East Coast Surfing Championships

2024 East Coast Surfing Championships

The East Coast Surfing Championships (ECSC) is an annual surfing contest held in late August in Virginia Beach, Virginia on the oceanfront, and is one of the United States Surfing Federation's major amateur events.

The event originated in a summer 1962 beach and surf party organized by a group of teens at Gilgo Beach on Long Island, New York.^[1] It moved to Virginia Beach the following year, and is now the longest-running surfing contest in the world^[2] and a major source of tax revenue for Virginia Beach, attracting more than 100,000 people a year.^[3][4] In 2011, the Association of Surfing Professionals designated the pro division a 4-star event and the junior division a 4-star junior qualifying event.^[5] The 2020 ECSC was not canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but took place with health precautions including live-streaming.^[2][6] However, the 2020 and 2021 events were not World Surf League qualifying series championships. In 2022, a women's World Surf League qualifying series event was added.^[7]

Men's and women's professional and amateur surfing events are held throughout the week, plus other beach sporting events such as volleyball, a 5k oceanfront run, and a swimsuit competition. The ECSC also includes live music, BMX, skateboarding and skimboarding exhibitions, and in some years freestyle motocross.^{[8][9][10][11]}

The ECSC is organized by the Virginia Beach Jaycees, a chapter of the United States Jaycees; its primary sponsor is Coastal Edge Surf Shop,^[6][12] which became name sponsor in 2013.^[13] The Jaycees established the ECSC Legends Hall of Fame awards in 2005.^[10]

Freestyle motocross at the 2017 ECSC

2017 ECSC

Past winners

Open/pro

Year	Men
1963	Jack Roland Murphy[14]
1964	John Eakes[14]
1965	D. W. Carter[14]
1966	Gary Propper[14]
1967	Steve Bigler[14]
1968	Corky Carroll[14]
1969	Joe Roland[14]
1970	Dennis Doyle[14]
1971	Dennis Doyle[14]
1972	Jimbo Brothers[14]
1973	Yancy Spencer III[14]
1974	Jeff Arensman[14]
1975	Bennett Strickland[14]
1976	Kim Hickman[14]
1977	Kim Hickman[14]
1978	Dave Nuckles[14]
1979	Allen White[14]
1980	Wes Laine[14]
1981	Wes Laine[14]
1982	Buddy Pelletier[14]
1983	Matt Kechele[14]
1984	John Futch[14]
1985	Richie Rudolph[14]
1986	Richie Rudolph[14]
1987	Scott McCranels[14]
1988	Scott McCranels[14]
1989	Steve Anest[14]
1990	David Speir[14]
1991	Alan Burke[14]
1992	Matt Kechele[14]
1993	Shane Stoneland[14]
1994	Jeff Deffenbaugh[14]
1995	John Logan[14]
1996	Ryan Simmons[14]
1997	Danilo Costa[14]
1998	Tom Curren[14]
1999	Taylor Knox[14]
2000	Marco Polo[14]
2001	Bryan Hewitson[14]
2002	Dino Andino[14][15]
2003	Jason Reagan[14]
2004	Eric Taylor[14]
2005	Aaron Cormican[14]
2006	Aaron Cormican[14]
2007	Aaron Cormican[14]
2008	Asher Nolan[14]
2009	Aaron Cormican[14]
2010	Jeremy Johnston[14]
2011	Kolohe Andino[14][16]
2012	Jean Da Silva[16][17]
2013	Patrick Gudauskas[16][18]
2014	Michael Dunphy[16][19]
2015	Kanoa Igarashi[16]
2016	Evan Geiselman[16]
2017	Keanu Asing[16]
2018	Hiroto Ohhara[16][20]
2019	Luke Gordon[16]
2020	Noah Schweizer[21]
2021	Dylan Hord[22]
2022	Jett Schilling[16]
2023	Kolohe Andino[15][16]

References

1. "ECSC Timeline". The Virginian-Pilot. August 22, 2002. Archived from the original on May 17, 2011 – via Highbeam.
2. Stacy Parker (January 1, 2021). "East Coast Surfing Championships captures title as longest-running continuous surf contest in the world". The Virginian-Pilot.
3. Philip Townsend (July 15, 2022). "13News Now Vault: Celebrating 60 years of the East Coast Surfing Championships". WVEC.
4. Stacy Parker (August 3, 2019) [January 16, 2016]. "Local developer wants to build surfing hall of fame as part of Oceanfront pier renovation". The Virginian-Pilot.
5. "Vans Pro and Pro Junior at the Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships Contests Gain Prestigious ASP Designation and Upgrade". Surfer (Industry Spy blog). April 27, 2011.
6. "Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championship Set for Aug. 23–30". Shop Eat Surf (press release). August 17, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
7. Andrew Nichols (August 20, 2023). "Coastal Edge ECSC Pro produced by Virginia Jaycees: 61 Years of Surfing History". World Surf League.
8. Sheridan Alexander (2007). "East Coast Surfing Championships - Virginia Beach". Southeast US Travel. About, Inc. Archived from the original on April 15, 2008.
9. "East Coast Surfing Championships". Surfer (Industry Spy blog). August 21, 2012.
10. Isabel Dobrin (August 9, 2019) [August 18, 2017]. "East Coast Surfing Championships start Sunday at the Oceanfront". The Virginian-Pilot.
11. Philip Townsend (August 27, 2018) [August 22, 2018]. "A look back at the East Coast Surfing Championships". WVEC.
12. Angela Bohon (August 25, 2023) [August 24, 2023]. "Virginia Beach business owners, artisans hopeful ECSC pulls in crowds". WTKR.
13. "Coastal Edge owner on this year's ECSC". Shop East Surf. May 13, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
14. Donna Mitchell (August 7, 2019) [August 19, 2012]. "Winners, East Coast Surfing Championship, 1963–2011". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
15. Madeline Taylor (August 27, 2023). "61st Coastal Edge ECSC crowns 2023 champion in Virginia Beach". WVEC.
16. "Coastal Edge ECSC Pro: Champions". Events 2023. World Surf League. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
17. "Jean Da Silva Wins 2012 ECSC". Surfing Magazine. August 28, 2012.
18. Matt Pruett (August 26, 2013). "Patrick Gudauskas Wins Vans Pro At Coastal Edge ECSC". Surfline.
19. Dylan Goodale (August 27, 2014). "Michael Dunphy Won The Vans ECSC, Everbody Else Got Arrested". Surfer Magazine.
20. "Hiroto Ohhara Wins Vans Pro QS3,000 In Virginia Beach". Surfline. August 29, 2018.
21. Nathan Epstein (August 28, 2020). "Local surfer makes history on final day of ECSC". WAVY.
22. "What a haul! Virginia Beach 9-year-old wins eight medals at East Coast Surfing Championships as youngsters reveal bright future for area surfing". The Virginian-Pilot. August 29, 2021.

External links

• Media related to East Coast Surfing Championships at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website