A Timeline of Surfing in the Cape Fear Region

Please note that this timeline is a work in progress. Other events related to surfing are included where they may provide contextual insight into the development of surfing on the east coast of the United States as well. If you know of an event or significant occurrence, or feel that there may be an error in the information included below, please contact Peter Fritzler, fritzlerp@uncw.edu

1912

Duke Kahanamoku, champion Olympic swimmer from Hawaii, provides swimming and surfing demonstrations in New York City and Atlantic City, NJ, after returning from the Olympics (August).

Virginia Beach: Walter F. Irvin gives his nephew, James M. Jordan, a redwood surfboard that had been made in Hawaii. It was about nine feet tall and weighed 110 pounds. “Townspeople as well as the guests of hotels considered Big Jim’s surfing ability an exciting feat of skill.”

Mid-1920s

John Metts remembers shaping and riding 3-4 foot belly boards in a prone position. Metts states they they didn't call it 'surfing;' instead, they called it 'wave riding.' (Interview with John Metts, Masonboro Sound, February 20, 2002 ).

1953

Lank Lancaster, one of the first surfers in the area, begins life guarding. He continues to work for the town from 1954-57 as a lifeguard, He remembers Carolina Beach lifeguards were surfing in the early 1950’s using paddleboards. These were standard 10-11 foot boards and made of hollowed-out plywood.

1959

Gidget plays at the Colony Theatre in Wilmington, NC (April 10). Having far-reaching impacts, Gidget "roll[s]s over the ... surfing community like a tsunami. Suddenly, everybody was a gremmie or a ho-dad, wannabes poured pell-mell into the waves." (Burlingame, B. "Gidget Grows Up: Original 'Gidget' Teen Icon of the '60s, Turns 60." Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Monday, January 22, 2001. Online: http://starbulletin.com/2001/01/22/features/story1.html, accessed December 18, 2003).

1961

A small group of parents host a surfing competition for their children in Gilgo Beach, NY (Summer). This contest is the forerunner to the East Coast Surfing Championships, held annually in Virginia Beach, VA since 1963.

1962

A surfing contest known as the “The East Coast Surfing Championships" is held in Gilgo Beach, NY (September 7). At this competition, the case is presented to move the contest to Virginia Beach, VA.

1963

The Southern Bell Telephone Directory for Wilmington, NC lists the heading, "surfboards - see sporting goods." Under this heading, Boseman's, Pennington's, and Pickards are listed as selling surfboards.

Robert Parker goes surfing for the first time on the north side of Johnny Mercer's Pier in Wrightsville Beach. The sport of surfing had arrived and was here to stay (August). Ironically, according to the Wilmington Star-News, there are only two surfers in Wrightsville Beach, Gary Peterson and a “fellow on the police force.” (August 18). Peterson was Parker's cousin's fiancé and the surfboard that Parker rode belonged to Peterson.

The Virginia Beach Junior Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Virginia Beach Surfing Club and local surfboard dealers hold the Virginia Beach Surfing Carnival. (August 24).

1964

Tommy Morrow opens Atlantic Beach Surf Shop in Atlantic Beach, NC .

Bruce Brown, Hobie Alter, and the Hobie Surf Team travel up the east coast in Hobie’s RV promoting Brown’s film, The Endless Summer. In Virginia Beach, they provide surfing demonstrations and give away a free Hobie surfboard at the film’s premiere (July). On July 4, they provide a surf exhibition in Ocean City, MD and Bruce Brown narrates a showing at Stephen Decatur High School that evening. The event was sponsored by Eastern Surfer, a local surf shop located on 18th Street in OC.

Jim Freeman’s "Let There Be Surf" plays at the Crest Theatre in Wrightsville Beach, NC (September 30).

"Ride the Wild Surf" plays at The Colony Theatre in Wilmington, NC (October 1).

Lank Lancaster and Harold Petty open East Coast Surfboards in Carolina Beach, NC (Fall). East Coast Surfboards is one of the first surf shops in North Carolina, and arguably, the only one at this time that produces its own line of surfboards. Sonny Danner and Herman Pritchard's Atlantic Surf Shop, down the road in Kure Beach, opens a short time later and they also produce their own surfboards.

1965

Jim Freeman’s "The Last Wave" plays at the Crest Theatre in Wrightsville Beach, NC (April 30).

The First Annual Surfing Contest is held in Wrightsville Beach, NC (June 12-13). The Wrightsville Beach Jaycees sponsors the contest.

The Surfing East Association, Inc. publishes the first issue of Surfing East magazine (Summer). Lank Lancaster and Harold Petty’s East Coast Surfboards in Carolina Beach, NC, is listed in the magazine’s surf shop directory.

"How to Stuff a Wild Bikini" plays at the Bailey Theater in Wilmington, NC (July).

"Ride the Wild Surf" plays at the Crest Theatre in Wrightsville Beach, NC (July).

The Beach Boys play at Dorton Arena in Raleigh, NC (July 12).

An advertisement for "Surfer Shooter" shoes is printed in the News and Observer (July 25).

Jim Phillips writes about Fort Fisher in the ‘Surfari’ column of Surfing East magazine (Autumn). Local surfers, Sonny Danner and Herman Pritchard, are featured in the article.

Both surfers become representatives for Surfing East magazine, and their Atlantic Surf Shop is included in the surf shop directory for this issue.

Hunt’s Surf Shop in Wilmington, NC is listed in a Miller Surboards/Daytona Beach Surf Shop advertisement in Surfing East magazine (Autumn).

1966

The Ocean Surf Shop, owned by Frank Sproul and located in Wrightsville Beach, NC, is listed on a Dive N' Surf wetsuits advertisement in Surfer magazine (January). East Coast Surfboards, located in Carolina Beach, and Atlantic Surf Shop, located in Kure Beach, is also listed in the advertisement.

Greg MacGillivray’s "The Performers" plays to a "full house packing the Crest Theatre" in Wrightsville Beach, NC (April 8). The Wrightsville Beach Surf Club sponsors the film.

The Spring Surf Festival is held in front of the Lumina Pavilion in Wrightsville Beach, NC (April 8-9). Greg Noll is in attendance for the skateboard contest that follows the surf competition.

The First Annual Pawley’s Island Surfing Contest is held in Pawley’s Island, SC (April 1). Sonny Danner wins the Run-Paddle-Run race.

The Second Annual Wrightsville Beach Surfing Contest is held in Wrightsville Beach, NC (May 28-29). The Wrightsville Beach Jaycees sponsors the contest.

