Nearly 300 of the East Coast’s best amateur surfers will compete during the 49th annual Eastern Surfing Association’s (ESA) Easterns® Surfing Championship at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, North Carolina this Sunday, Sept. 18 through Saturday, Sept. 24. ESA’s annual event – its largest of the year – will showcase competitors from the Great Lakes, the East Coast and the Gulf Coast of Florida.
John Ross Productions will provide a live webcast throughout the event, which may be viewed at www.surfesa.org.
“The ESA has had tremendous success with Easterns® at Jennette’s Pier each year,” said Michelle Sommers, ESA’s executive director. “Jennette’s Pier, Town of Nags Head and Outer Banks Visitors’ Bureau welcome us back each year and it’s wonderful to have the support from the tea set. Our competitors enjoy all that there is to do throughout the Outer Banks during the week.”
New event sponsor Shoots-Media will film some of the event both in and out of the water.
“We are stoked to be covering the Easterns® Championship this year,” said Will Baker, director of photography. “It’s a great opportunity to be a part of such an amazing organization within the surf industry that continues to promote East Coast Surfing.”
New sponsors, such as Jon Agnot from Boardgrab and Mike and Kim Bynum from Lost Coast Surfpacks, are thrilled to be involved with the ESA.
“We can’t wait to mix it up on the beach with everyone and be a part of the event and festivities,” Agnot said. “It’s going to be outrageous fun.”
ESA All-Star Braidyn Cunningham. Photo: Jordan Montogmery
“It is an honor for us to be a part of such an important and exciting event,” the Bynums added.
The six-day event begins with adult divisions and ends with the youth finals at the end of the week. Many Easterns® champions from previous years will be returning to claim a second or third title. Easterns® is the final event of the ESA post-championship season in which competitors had to qualify through their local and regional events to receive an invitation.
The All-Star Team will hold its much anticipated annual raffle drawing on Friday, Sept. 23, before the final awards ceremony. This team of ESA elite surfers, supported by East Coast Customs skateboards and Rip Curl, have been selling raffle tickets since January to support the All-Star Team. Tickets are still available and the list of prizes may be viewed on the team’s webpage www.surfesa.org/allstars.
Be sure to follow the Easterns® action throughout the week online and through ESA’s social media pages: Facebook – Easterns Surfing Association and Instagram – @surfesa.
ESA All-Star Noah Dovin. Photo: Mickey McCarthy
The ESA wants to thank all of its sponsors for the 2016 Easterns® Surfing Championships.
- Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
- Hatteras Island Christian Fellowship
- Boardgrab
- Sharkbanz
- East Coast Customs
- Sun Realty
- Jennette’s Pier
- Town of Nags Head
- Lost-Coast Surfpacks
- Reflekt Polarized
- dryrobe
- GoPro
- Swellinfo.com
- Rip Curl
- Liquid Shredder
- OluKai
- Surfer
- Chums
- Sticky Bumps
- Surfco Hawaii
- Board Buddy
- Clark Little Photography
- Café Lachine
- Waveriders Coffee & Deli
- Ocean Atlantic Rentals
- Carolina Brewery
- Pamlico Jack’s
- Banxblock
- Media in Motion
- Tara Mosley Graphic Design
- Plak That
- Harrington Graphic & Screenprinting
- Lasting Image
- Damien Share Art
- Mickey McCarthy Photography
- Anchor Scaffolding & Ladder Company
- Schoppy’s