Photo credit: Surf Expo
“We are excited to present an All-Star Team that exemplifies the best of the ESA,” says ESA Executive Director, Michelle Sommers. “Not only does one need to be a strong competitor to make the team, but must also set a good example with regard to sportsmanship and dedication to the organization.”
The 2015 All-Star Members are:
- Maria Barend
- Jared Bono
- Spencer Bridges
- Trip Chandler
- Georgia Cook
- Grey Copenhaver
- Braiden Cunningham
- Shealyn Cunningham
- Charlie Current
- Hartley DePass
- Olivia Dilling
- Noah Dovin
- Julia Eckel
- Cooper Fortney
- Nohea Futrell
- Lars Hamilton
- Simon Hetrick
- Thomas Horner
- Cory Jackson
- Kallie Leonik
- Patrick McCarron
- Evan Micele
- Selena Moberly
- Jordan Montgomery
- Gabe Morvil
- Kat Neff
- Kai Nichols
- Parker Sawyer
- Kyle Tester
- Douglas Wendell III
- Lily Whatley
Also new to the 2015 All-Star Team are regional adult mentors, who will be working closely with the team members in their respective areas of the East Coast and during travel. The new mentors include:
- Chuck & Ana Barend
- Kai Dilling
- Haley Watson
- Ricky Judalena
- Rod Logan
- David Taylor
- Lenny Nichols
- Jo Pickett
All-Star Team member Simon Hetrick says, “I’m beyond happy to be a part of the Team again this year and the All-Star induction ceremony was great! I’m super thankful for the opportunity to have been able to attend Surf Expo to meet up with sponsors, friends, and the surf industry in general. It’s a great group of kids and mentors.”
Maria Barend, another All-Star says, “It was an honor to be inducted as an All-Star at Surf Expo. I will never forget this experience.”
On Sunday, January 11th, the All-Star Team met at Ponce Inlet, Florida with former All-Star and ASP Pro Tour vet Shea Lopez for a day of team building. Lopez, owner of LopezS Boards, will continue to work with the organization to help align influential members of the surfing community with the talented athletes of the ESA All-Star Team.
“Growing up competing in the ESA led my brother Cory and me to a career surfing contests around the world,” Lopez says. “Now we have returned home to raise our own families around the same beach lifestyle we grew up with. It was a pleasure to have Cory and a number of former ESA stars turned professional surfers join the 2015 ESA All-Star Team for a surf and pizza party near our home in Daytona Beach.”
“The training on Sunday was a great opportunity to surf together and cheer each other on,” states Barend. “I was stoked to get a fun session in at Ponce, meet up with Shea, and grab some grub with good friends,” adds Hetrick.
The All-Star Team is also very excited to welcome Rip Curl as an “Official Team Sponsor” for 2015. “Rip Curl supports some of the best surfers in the world and we are thrilled to have them support our All-Star Team,” says Sommers.
Dylan Slater, Rip Curl’s Vice President of Marketing says, “”Rip Curl is excited and honored to support the next generation of the East Coast’s top talent. The ESA All-Stars have a prestigious legacy, and Rip Curl is happy to be a part of it.”
The entire team will be traveling over a three-week period to the North Shore of Oahu in February and March for professional training with several elite surf coaches. Photos and videos of this trip will be posted online, so be sure to check us out.
Social media for the ESA All-Stars:
- Facebook – “ESA All-Stars”
- Instagram – “east_coast_allstars”
- Webpage – www.surfesa.org/allstars
The ESA, which is in its 48th year, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit amateur athletic organization dedicated to the sport of amateur surfing. The organization promotes amateur competition for surfers of all ages and abilities, and is dedicated to the establishment and preservation of free access to a clean shoreline and ocean environment.
Press Contact:
Michelle Sommers
Executive Director
Eastern Surfing Association
[email protected]
302-988-1953
www.surfesa.org