The First Annual Carolina Surfing Championships is held on the Isle of Palms, SC (November 5-6). One hundred and twenty surfers compete in the contest. Local surfers place in the competition: Richard Verzaal (Men’s Open, 2nd; Junior Men’s, 2nd), Mike Curry (Men’s Open, 3rd; Junior Men’s 1st), Robert Parker (Senior Men’s, 1st), Joe Funderburg (Senior Men’s, 3rd), Kathy Dean (Women’s Open, 3rd), Dean Monk (Boy’s, 1st), Billy Curry (Boy’s, 3rd), and Wayne Sutton (Novice, 2nd).

1967

Bruce Brown’s "The Endless Summer" plays at the Bailey Theatre in Wilmington, NC (April 5-11).

The Second Annual Pawley’s Island Surfing Contest is held on Pawley’s Island, SC (April 22-23).

Held in conjunction with the Wrightsville Beach All-Fish Tournament and Sport Festival, the Third Annual Wrightsville Beach Surfing Contest draws over a hundred entries (May 27-28).

A photograph taken by Charlie Davis of local surfer, Robert Parker, appears in Surfer Magazine (July); it is the first surfing photograph taken of Wrightsville Beach to appear in the magazine.

"The Endless Summer" plays at the Crest Theatre in Wrightsville Beach, NC (July 1-2).

Wrightsville Beach surfers, Joe Funderburg and Robert Parker, travel cross-country to California. While there, they surf many of the famous surf breaks, spend time with Don Hansen and Hansen Surfboards, travel to Baja, and attend the Monterrey Pop Festival (Summer).

Surfing East magazine ceases publishing.

The Eastern Surfing Association (ESA) is formed.

1968

The Fourth Annual Wrightsville Beach Surfing Contest is held in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. As one of the first ESA-sponsored contests, it is split into two divisions, one for ESA members and the other for non-ESA participants (May 26).

Balsa Bill Yerkes shows his film, A Way of Life, in Carolina Beach (July).

1971

Popularly known as “The Easterns,” the Eastern Surfing Association Championship is held in Cape Hatteras, NC; the previous year’s event was cancelled due to political infighting between representatives from Florida and the rest of the east coast.

1972

Paul and Brooks Pearce open 'A Part of the Universe', a surf shop and furniture store in Carolina Beach (June).

The First Annual American Surfing Contest is held at "Cowboys" in Kure Beach (August 5-6). The event includes an "Under Dog" contest for surfers who have never placed first, second, or third in a contest; an "Aquarian" division in which males and females compete together; a paddling contest; and a waxing contest.

1973

The Second Annual America Surfing Festival is held near the Carolina and Kure beaches (July 7-8). The event is sponsored by Paul Pearce, owner of America Surfboards.

1974

Red Dog's, a beach icon and popular bar among surfers and beachgoers alike, is opened in Wrightsville Beach, NC by Charlie Maultsby and Steve "Red Dog" Parker. The bar closes temporarily in 1995, but is reopened nearly a year later by Reggie Barnes.

"Eastern Waves," the magazine of the Eastern Surfing Association, begins publication (spring).

The Third Annual Fourth of July Surfing Festival is hosted by America Surfboards in Carolina Beach (July 4-6). Bud Browne's "Going Surfin'" is shown at Carolina Beach City Hall as part of the festivities.

The United States Surfing Championships are held in Cape Hatteras, NC (September). It is the first time since its inception in 1959 that the championships are held on the eastern seaboard.

1976

Bud Browne’s "Goin Surfin’" plays at Kenan Auditorium at UNCW (February 12).

Owned by Jim Skiba and Dave Endress, Sweetwater Surf Shop opens in Wrightsville Beach, NC.

1977

Bill Delaney's "Free Ride" plays at Kenan Auditorium at UNCW (March 23).

Surf'n Stuff is opened by Woody Styron in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Classical Glass is opened by Dave Endress. It is the largest surfboard factory in Southeastern North Carolina.

UNCW student and Surf Club founder, Rik Beitel, competes in the All-American National Surfing Championships in Huntington Beach, California (December 28-30). Two other Southeastern North Carolina surfers, Bill Redlinger and Jerry Cornwell, make the cross-country journey with him to compete as well.

1978

Owned by Roy Turner and Mark Allison, Surf City Surf Shop opens in Wrightsville Beach, NC.

1979

Will Allison wins the East Coast Surfing Championships (September 8); wins the United States Surfing Championships, San Padre Island, TX (September 14-23).

Bill Curry captures first place in the longboard and kneeboard divisions at the Eastern Surfing Championships.

1980

Bill Curry wins the Men's Division at the Eastern Surfing Championships, becoming the first North Carolinian to do so.

The UNCW Surf Club is formed although it had been “unofficially” functioning since 1977 (September).

1981

Bill Curry takes fifth overall in the US Amateur Surfing Championships and wins the Iron Surfer award for accumulating the highest point totals at the event (July).

Surfabout '81 is held in Wrightsville Beach, NC. Myrtle Beach's David Nuckles wins the professional event followed by Atlantic Beach's Buddy Pelletier. Kim Watters and Jo Roycroft, both of Wilmington, finish second and third respectively in the Women's competition. In the Men's competition, Wilmington's Rex Thompson finishes second while Michael Roberts finishes third in the Master's division (September).
Will Allison wins the Master’s Division at the East Coast Surfing Championships (August).

1982

The UNCW Surf Club is officially chartered (March).

Blue Safari, Big Wednesday, and The Fantastic Plastic Machine are featured at the “Surfin and Beach Party” at the Pub at UNC-Wilmington (April 6).

Will Allison wins the Senior Men's and Longboard Divisions at the East Coast Surfing Championships (August).

Bill Curry is named the Outstanding Surfer in the East Coast and US Surfing Championships. Curry places in the longboard (1st), individual paddle race (1st), men's kneeboard (2nd), master's (3rd), and bodyboard (4th) at the Eastern Surfing Championships (September 5-8). His paddle-race team also places first at the contest in Hatteras. Attending the US Championships, he places first in the longboard, first in the individual paddleboard, third in the kneeboard, and eighth in the master's division (September 9-13).

Bill Curry wins the Master’s and Longboard Divisions at Surfabout '82 (September 25-26). Will Allison finishes second in the Master's Division followed by Mike Quinn and Walker Purden. Behind Curry in the longboard division was Richard Markett, Charlie Hunt, and Ken Curry.

1983

The Mad Monk, a favorite bar among local surfers, is opened (February 27).

Surf City, NC's Paradise Pier is destroyed by fire. Three surfers helped save several people from the wind-swept fire (May).

