East Coast Surfing Championships Explained

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]

Past winners

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

External links

• • Official website

Notes and References

1. News: ECSC Timeline . https://web.archive.org/web/20110517023942/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-90660233.html . dead . May 17, 2011 . The Virginian-Pilot . August 22, 2002 . Highbeam .
2. News: Stacy Parker . East Coast Surfing Championships captures title as longest-running continuous surf contest in the world . The Virginian-Pilot . January 1, 2021 .
3. News: Philip Townsend . 13News Now Vault: Celebrating 60 years of the East Coast Surfing Championships . WVEC . July 15, 2022 .
4. News: Stacy Parker . Local developer wants to build surfing hall of fame as part of Oceanfront pier renovation . The Virginian-Pilot . August 3, 2019 . January 16, 2016 .
5. News: 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. Web site: Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championship Set for Aug. 23–30 . Shop Eat Surf . press release . August 17, 2020 . May 6, 2024 .
7. Web site: Andrew Nichols . Coastal Edge ECSC Pro produced by Virginia Jaycees: 61 Years of Surfing History . World Surf League . August 20, 2023 .
8. Web site: Sheridan Alexander . East Coast Surfing Championships - Virginia Beach . About, Inc . 2007 . Southeast US Travel . April 15, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080415090109/http://gosoutheast.about.com/od/sportsleisureadventure/p/ecsc_va_beach.htm . dead .
9. Web site: East Coast Surfing Championships . Surfer . Industry Spy blog . August 21, 2012 .
10. News: Isabel Dobrin . East Coast Surfing Championships start Sunday at the Oceanfront . The Virginian-Pilot . August 9, 2019 . August 18, 2017 .
11. News: Philip Townsend . A look back at the East Coast Surfing Championships . WVEC . August 27, 2018 . August 22, 2018 .
12. News: Angela Bohon . Virginia Beach business owners, artisans hopeful ECSC pulls in crowds . WTKR . August 25, 2023 . August 24, 2023 .
13. Web site: Coastal Edge owner on this year's ECSC . Shop East Surf . May 13, 2013 . May 6, 2024 .
14. News: Donna Mitchell . Winners, East Coast Surfing Championship, 1963–2011. August 7, 2019 . August 19, 2012. The Virginian-Pilot . May 6, 2024 .
15. Web site: Coastal Edge ECSC Pro: Champions . Events 2023 . World Surf League . May 6, 2024 .
16. Jean Da Silva Wins 2012 ECSC . Surfing Magazine . August 28, 2012 .
17. News: Matt Pruett . Patrick Gudauskas Wins Vans Pro At Coastal Edge ECSC . Surfline . August 26, 2013 .
18. Dylan Goodale . Michael Dunphy Won The Vans ECSC, Everbody Else Got Arrested . Surfer Magazine . August 27, 2014 .
19. News: Hiroto Ohhara Wins Vans Pro QS3,000 In Virginia Beach . Surfline . August 29, 2018 .
20. News: Nathan Epstein . Local surfer makes history on final day of ECSC . WAVY . August 28, 2020 .
21. News: 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 .
22. News: Madeline Taylor . 61st Coastal Edge ECSC crowns 2023 champion in Virginia Beach . WVEC . August 27, 2023 .