45 F
Wrightsville Beach
Friday, March 29, 2024

Watermen’s weekend at Wrightsville Beach

Must read

Fueled by the stoke generated during the previous night’s 50th anniversary screening of “The Endless Summer,” the annual Wrightsville Beach Longboard Association Longboard Classic and SUP Surfing Pro-Am competitors were treated to a day of sunshine and waves Saturday, May 3.

In conditions putting even the most experienced surfers and standup paddleboarders to the test, Carolina Beach native Tony Silvagni and journeyman Ryan Helm took the top honors during the contest.

Silvagni, who has competed nearly every year of the WBLA’s annual contest, won the Open Longboard Pro division over second-place finisher Brad Rose, third-place finisher Alek Rockrise and fourth-place finisher Mikey Melchiorre.

After competing in the Carolina Cup the weekend before, Helm won first in the Open SUP Pro divisions over second-place finisher Fisher Grant, third-place finisher Kieran Grant and fourth-place finisher Geovani Perez.

“First it was a lot of pain, because I did the Carolina Cup last week and then this was a sweet way to finish,” Helm said. “It is just beautiful here, the food is good and the people are really nice.”

Both Silvagni and Helm said they were happy to finish first in the 1-2 foot sloppy surf and having experience with the ups and downs of the surfing conditions on the East Coast helped. In addition to a hand-carved trophy by Slow Country Designs, each won $2,000.

“Conditions were challenging for both the race and this,” Helm said. “You just try to feel the water. We both grew up on the East Coast and on the East Coast I have had some of the best sessions of my life, and then I have also surfed in some of the worst sessions.”

WBLA president Shawn O’Donnell said the contest was the biggest one yet with 120 registered surfers and standup paddleboarders combined. Changing the contest to only run one day with Sunday forecasted to have smaller surf put stress on all involved, but O’Donnell said the crew put on another successful contest.

“The East Coast is hearing about this contest, and it is drawing more and more people each year,” O’Donnell said. “With the cash prize for the longboard and SUP divisions it is one of, if not the, biggest on the East Coast.”

This year the contest was part of the inaugural Wrightsville Beach Waterman Festival, which included the induction of the first class of the Waterman’s Hall of Fame.

Prior to the Surfalorus screening of “The Endless Summer” Friday, May 2, Richard Bradley III, Tony Butler, Bill Currie, Eddy Haneman, Jo Pickett and Josh Vach were inducted to the hall of fame for various contributions to Wrightsville Beach’s surfing, fishing and sailing heritage.

Another event held during the three-day waterman festival was a day of surf instruction by Jo Pickett and surf history education by local surf historian Skipper Funderburg with about 30 kids from the YWCA at the Wrightsville Beach Museum of History.

Introducing a new generation to the history of the sport is key to ensuring its future, Funderburg said.

“Hopefully they will want to come back to the museum because they left stoked, I can tell you that,” Funderburg said.

email [email protected] 

 

- Advertisement -spot_img

More articles

- Advertisement -spot_img

Latest articles