The Record Bar Pro-Am is held in Wrightsville Beach, NC (September 18-19).

1984

"Follow the Sun, Part II" is shown at the Mad Monk in Wilmington, NC (July 13).

North Carolina's Buddy Pelletier finishes third in the Pro division at the 22nd annual East Coast Surfing Championships in Virginia Beach, VA (August).

Kim Watters finishes second in the Women's Kneeboard, Jo Whaley places third in the Senior Women, and Bill Curry finishes third in the Longboard Division at the Eastern Surfing Championships in Cape Hatteras, NC.

The Record Bar Surfabout is held in Wrightsville Beach (September 19-23).

1985

Eastern Skateboard Supply is opened in Wilmington by Reggie Barnes.

Wilmington native, Will Allison, participates as a judge in the world’s first inland surfing championships at Dorney Park's Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, PA. Australian, Tom Carroll, wins the event (Summer).

The Record Bar Pro-Am is held in Wrightsville Beach, NC. Sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), it is the largest professional surfing tournament on the East Coast. Featuring Tommy Carroll (top-seed), Matt Kechele, Derek Ho, and Mark Richards, among others, Gary "Kong" Elkerton wins the Pro Division while Wilmington's Brian Tracey finishes third in the Men's Amateur Division, Gina Blakenship finishes third in the Women's Amateur, and Bill Curry finishes first in the Open Longboard and is followed by Carolina Beach's Charlie Hunt in third place, and Mike Curry in sixth place. Bill Curry also finishes fourth in the Master's Division. Jo Whaley takes fifth in the Women's division. The event is sponsored in-part by Surf City Surf Shop. Scandinavian freestyle skater, Per Welinder, provides a exhibition at Surf City Surf Shop as well. (September 18-22).

1986

The Record Bar Pro-Am, scheduled to be held in Wrightsville Beach, NC is cancelled because the ASP is unable to secure a beach permit from the town (July 21-26).

Hot Wax Surf Shop opens in Wilmington, NC (August 1).

Bill Curry is named to the 1986 ESA Allstar Team. The only other North Carolinian is Tod Martin from Morehead City.

1987

"North Shore" is shown at the Independence 3 theater in Wilmington (August 14).

At the 25th annual East Coast Surfing Championships in Virginia Beach, VA, Will Allison finishes second in the Senior Men and Longboard divisions while Kim Watters takes first in the Women's division followed by Jo Whaley in fourth (August).

Bill Curry captures first in the Longboard and Men's Paddleboard divisions, and receives the Iron Man Award at the 1987 ESA Eastern Surfing Championships held at the lighthouse in Cape Hatteras, NC. He also finishes third in the Master's and sixth in the Senior Kneeboard divisions. Jo Whaley takes first in the Senior Kneeboard and receives the Ironwoman Award. Ed Fawess captures first in the Senior Men followed by Will Allison in second place. The Southern North Carolina team consisting of Will Allison, Bill Curry, Jon Jones, and Clark Wallin takes first place in the Men's Team Paddleboard event.

At the United States Amateur Surfing Championships in North Padre Island, TX, Will Allison (1st, Senior Mens) and Bill Curry (1st, Longboard) won the titles in their divisions. Jo Whaley, also of Wilmington, placed fourth in the Senior Women's Division. Allison and Curry were also members of the winning east coast paddleboard team that included Bill McMillan and Bruce Walker of Florida (November).

1988

Team USA member, Bill Curry, places 3rd in the Open Longboard division at the ISA World Surfing Games in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.

The ASP/East begins its first year.

Spinnaker Surf & Sport opens in Surf City, North Carolina.

Beach Bash '88 is held at Onslow Bay, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (June).

At the 26th annual East Coast Surfing Championships in Virginia Beach, VA, Will Allison places first in the Senior Men's division followed by fellow North Carolinian's David Sledge and Bill Roach in third and fourth respectively. Eddie Crawford places sixth in the Junior Men's division (August).

Wrightsville Beach's Bill Curry places first in the Senior Men's Division, second in the Longboard, second in the Senior Kneeboard, first in the Men's Paddleboard, and captures the Iron Man Award at the 1988 Eastern Surfing Championships in Cape Hatteras. Carolina Beach's Fisher Culbreth finishes seventh in the Junior Men's division while Wilmington's Bryan Tracey takes seventh in the Master's division (September).

The Monster Mash Halloween II Surf Contest is held at Onslow Bay, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (October).

1989

The 2nd Annual Brunswick Islands Beach Festival/Surf Contest is held at Holden Beach, North Carolina (June).

Paul Prewitt's Atlantic Crossing plays at the Mad Monk in Wilmington (July 12).

Oak Island's Jon Jones wins the Senior Men's Division at the US Amateur Surfing Championships in Oceanside, CA. Another Cape Fear surfer, Bill Curry, places sixth in the Senior Men's and fourth in the Longboard Division (mid-July).

The UNCW Surf Team travels to Huntington Beach, CA for the NSSA National Championships. Finishing 6th, the team is the highest scoring team from the East Coast (August).

Hurricane Gabrielle hits the eastern seaboard. Hurricane Hugo hits Charleston, South Carolina on September 21 as a category 4 storm ranking as one of the most intense hurricanes to make landfall (September).

Wrightsville Beach's Bill Curry wins the Senior Men's Division at the 1989 ESA Eastern Surfing Championships in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina while also capturing first place in the Men's Paddleboard and winning the Iron Man Award. He also places fifth in the Senior Kneeboard. Wilmingtonian, Tamara Paul, takes first place in the Women's Kneeboard and second in the Women's Bodyboard, while Sonia Seigler places third in the Women's Kneeboard and third in the Women's Bodyboard. Jill Longordo, places fifth in the Girls Division, while Jon Jones takes second place in the Longboard and Randy Griffin places third in the Junior Kneeboard (September).

1990

Brothers Dean and Jim Lassiter open Aussie Island Surf Shop in the Landfall Shopping Center in Wilmington, NC (March).

Bill Delaney's Surfers-The Movie plays at the St. Regis Hotel in Topsail/Snead's Ferry, North Carolina (July 12).

1991

Eastern Surf Magazine begins publishing (January).

The Mad Monk, a popular nightclub among surfers in Wilmington, NC, burns down. It moves to a second location at Marketplace Mall.

"Point Break" is shown at Cinema 6 in Wilmington (July 12).

1992

Wrightsville Beach's Bill Curry wins the Senior Men's, Open Longboard, and Individual Paddleboard Divisions while taking third in the Senior Men's Kneeboard Division at the 25th annual Eastern Surfing Championships in Buxton, North Carolina (September 13-17).

