The windy conditions during the Wrightsville Beach Longboard Association’s (WBLA) annual surf contest April 9 were more suited to kite flying than wave riding, the commentator told spectators. But, he added, that only made the efforts of the 70 competitors even more impressive.
The light northwest breeze gusting the morning of the 14th annual WBLA Jerry Allen’s Longboard Pro-Am quickly turned to a powerful offshore wind that flattened the ocean. Austin Hollingshead from Melbourne, Florida, had the most success figuring out the tricky conditions. He won both the $2,000 open pro and noserider divisions.
Most of the waves throughout the day broke just feet from shore, but competitors made the best of it. Grey Copenhaver, who traveled from Virginia Beach with his younger brother to participate, said the key was to not get discouraged.
“It has potential,” he said, eyeing the ocean before his heat. “You’ve got to look at it positive, because if you have a crappy attitude you’re not going to go far.”
While attitude and skill were beneficial, luck also played a role, competitor and local legend Bill Curry said.
“It’s 10 percent ability, 90 percent luck,” he said. “If you get that one good wave of the heat, that’s it.”
Curry described this year’s conditions compared to last year’s as “yin and yang”— an unpredictability that often plagues contests on the East Coast, where the surf is largely influenced by local weather. The 2015 competition was held in what Curry called “the best surf I’ve seen in a contest in 18 years.”
Curry, who finished first in the master division and second in the noserider, said judging panels usually award a point or two for every maneuver performed on a wave. But since the waves April 9 weren’t offering space to do multiple tricks, he guessed the judges might also be scoring simply for the length of the ride.
To get the longest possible ride, some competitors rode all the way onto the sand, risking damage to their fins or boards. Copenhaver said he was willing to take a few board dings to get a good ride, and it earned him fourth place in the pro division.
“You just have to go all in,” he said.
If length of ride was a factor in most divisions, it was not enough in the noserider category. Those competitors had to race to the tip of their board and balance there to earn points. The division was created to highlight the longboard-specific art of hanging 10 — riding with all 10 toes on the nose of the board.
While the energy in the water was lacking this year, the stoke on the beach was not. Sponsor tents lined the beach. The judges and commentators watched from two-story scaffolding, raffling off prizes to the spectators every few minutes.
“We try to create a family atmosphere,” WBLA secretary Laura Shearin said. “Good vibes on the beach.”
The variety of divisions for men, women and children of all abilities allowed multiple generations of surfing families to take part. And while the annual contest draws participation from many local surfing families, it also aims to benefit them.
Some of the money raised from raffle ticket sales will go toward the WBLA’s scholarship fund. The rest will be set aside to help a local family in need.
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