January
Nearly 90 paddleboard racers braved the sixth annual Cold Stroke Classic Saturday, Jan. 18, at theĀ Blockade Runner Beach Resort. Racers faced a 34-degree air temperature, and winds gusting up to 25 mph.
Catching the only dogfish of the day, David Lynn, of Rockingham, N.C., won the $307.50 cash prize during the Ninth Annual Dogfish Tournament, hosted at Johnnie Mercerās Pier.
February
The Miracle League of Wilmington hosted Miracles in Motion, the first Cape Fear Region all-accessible 5k and 1-mile race at Olsen Park Sunday, Feb. 16.
More than 200 competitors turned out for the sixth annual Run for Ray trail run at Brunswick Nature Park, which raises money for the Chordoma Foundation and celebrates the life of Wilmington resident Ray Underhill.
Wrightsville Beach native Chase Carraway, 14, represented the United States in the PalamĆ³s Optimist Trophy Nationas Cup, an International Optimist Dinghy Association sailing regatta in PalamĆ³s, Spain.
March
More than 40 competitors participated in the Fifth Annual Wrightsville Beach Biathlon March 22, a paddleboard and 4-mile beach run held at the Blockade Runner Beach Resort.
Chris Bailey set a new course record time of 2:28:38 during the Fifth Annual Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon, which raised money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, Landfall Foundation and other local charities.
April
More than 700 paddleboarders of all ages from around the world gathered at Wrightsville Beach April 23-27 for the Fourth Annual Carolina Cup, hosted by the Wrightsville Beach Paddle Club.
The Sweetwater Surf Shop team won the Oakley Surf Shop Challenge in Kitty Hawk, N.C.
The University of North Carolina Wilmington Surf Team won the National Scholastic Surfing Associationās 2014 East Coast Championships for the sixth consecutive time.
May
More than 120 surfers and standup paddleboarders participated in the one-day Longboard Classic and SUP Pro-Am contest hosted by the Wrightsville Beach Longboard Association.
The Morehead City team Coverage caught the record-breaking 821-pound blue marlin that won the 41st annual Cape Fear Blue Marlin Tournament May 28-31. Event organizers said it was the largest fish ever killed and brought back to a Wrightsville Beach dock.
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JuneĀ
Carolina Yacht Club hosted the 21st annual Lightning Regatta June 6-8, serving as the Southeastern District Championship, a qualifying regatta for the North American Lightning Championships.
The Wrightsville Beach Foundation hosted the Second Annual Pier to Pier Run, Crab Crawl and SUP Race between Johnnie Mercerās Pier and Crystal Pier, drawing more than 300 participants.
July
Pro surfer Ben Bourgeois won the ninth annual Sweetwater Pro-Am held in his hometown, Wrightsville Beach.
August
Thirteen children participated in a Ā¼ -mile open water swim in Motts Channel as the culmination of Learn2Swim, a summer-long swimming lesson and water safety program run by swim instructor Allie DiBlasi.
September
The Wilmington Municipal Golf Course reopened Monday, Sept.Ā 29, after closing at the end of April for a $1.5 million renovation project that overhauled the courseās greens, bunkers, and irrigation and drainage systems.
The Fourth Port City Ping-Pong Throwdown drew 78 players of all ages and skill levels to the Brooklyn Arts Center Friday, Sept. 5.
Nearly 400 swimmers competed in the 10th annual Wilmington Family YMCA Pier-2-Pier swim Saturday, Sept. 13, swimming the 2-mile stretch of open water between Crystal and Johnnie Mercerās piers.
The 2014 Wide Open Tech Spanish Mackerel Open tournament, organized by the Fishermanās Post,Ā took place Sept. 19-21 on Wrightsville Beach, awarding more than $5,000 in prizes.
Olympic gold medalist Lindsay Davenport and Grand Slam champion Rennae Stubbs exchanged volleys and good-natured banter during the Landfall Foundation Legends of Tennis Tournament Sept. 19 and 20.
October
Laura Hull, a member of the PPD Hero team in the PPD Beach2Battleship Triathlon, completed the triathlon Oct. 25.
The Wake Forest womenās golf team won the schoolās third Landfall Tradition tournament Sunday, Oct. 26.
Canadian paddleboarders Larry Cain and Tommy Buday finished second and first, respectively, in the 6.5-mile North Carolina Surf to Sound Challenge, despite choppy water and chilly winds.
November
More than 40Ā sports and entertainment celebrities gathered in Wilmington Nov. 7-9 for the 12th annual Willie Stargell Celebrity Golf Tournament, which raised $76,000 to fight kidney disease.
Matthew Wisthoff placed first in the inaugural King of Wrightsville Beach Biathlon, a race composed of a 6.4-mile bike and 3.2-mile run along beach sand.
Eleven-year-old Maya Obremski won the womenās division of the 32nd Annual Seaside Shuffle 5k Nov. 23 with a winning time of 20:54. Tom Clifford won the menās division with a 15:06 finishing time.
The University of North Carolina Wilmington menās soccer team defeated the Bison of Bucknell University Nov. 20, earning the menās soccer program its first NCAA win.
December
The inaugural Trails for Tails 5k raised funds for the Poplar Grove Plantationās animal sanctuary, a haven and rehabilitation center for rescued horses and other animals.
Greg Zinner won the Wrighstville Beach Museum of Historyās sixth annual Jingle Bell Run 5k Dec. 13.