1993

Chris Jackson, Wilmington surfer and manager of Aussie Island Surf Shop, organizes the Cape Fear Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, a national volunteer organization dedication to preserving the coastal environment.

Bill Curry captures first place in the Open Longboard Division and the Senior Longboard Division at the US Amateur Surfing Championships in Oceanside, CA (August 2-7), and earns a spot on the USSF 1993 US Team.

At the 26th annual Eastern Surfing Championships the following placed: Ben Bourgeois (1st, Boys); Bill Curry (1st, Senior Longboard; 2nd, Senior Men); Mark Hunt (5th, Men's); Chris Curry (5th, Menehune); and Guion Lee (7th, Junior Men's).

The Seventh Annual Hot Wax Challenge is held at Crystal Pier in Wrightsville Beach (October 9-10).

1994

Bill Curry wins the Open and Senior Men divisions at the 1st Annual Bette Marsh Memorial Classic in Atlantic Beach, NC. His son, Chris, places second in the Boys division while Guion Lee finishes second in Junior Men, and is followed by Kyle Kight in third (April 2-3).

Team USA member, Bill Curry, places 3rd in the Open Longboard division at the ISA World Surfing Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"The Endless Summer II" plays at Indepence 3 theater in Wilmington (June 3).

"Ten Toes Over" is shown at at Red Dogs in Wrightsville Beach, NC (July 20).

At the 28th AAU Junior Olympic Games Surfing Championships at Sebastian Inlet, FL, Chris Curry wins gold in the Menehune division and places eighth in the Junior Longboard division. Ben Bourgeois wins the silver in the Junior Men division (August 1-3).

Chris Curry places first in the Menehune division at the Eastern Surfing Championships at Cape Hatteras (September 11-17). Mitch Baker places third in the Boys division while Ben Bourgeois finishes third in the Juniors division. In the Men's division, Carolina Beach legend, Fisher Culberth, places fourth and is followed by Mark Hunt in seventh place. Guion Lee places fourth in the Junior Longboard and Marty Mentzer places sixth in the Junior Women division. Bill Curry places fifth in the Senior Men, third in the Senior Longboard, and second in the Kneeboard divisions.

At the 1994 U.S. Amateur Surfing Championships, held at Sebastian Inlet, FL, Ben Bourgeois wins 1st place in the Junior division. Carolina Beach surfer, Fisher Culberth wins the Men's division while Bill Curry wins the Senior Longboard division and places third in the Kneeboard division (November 20-29).

1995

Wrightsville surfer, Ben Bourgeois, wins the Quiksilver World Grommet Contest in Bali. His parents purchase Sweetwater Surf Shop from Jim Skiba.

The Buddy Pelletier Surfing Scholarship Foundation is started in honor of Buddy Pelletier who passed away from cancer. Pelletier was from Atlantic Beach, NC and known as the “Southern Gentleman” of the professional surfing circuit.

The summer of surf. Surfers in the Cape Fear Region and all along the eastern seaboard experience some of the best waves on record as Hurricane Felix and his siblings pass by the Carolina coast. Bill Curry, a local surfer, recalls, "we had waves every day." (Interview with Bill Curry over dinner at King Neptune's Restaurant in Wrightsville Beach, February 5, 2002).

Donavon Frankenreiter and his band, Sunchild, play at the Mad Monk in Wilmington, NC as part of Reef Brazil's "Turning the Tide" tour (August 9).

Matt Perkins' film, Surferpalooza 2 premieres at Jerry Allen's in Wrightsville Beach, NC (Fall). It is the first of several by Perkins who states, "all of these films were made just for fun and they were never intended to be "real" surf videos. They were just for all the guys on the beach to have and watch and we always threw a big party at Jerry Allen's for the premiere."

Nuclear NRG (Surf NRG Video, Volume IV) plays at the Mad Monk in Wilmington, NC (August 30).

The ASP-East Hot Wax Pro-Am is held in Wrightsville Beach, NC (October 7-8).

1996

The East Coast Surf Legends Hall of Fame is founded by Greg Noll (January).

The Mad Monk, a popular bar among local surfers in Wilmington, NC, closes due to financial difficulties (May).

The Mid-Atlantic Sound, Surf and Skate symposium is held in downtown Wilmington, NC (June).

The Ninth Annual Sweet Willy's Pro-Am Surf Challenge is held in Emerald Isle, NC. Bill Curry wins the Longboard Pro Division (June).

Blue Energy (Surf NRG Series, vol.5) shows at Skylight in Wilmington, NC(July 24, 1996).

Southeastern North Carolina fares well in the 29th annual Eastern Surfing Championships in Hatteras (September 8-13). Boys: Matt Gilligan (2), Chris Curry (3); Juniors: Ben Bourgeois (1), Mitch Baker (8); Men: Mark Hunt (4), Tony Butler (7); Grandmasters: Will Allison (5); Women: Marty Mentzer (4); Senior Longboard: Billy Curry (2); Kneeboard: Billy Curry (3); Tag Team: Southeastern North Carolina; and Junior Hot Wave: Ben Bourgeois.

Wrightsville Beach surfer, Ben Bourgeois defeats Taj Burrow, Damien Hobgood, and Troy Brooks to capture the Junior’s Division of the ISA World Games in Huntington Beach, CA (October 5-13).

1997

Matt Perkins' Surferpalooza 3.14 premieres in Wrightsville Beach, NC (Spring).

Matt Perkins' Surferpalooza 5 premieres in Wrightsville Beach, NC (April).

Ben Bourgeois finishes second in the Junior's Division and first in the Men's Division at the NSSA Eastern Championships at Sebastian Inlet, FL (April 27-28).

Bill Curry places first in the Senior Men’s Longboard Division at the 37th Annual U.S. Amateur Surfing Championships in Oceanside, CA. Will Allison places second in the Grandmaster’s Division. Marty Mentzer, of Ocean Isle Beach, places second in the Women’s Division (July 14-19).

The East Coast Wahine Championships (ECWC) begin; the event is held in Wrightsville Beach, NC (August).

The Eastern Surfing Championships (ESA’s 30th Anniversary) are held. Will Allison wins the Grandmasters Division (45-55). The event is held in Hatteras during Hurricane Erika (September).

1998

"In God's Hands" is shown at United Artists theater in Wilmington (May 15).

Grieg Border launches Sncsurf.com, the first web-based surf portal for surfers in the Cape Fear Region. Features include weather reports, surf cams, surf videos, and daily photos of surf conditions at C-Street in Wrightsville Beach, NC (July 3).

