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Spectators huffed and puffed their way to the top of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse for a birds eye view of the Eastern Surfing Association’s 31st Eastern Surfing Championships. Surfers made the hike to eye the horizon for incoming swells and watch the intense man on man final elimination heat of the Men’s Shortboard division. Eric Hatton of Fernandina Beach, Florida and Virginia Beach’s Brad Harell battled it out in back to back heats on Wednesday afternoon in clean waist to stomach high surf. The two surfers competed virtually wave for wave, performing radical maneuvers, throwing big sprays, and leaving the crowd dumbfounded at who would actually be given the title.
Hatton’s wave selection, and one or two higher scoring rides put him over the top. At the awards ceremony Hatton’s tense fists and concentrated frown turned to laughter and high fives when competition director Paul West handed him the first place title. Hatton, over four days of competition, surfed against sixty top ranking amateurs to earn the title of 1998 Men’s Shortboard Champion. Hatton has also earned a wildcard slot to the Rip Curl World Cup of Surfing Pro Event in Oahu, Hawaii this winter.
The ESA Easterns features only the top amateur surfers on the Eastern seaboard. Six thousand surfers from Maine to Florida competed in local contests accumulating points to qualify for Regionals. Only 1200 surfers competed in Regionals, and only 500 of those surfers earned a slot to Easterns. Surfers like Hatton and Harrell are considered some of the very best surfers in the nation. The ESA often acts as a stepping stone to the professional surfing circuit.
Central North Carolina surfers Tony Butler and Daniel Hill battled forthe Masters title. Hill edged Butler out to claim first with Butler in a close second. Local surfers Daniel Sacchi and Peter Collier made it within the Top 10 of the Masters divisions. Emerald Isle’s Justin Schubb and Wilmington’s Mitch Baker placed in the Top 8 of the Men’s Division. CNC’s Hunter Lupton won Masters Longboard despite an injury toward the end of his final, which sent him home with stitches in his foot.
Chris Crockett of Central North Carolina tried hard for the Men’s Bodyboard Title, despite a constricting leg brace from a broken leg earlier this summer. But New Jersey’s Steve Passalacqua took the win for the second year in a row. Doug Wilson of Central Florida was a Triple Crown winner, placing 1st in the Legends division at Easterns, as wells as Southeast Regionals and the U.S. Championships earlier this year.
The Women’s divisions were some of the most highly spectator heats. Large crowds cheered on East Coast women who showcased the rising boom in women’s surfing. Outer Banks favorite Patty Hook placed first in Sr. Women and second in Women’s Longboard. Newcomer Erin Hazelworth claimed the Jr. Women’s title. Both women earned slots on the ESA All-Star Team.
Top ranking ASP judges Jack Shipley, David Shipley, Chip Hall, Mike Martin, and Bernie Baker kept concise scores looking for things like wave selection, power and speed, and skilled maneuvers in the most critical part of the wave. Poor wave judgement and interfering with another surfers ride was cause for low or reduced scores.
The adult competition ended Wednesday and youth competition began on Thursday, ending today (meaning this Sunday!). The Jr. Men’s Champion will also win a slot to the Rip Curl Contest in Oahu and locals Chris Curry, RD McGinness, Shawn Border, and Matt Skiba have a chance to win the title.
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