Competitors in the 12th annual Wrightsville Beach Longboard Association (WBLA) Pro/Am will show off their cross stepping and nose riding skills May 2 to help raise money for the organization’s charity efforts.
WBLA secretary Laura Shearin said the contest could draw as many as 100 participants. In addition to the amateur age divisions, the club is bringing back one of its more recent additions to the format — the men’s open professional division. In those heats, spectators will see the graceful style that epitomizes longboarding from local talents like Tony Silvagni and Steven Mangiacapre.
“It’s amazing to see what people can do on the waves,” Shearin said. “Some of the pros are unreal.”
Shearin said the contest will also feature a women’s professional division with a $500 purse this year if the category gets at least five entrants.
A special division in this year’s competition will showcase the art of riding the nose of the board. The category will be judged simply by how many seconds each surfer can stand on the nose of his or her board on a completed ride, Shearin said. A strip of duct tape will be placed toward the front of the board to help the judges determine how to score the ride.
The contest does include one division for shortboards, but not those typically ridden in competition. Entrants will surf on retro twin or single fin shortboards.
“A lot of people still ride those boards,” Shearin said. “They’re not high-performance boards … so there’s not an outlet for these people who are still riding them. It’s a fun way to get them out.”
Shearin said the vibe of the competition is mellow and fun, and that makes it a good contest for all ability levels.
“It’s a great first contest for people because there’s not a lot of pressure,” she said. “I know some of my friends, this is the only contest they’ll surf in, just to support the club, and it’s a fun thing to do.”
Proceeds from the contest will feed back into the surf community. Part of the money goes to the WBLA’s scholarship fund for young surfers and the rest will be used to help a family in need around the holidays. Every year, Shearin said, the club seeks out a family — usually within the surfing community — that has fallen on hard times.
“We always try to find a family who’s got that love of the ocean and love of surfing and help them however we can,” she said.
email [email protected]