Rusty Surfboards holds the Rusty Grom Fest in Carolina Beach, NC (July).

The 12th Annual Hot Wax Challenge, sponsored by Hot Wax Surf Shop, is held in Wrightsville Beach, NC (October).

1999

Wrightsville Beach’s Matt Gilligan finishes second in the Open Division at the US Amateur Surfing Championships in Oceanside, CA (July 10-18).

The Wrightsville Beach Longboard Association (WBLA) is formed (August).

The 32 Annual Eastern Surfing Championships are held in Cape Hatteras (September 12-15). Matt Gilligan places 2nd in the Open division while Shane Upchurch finishes 3rd in the Menehune division. Carl Wallin takes 2nd in Junior Longboard and Eileen O'Conner places 4th in the Girls division.

2000

Wrightsville Beach’s Matt Gilligan finishes fourth in the Explorer Men’s Division at the NSSA’s National Open and Explorer Championships at Lower Trestles, CA (June 27-July 1).

The first Buddy Pelletier Memorial Longboard Contest is held in Atlantic Beach, NC (July).

The East Coast Surfing Championships (ECSC) are held in Virginia Beach, VA. Tim McAuliffe, of Wilmington, wins the Junior Longboard Division; Chris Curry, of Wrightsville Beach, wins the Men’s Open Division and finishes in second place in the Men’s Shortboard; Richard Gilligan, also of Wrightsville Beach, wins first place in the Junior Men’s Shortboard; Tony Silvagni, of Kure Beach, takes second place in the Menehune Longboard (August).

2001

Swell.com ranks the University of North Carolina at Wilmington sixth in the top ten U.S. colleges for surfing (May).

Extreme Surf & Skate opens in Carolina Beach, North Carolina (August).

Pride Surf Shop opens in Wilmington, NC (August).

Wrightsville Beach’s Ben Bourgeois finishes third in the Men’s Division at the PSTA Rip Curl Pro on 56th Street in Newport Beach, CA (September 5-9).

The Topsail Island Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is formed, becoming the 53rd chapter of the national organization (October).

Ben Bourgeois finishes fifth at the Rip Curl Cup on Sunset Beach, HI and clears the way for fellow east coaster, CJ Hobgood to win the world title. The Rip Curl Cup is the second leg of the Van’s Triple Crown of Surfing (December).

2002

Surfer Magazine places Wilmington, North Carolina in the top ten surfing towns worldwide (February).

2002 Freestyle Scholastics/AAU National Juniors Surfing Championships are held in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Stephen Mangiacapre wins the bronze, while Tony Silvagni and Thomas Mangiacapre finish fifth and sixth respectively in the Open Longboard Division while Shane Upchurch finishes fourth in the Junior Men's Division. The UNCW Surf Team composed of Pete Erickson, Jeff Weisler, Carl Wallin, and Brad Sutton also competes (March 23-25).

The Wrightsville Beach Longboard Association (WBLA) hosts the First Annual Longboard Classic in Wrightsville Beach, NC (May 18-19).

"Fanning the Fire" is shown at the Icehouse in Wilmington (July 5).

Southport’s Shane Upchurch wins’ the Junior Men’s Division and places third in the Open Men’s Division at the 42nd Annual United States Surfing Championships in Oceanside, CA (July 20-26). Sara Willis (Atlantic Beach, NC) places first in the Junior Women’s Shortboard Division.

"Blue Crush premieres" in Wilmington at Carmike 16 theaters the evening before the kickoff of the Sixth Annual East Coast Wahine Championships (August).

The 3rd Annual Surf for Cystic Fibrosis Classic is held at Fort Fisher to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The event, sponsored by Michael's Seafood Restaurant and Havoc Surfboards, is organized by local surfers, including Dru McDaniel, surfboard shaper for Havoc (August).

The 35th Annual ESA Eastern Surfing Championships are held in Cape Hatteras, NC (September 22-28).

Ben Bourgeois finishes second in the Men’s Division (ASP 3 star WQS) behind Aaron Cormican in the First Annual Outer Banks Pro. Sarah Willis finishes third in the Women’s Division (ASP 1 star WQS). Held at the Kitty Hawk Pier (October 3-6).

Joe Cheshire's film, "Alluvium," premieres at Kefi in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina (November 21).

Pat Stublen's film, "Destined for Second," premieres at Red Dogs in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina (November 22).

UNC Wilmington's Randall Library hosts Surf Nite and features three films, "Surfing Carolina" by Jason Glazener; "Dawn Patrol" by Chip Hackler; and Balsa Bill Yerkes' seminal classic, "Summer of '67" to a standing-room only auditorium in the library (September 18).

2003

Kure Beach native, Tony Silvagni, takes third place in the Banana Boat Junior Men’s Longboard and third place in the Pat Magee’s Nostalgia 40 and Under (pre-69 surfboards) contests at the 39th Annual Easter Surfing Festival in Cocoa Beach, FL (April).

UNC Wilmington's Randall Library hosts Surf Nite and features the films, "3 Degrees" by Poor Specimen; "20 Some Years Young," a senior project documentary on surfing by Pete Erickson; and a preview for "Full Color," by local videographer Adam Hawley. Due to large crowds from the previous fall the event is moved to nearby Morton Hall Auditorium on the UNCW campus (January 24).

"The Outsiders" is shown at Roland Grise Middle School in Wilmington (February 12).

Quiksilver's 'Unleash the East' tour stops at UNC Wilmington to premiere one of its newest films, "People Skills." Jason Borte, Josh Hoyer, Todd Morcom, and Cam Powell are on hand to sign autographs. The UNCW Surf Club hosts the event and Chip Hackler, a UNCW film professor wins the surfboard donated by Whalebone Surf Shop (March 21).

At the 9th annual Cucalorus Film Festival "Surfari," "Dawn Patrol," "Surf Movie," and "Longer" are shown at the Level 5/City Stage Theater in Wilmington (March 22).

Tony Silvagni wins the Open Longboard Division; Nick Rupp finishes second in the Menehune Division and fifth in the Open Longboard; and Mason Pourcha finishes sixth in the Open Bodyboard Division at the OP East Coast Scholastic Surfing Championships, run for the 18th year by the Eastern Surfing Association (April 12-14). The UNCW Surf Team (Pete Erickson, Jeff Weisler, Carl Wallin, and Brad Sutton) also participates in the contest.

