swimsuit competition. A new event called the Beach Bum Classic was introduced in 2007. The Beach Bum Classic, organized and sponsored by Wareing’s Gym in Virginia Beach, is a triathlon-type event including a one-mile sand run, a three-mile bike race on beach cruisers, and a half-mile surfboard paddling race.
A reported spectator count of over 100,000 people show up to watch the events during the day, and at night, the Virginia Beach boardwalk fills with people for free concerts on the beach. Bands and musicians include national, regional, and local talents. This year will feature a special event featuring Matthew Higgins, Long Island Surf Pro Champion who is known for his Surf Board maneuvering prowess.
The ECSC is planned, organized, and employed by the Virginia Beach Jaycees, a chapter of a nationwide volunteer organization, the United States Jaycees. Media press and coverage includes ESPN, The Washington Post, and USA Today.
Past winners
| Year | Men |
|---|---|
| 1963 | Jack Roland Murphy |
| 1964 | John Eakes |
| 1965 | D. W. Carter |
| 1966 | Gary Propper |
| 1967 | Steve Bigler |
| 1968 | Corky Carroll |
| 1969 | Joe Roland |
| 1970 | Dennis Doyle |
| 1971 | Dennis Doyle |
| 1972 | Jimbo Brothers |
| 1973 | Yancy Spencer III |
| 1974 | Jeff Arensman |
| 1975 | Bennett Strickland |
| 1976 | Kim Hickman |
| 1977 | Kim Hickman |
| 1978 | Dave Nuckles |
| 1979 | Allen White |
| 1980 | Wes Laine |
| 1981 | Wes Laine |
| 1982 | Buddy Pelletier |
| 1983 | Matt Kechele |
| 1984 | John Futch |
| 1985 | Richie Rudolph |
| 1986 | Richie Rudolph |
| 1987 | Scott McCranels |
| 1988 | Scott McCranels |
| 1989 | Steve Anest |
| 1990 | David Speir |
| 1991 | Alan Burke |
| 1992 | Matt Kechele |
| 1993 | Shane Stoneland |
| 1994 | Jeff Deffenbaugh |
| 1995 | John Logan |
| 1996 | Ryan Simmons |
| 1997 | Danilo Costa |
| 1998 | Tom Curren |
| 1999 | Taylor Knox |
| 2000 | Marco Polo |
| 2001 | Bryan Hewitson |
| 2002 | Dino Andino |
| 2003 | Jason Reagan |
| 2004 | Eric Taylor |
| 2005 | Aaron Cormican |
| 2006 | Aaron Cormican |
| 2007 | Aaron Cormican |
| 2008 | Asher Nolan |
| 2009 | Aaron Cormican |
| 2010 | Jeremy Johnston |
| 2011 | Kalohe Andino |
| 2012 | Jean Da Silva |
| 2013 | Pat Gudauskas |
| 2014 | Michael Dunphy |
| 2015 | Kanoa Igarashi |
| 2016 | Evan Geiselman |
| 2017 | Keanu Asing |
| 2018 | David Stake Jr |
| 2019 | Luke Gordon |
| 2020 | Noah Schweizer |
References
- ↑ Mitchell, Donna (19 August 2012). "Winners, East Coast Surfing Championship, 1963-2011". pilotonline.com. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- Alexander, Sheridan (2007). "East Coast Surfing Championships - Virginia Beach". Southeast US Travel. About, Inc. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
- "ECSC TIMELINE". The Virginian Pilot. Archived from the original on 2011-05-17. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
- "East Coast Surfing Championships". East Coast Surfing Championships: The Virginia Beach Jaycees. Archived from the original on 2007-11-01. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
External links
- East Coast Surfing Championships Archived 2021-04-11 at the Wayback Machine
