CONTEST RULES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The town of Wrightsville Beach has a leash law that will be enforced. Please make sure you wear your leash while surfing at all times, whether you are free-surfing or competing!! Swimming is not allowed in the contest area or the free-surf area that will be provided for contestants. Please swim in an appropriate area and observe posted signs for swimming/surfing.
Is this your first contest? You¹re probably wondering how it works. Here is a brief rundown. We divide you into age and equipment divisions and then into six person heats. The number of girls entering each division determines the number of preliminary heats, semi-finals, and a final. Preliminary, and semi-final heats last for 15 minutes, while final heats last 20 minutes.
Check the schedule and pay attention to what is going on. You must keep track of when you surf and check to see if the schedule has changed. Yes that can happen! It is your responsibility to be aware of these changes. They will be announced often and posted on the competitor board behind the administration tent. If you are not sure, please ask someone in the admin tent.
Competitors report to the Beach Marshal 10 to 15 minutes before their heat. Report to the Beach Marshal and receive a jersey. The heat begins with a horn blast and the raising of the green flag, which starts the heat. When there are only 5 minutes left in the heat, the yellow flag will go up. At this time all contestants for the next heat should be checked in and ready for their heat.
At the end of the heat a horn will blow. Another horn will then sound in about 5 seconds to start the next heat. Do not enter the water until the 2nd horn has blown indicating the start of your heat and the flag has changed back to green.
(** BE SURE to let the beach marshal know if you have a scheduling conflict such as being in two consecutive heats. In this event we will go to a brief red flag. A red flag signifies that competition is temporarily stopped. )
Your top TWO waves are scored in the preliminaries. Catch no more than 10!
In the Finals you are scored on your top TWO waves. Catch no more than 12!
If you go over your wave count or don’t obey proper surfing etiquette (don’t cut people off), you may be disqualified. It is a good idea to have a family member or friend on the beach count your waves so they can help you remember. (Briefly, good surfing etiquette means that the surfer closest to the peak has the right of way. Do not try and take off in front of a surfer already riding the wave and coming toward you. This can lead to injury and severe penalties to your score. Please try not to interfere with another surfer’s ride.)
Judging Criteria- Once your hands leave the board, it is considered a ride.
Surfers must perform committed, radical maneuvers in the most critical sections of the wave with style, control, power, and speed to maximize scoring potential. Innovative and progressive surfing will be taken into account when rewarding points for committed surfing. Remember, judges are only using your top two or three scores, so be patient and choose the best wave you can find.
Recent Comments