The Topsail Island Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation's holds its first annual "One Board" surf contest." More of an expression session than a contest, there are no age divisions, and each competitor rides a 9' epoxy longboard. Organized by On Shore Surf Shop, top honors are captured by Randy Howe, followed by PJ Watkins, Kyle Sumer, and Josh Bradley (April).

Sweetwater Surf Shop’s manager, Tony Butler, launches his website, wblivesurf.com, featuring local surfing action, news, and photographs (April).

The 2nd Annual WBLA Longboard Classic is held at Shell Island in Wrightsville Beach, NC (May 3).

Boardsports retail representatives from across the U.S., Hawaii, and Puerto Rico meet in Sonoma, CA. The group formalizes the Board Retailers Association and elects its initial advisory board. Surf City Surf Shop's Roy Turner, serves as the association's president, and states that the body's mission is “to give independent boardsport retailers a united voice to communicate with their manufacturers, tradeshows, and the media.” (May 10-11).

Ace Cofer opens Cafe del Mar in Wrightsville Beach, NC. Located next to Vito's Pizza, it is a coffeehouse with a surf-oriented atmosphere (May 31).

The Eastern Surfing Association announces that it is severing ties with the United States Surfing Federation (June 1).

"Rise Above" is shown at Kefi in Wrightsville Beach (June 10).

Poor Specimen's film, "Drive Thru Japan," premieres at Kefi in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Prior to the film, extreme sports photographers, Aaron Chang and DJ Struntz, showcase some of their works in an all-ages slideshow (June 19).

Kure Beach native, Tony Silvagni, takes second place in the Open Longboard and third place in the Explorer Longboard Divisions at the NSSA National Championships at Lower Trestles, San Clemente, CA (June 20-28).

Tony Silvagni heads to the United States Surfing Championships in Oceanside, California and wins first place in the Open Longboard Division (June-July).

The First Annual Red Dog’s / Rusty Open and Bikini Kill is held at Mercer’s Pier in Wrightsville Beach, NC (July 8).

"The Motus Mix" is shown at Red Dog's in Wrightsville Beach (July 17).

As part of the Billabong "Right Coast Summer Tour '03," The Donavon Frankreiter Band plays at Cafe del Mar and signs autographs the next day at Sweetwater Surf Shop (July 19-20).

Volcom Stone holds a contest at the Oceanic Pier in Wrightsville Beach, NC as part of the Jellyfish Surf Series. (July 26-27). The following place first through sixth in the contest: Matt Gilligan, Richard Gilligan, Cane Faircloth, Danny Wertz, Mark Yonkers, and Dallas Tolson.

Wrightsville Beach native, Ben Bourgeois ties for fifth with Rob Machado at the Philips Fusion Honda Element U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, CA (July 28 to August 3). Both finish behind other notables: Cory Lopez (1st), Taj Burrrow (2nd), Andy Irons (3rd), and Bobby Martinex (4th).

Ben Bourgeois represents the East Team in Huntington Beach, CA along with Kelly Slater, CJ Hobgood, Damien Hobgood, reigning U.S. Open champion Cory Lopez, Shea Lopez as surfing makes its long-awaited debut in the X-Games. (August). The East Team goes on to defeat the West.

The Rusty Grom-O-Rama and Airshow is held at Hamlet Street in Carolina Beach, NC (August 3).

"Out of Order" is shown at Café Del Mar in Wrightsville Beach (August 5).

Jo Pickett, from Wilmington, NC, wins the Shortboard 36+ and Longboard 41+ Divisions at the Betty Series Virginia Beach Surf Jam. She also finishes second in the Shortboard Pro and fifth in the Longboard Pro Divisions respectively. Her daughter, Leilani, finishes fourth in the Shortboard 13-17 Division, and fourth in the Shortboard Pro Division (August 9-10).

The Seventh Annual East Coast Wahine Championships are held in Wrightsville Beach (August 16-17).

Tony Silvagni, age 16, wins the Pro Longboard Division and the Junior Longboard Divisions at the 41st Annual East Coast Surfing Championships in Virginia Beach, VA (August 20-24).

"The Next Episode" is shown at Kefin in Wrightsville Beach (August 28).

The Fourth Annual Surf for Cystic Fibrosis is held at Fort Fisher, NC (August 30).

Hurricanes Fabian and Isabel make landfall providing the area with waves that some consider being the best since the summer of 1995 (September).

"Circle One" is shown at Kefi in Wrightsville Beach (September 4).

"Yield" is shown at Red Dog's in Wrightsville Beach (September 26).

UNC Wilmington's Randall Library hosts Surf Nite and features the films "Heart of the Sea" and "Full Color" in Morton Hall Auditorium on the campus (October 1).

"Single Fin Yellow" premieres at Tower 7 in Wilmington, NC (October 16).

Dana Brown’s "Step into Liquid" premieres in Wilmington at Carmike 16 theaters (October 17).

Postponed due to Hurricane Isabel, the 36th Annual Eastern Surfing Championships are held at Cape Hatteras. Kure Beach's Tony Silvagni wins the Iron Man Award, while Drake Courie wins the Menehune Longboard Division (October 25-31).

Taylor Steele’s "Campaign" premieres at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington, NC (November 13). Organized by wblivesurf.com and Sweetwater Surf Shop, the film sells out twice in the one-night only showing.

The “Win Ben" kickoff party is held at The Whiskey, a downtown Wilmington bar. Sponsored by Feralnation.com, The Whiskey, Electric Sunglasses, Reef, and Sweetwater Surf Shop, K38 Baja Grill, Spy, Coastal Limousine, Da Kine, and Surf City Surf Shop (December 13) local females play for a chance to win a date with local professional surfer, Ben Bourgeois.

2004

ASG rocks it out for New Year's Eve (December 31-January 1) at Red Dogs in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

Dave Dorosko's film, "Nice Music for Nice People" plays at Cafe del Mar in Wrightsville Beach (January 4). The film features various entertainment including music, surfing, and skating and stars local surfer, Chet Childress, along with Bruce Irons, and family member Mike Dorosko.

Dr. William D. Moore, a history professor at UNCW Wilmington, hosts a history of surfing class at the University (Spring).

Wrightsville Beach surfer, Bill Curry, is inducted into the East Coast Surfing Legends Hall of Fame. He and nine other surfers join the existing group of 71 surfers already in the Hall (January).

ASG tears it up again at the downtown Wilmington bar, The Whiskey, co-owned by Matt Perkins, an alum of the UNCW Surf Club (January 30).

William Randall Library and the UNCW Surf Club co-sponsor the dirty south premiere of "Ishmael," a film developed by New Englander, Ben Keller. The film is about surfing in the harsh elements of New England's cold, wintery climates (February 3).

Co-sponsored by Billabong and wblivesurf.com, Billabong's "Odyssey" plays to a packed house at Hollywood East Cinema Grill (February 12).

Poor Specimen's "Drive Thru Australia" plays at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington, North Carolina (February 26).

"Destined for Second", "The Far Shore," and "Riding Waves" play at Level 5/City Stage Theater in Wilmington as part of the 10th Annual Cucalorus Festival (March 27). Craig Peterson, Kevin Naughton, and Cyrus Sutton, and Pat Stublen are guests of honor.

Joe Cheshire's film, "Global," plays at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (April 15).

Roy Turner, owner of Surf City Surf Shop in Wrightsville Beach is listed as the seventh most influential person in the surf industry by Transworld SURF Business Magazine (April 22).

Globe Shoes' film, "Somewhere, Anywhere, Everywhere" plays at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (May 5). It is the only showing of the film in North Carolina.

The Eastern Surfing Association's (ESA) Mid-Atlantic Regionals are held at Hamlet Avenue in Carolina Beach, NC (May 7-9).

The Aaron Chang Model Search is held at Kefi's in Wrightsville Beach (May 13).

Tony Silvagni places sixth in the Men's Noseriding Division behind Christian Wach, Josh Baxter, Steve Newton, Brent Russell, and Joel Tudor at the 2004 California Open in Oceanside , CA (May 14-16).

The 3rd Annual WBLA Longboard Classic is held at Shell Island in Wrightsville Beach (May 15).

"Wanderjahr" plays at Cafe Del Mar in Wrightsville Beach (May 15). The film documents the life, travels and personality of Brendan “Margo” Margieson in an era when the surf industry began looking for more that just competition surfing to quench the appetite of a hungry surf public and with the support of sponsors like Billabong, Reef and Maurice Cole surfboards, was able to take his focus away from competition surfing and commit himself to the full time job of traveling the globe in search of perfect waves.

Jack McCoy and Billabong visit Wilmington as part of the Jack McCoy Surf Film Festival. As part of their tour up the east coast, they premiere McCoy's newest film, "Blue Horizons," at select cities along the tour. This film is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill (May 20). The film follows the incredible journey of two of the world's best surfers; world champion pro surfer, Andy Irons, and Australian ‘soul surfer' Dave ‘Rasta' Rastovich. The film documents their unique and contrasting lifestyles, while taking viewers to exotic locations and exciting new surf territories around the world.

The Lost Surf Jam Mid-Atlantic Tour hosts a contest at Fort Fisher with a party at Red Dogs in Wrightsville Beach afterwards (June 6). Final Results: 1. Shane Upchurch $200 + $20 for beating Dustin Ray and Chucky; 2. Tai Graham $100 + $20 for beating Dustin Ray and Chucky; 3. Anthony Osment $50 + $20 for beating Dustin Ray and Chucky; 4. Cain Faircloth $45; 5. Zack Rice $35; 6. Richard Gilligan $25. (ESM, September 2004).

The Quiksilver Crossing North America Tour passes through Wrightsville Beach, NC. Its envoy, a 75-foot diving and survey vessel named the Indies Trader, docks at Seapath Marina (June 11). That evening, a special showing of the films "Kelly Slater and the Young Guns" and "Second Thoughts" (a gone-feral-in-Indo flick) are shown at Red Dogs. The next morning, members of the Quiksilver crew host a surf camp at Crystal Pier.

Kure Beach native, Tony Silvagni, places first in the Junior Longboard and fifth in the Open Shortboard at the inaugural American Surfing Championships (ASC) in Huntington Beach, CA. Fellow SNC surfer, Nick Rupp takes first place in the Menehune final. Surfing America is the newly-appointed National Governing Body for the sport of Surfing in the United States. Jo Pickett, from Wilmington, places 3rd in the Womens/Sr. Women Final and is crowned the Senior Women champion (June 13-17).

The 2nd Annual Red Dogs/Rusty Open is held at Johnny Mercer's Pier in Wrightsville Beach, NC (June 19-20). The contest features both a pro and amateur division, and an air show. $1000 cash to air show champ. All divisions....tons of sponsors such as Rusty, Quick, Feralnation, Surf City, Aussie Island, SOD surfboards....etc. Mercers pier is the location....and yes, the infamous bikini contest..the winner takes home a whole line of clothing from Rusty (ESM, August 2004).

At the NSSA National Open and Explorer Championships at Lowers-Trestles, CA, Tony Silvagni places first in the Open Longboard while Shallotte surfer, Nick Rupp, places sixth in the Open Boys division (June 22-26).

At the 44th annual USSF U.S. Surfing Championships in Oceanside, CA, Tony Silvagni places first in the Junior Longboard (June 26-30).

The Billabong Right Coast Detour stops in Wrightsville Beach. All the local groms are out for an autograph signing in the Neptune restaurant's parking lot with Peter Mendia, Brian Hewitson, Geoff Moysa, and Bucky Lasek. Later that day, Bucky Lasek provides a skate demo at Greenfield Park (July 21).

Local surfers, Leilani Pickett and Tony Silvagni, join 18 fellow ESA competitors who have qualified through the recently held American Surfing Championships (ASC) to surf in the inaugural Surfing America USA Surfing Championships and U.S. Team Trials Selection taking place at the U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, CA (July 23-25).

The Sixth Annual Buddy Pelletier Memorial Longboard Classic is held (July 24-25) in Atlantic Beach, NC (ESM, September 2004).

North Carolinians, Kelly Nicely (Women) and Tony Silvagni (Longboard), are selected to join 29 other surfers as members of the 2004 USA Surf Team (July 23-25). They will compete at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships 2004 in Papenoo, Tahiti from December 2-14, 2004.

The Rusty Gromarama is held at the Surf City Pier in Surf City, NC (July 31).

The Rusty Surfboard Demo Day is held at Johnny Mercer's Pier in Wrightsville Beach, NC (August 1).

The RB5X (pronounced R-B-five-by) or Red Bull 5X East Coast Freestyle Surfing Competition stops in Wrightsville Beach, NC. Billy Hume and Ian Parnell compete against local surfers Tony Butler, Matt Gilligan, and Mark Hunt (August 9). Judged on several categories that include torque, boost, push, mojo, and combo, Matt Gilligan is declared the overall winner.

The film, "Sprout," is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington as part of an east coast tour promoting the film (August 16).

The Eighth Annual East Coast Wahine Championships are held in Wrightsville Beach (August 21-22).

The Labor Day Surf Off is held at Long Beach Pier in Long Beach, NC (September 4-5), and is supported with sizable waves generated by Hurricane Frances.

"Drive Thru South Central America" is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (September 23).

The Cape Fear Surfrider Foundation hosts its first Surfer Sweep (September 11). Over 200 people turn out to support a beachwide cleanup and is sponsored by several area businesses including Tower 7 Baja Mex and the local band, Da Howlies, who provide an acoustical jam session.

Event #3 of the 2004 Atlantic Bodyboarding Association Pro/AM Championship Series is held at Crystal Pier in Wrightsville Beach, NC (September 18-19).

UNC Wilmington's Randall Library hosts Surf Nite and features the films "ECWC '03" and "Through the Looking Glass" in Morton Hall Auditorium on the campus (September 30).

Ocean Isle Beach resident, Jesse McCrery, wins the Open Shortboard division at the 42nd Annual East Coast Surfing Championships in August (ESM, October 2004).

The 2004 ESA Eastern Surfing Championships "The Easterns" are held at Cape Hatteras (September 19-25). Slater Powell (Men’s), Shea Lindon (women’s bodyboard), Tony Silvagni (Junior Longboard), and Nick Rupp (Menehune) take first place in their respective divisions. The Southern North Carolina District of ESA finishes 2nd overall in competition. (ESM, October 2004)

The 18th Annual Hot Wax Challenge is held at Fort Fisher State Park (October 9-10).

"Back to the Front" is shown at Hollywod East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (October 21).

"Riding Giants" is shown at Thalian Hall in Wilmington. A small table exhibit on the history of surfing in southeastern North Carolina is also displayed along with several historic surfboards owned by private collectors (October 24-26).

"Noah's Arc" is shown at Thalian Hall in Wilmington (October 29).

"A Broke Down Melody" is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (November 4).

The Christian Surfers host the Cold Water Classic on Wrightsville Beach (November 20).

"Freak Show" is shown at Café Del Mar in Wrightsville Beach (November 5).

"Destroy Everything Now" is shown at Café Del Mar in Wrightsville Beach (November 12).

Nate Lee and Jerry Ricciotti's film, "Trailer Trash" is shown at Red Dog's in Wrightsville Beach (December 2).

2005

"The Free Way" is shown at Hollywood East cinema Grill in Wilmington (January 20).

"Seasons" is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (February 10).

"Inner Visions" is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (March 31).

"Back to the Front," "Heart," "A State of S," and the "Innermost Limits of Pure Fun" are shown at Level 5/City Stage Theater as part of the 11th Annual Cucalorus Film Festival in Wilmington (April 2).

"The Ripple Effect" is shown at Sharp Shooters in Jacksonville, NC (April 12).

"Trailer Trash 2" is shown at Red Dog's in Wrightsville Beach, NC (April 14).

"Drive Thru Europe" is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (April 21).

UNC Wilmington's Randall Library hosts Surf Nite and features the films "Pacific Vibrations" and "Viajar" in King Hall Auditorium on the campus (April 25).

The St. Jude "Surf for a Cure" Contest is held at Fort Fisher, North Carolina (April 16-17), and is sponsored by the Southern Stiks Surf Company.

The 4th annual WBLA Longboard Classic is held in Wrightsville Beach (May).

"No Way Man" is shown at Kefi in Wrightsville Beach (May 5).

"Fair Bits" is shown at Level 5/City Stage Theater in Wilmington (May 6).

"Unsalted" is shown at Level 5/City Stage Theater in Wilmington (June 20).

"Campaign 2" is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (July 3).

Line Up Magazine is launched (July 4).

The film, "Young Guns II" is shown at Red Dog's in Wrightsville Beach as part of Quiksilver's Belly of the East Tour (July 13).

Hosted by wblivesurf.com, the Reef / Sweetwater Pro-Am is held in Wrightsville Beach behind Sweetwater Surf Shop (July 23-24).

The Ninth Annual East Coast Wahine Championships is held in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina (August 20-21).

"State of S" and "What's Next" is shown at Level 5/City Stage Theater in Wilmington (August 22).

"Fishing for Birds" is shown at Red Dog's in Wrightsville Beach (September 6).

Sponsored by the Cape Fear and UNCW chapters of the Surfrider Foundation, the Cape Fear Clean Water Classic is held on Wrightsville Beach (October 8-9).

"Burn" is shown at Wrightsville Beach Park (October 22).

"Nobody's Heros" is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (November 10).

"Always Right" is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (December 7).

The Christian Surfers Association hosts the Cold Water Classic on Wrightsville Beach (December 17).

2006

The Cape Fear Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is recognized as a runner-up for the award, "Outstanding Chapter Performance - Activism," in the 2nd annual Making Waves Chapter Recognition Awards sponsored by the international organization, Surfrider Foundation (Winter 2005/2006).

Wrightsville Beach surfer and shaper, Will Allison, is inducted into the East Coast Surfing Legends Hall of Fame at the Surf Expo in Orlando, FL. (January 13-15).

Wrightsville Beach native and graduate of UNC-Wilmington, Josh Hunter, is named senior editor in charge of the surf content for the TransWorld Business, a leading publication dedicated to reporting the surf, snow, and skate industries (January).

UNC Wilmington's Randall Library hosts Surf Nite and features the film "Stylemasters" at Morton Hall Auditorium on the campus (March 21).

"Drive Thru South Africa" is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (April 13).

The 5th annual WBLA Longboard Classic is held at Wrightsville Beach (May).

"Separate Volume" is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (May 25).

"Free as a Dog" is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (June 14).

Touring the east coast to celebrate his seventh world title, Kelly Slater, makes an appearance in Wrightsville Beach and hosts a free showing of the Quiksilver film, "Letting Go," which documents his life on the WCT. (June 15)

"Critically Acclaimed" is shown at Red Dog's in Wrightsville Beach (July 14).

Hosted by wblivesurf.com, the Reef / Sweetwater Pro-Am Surf Fest is held in Wrightsville Beach behind Sweetwater Surf Shop (July 14-16). The event includes a $20,000 pro purse.

Sponsored by Bavaria Holland Beer, the 1st Annual Bavaria Holland Beer Pro/Am Silvagni Benefit Surf Contest is held at Fort Fisher, North Carolina (July 22-23). All proceeds are given to local resident, Andrew Silvagni, to help him fight Lyme Disease.

The Buddy Pelletier Memorial Longboard Classic is held at Oceanana Resort in Atlantic Beach, NC (July 29-30).

The Tenth Annual East Coast Wahine Championships is held in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina (August 19-20).

"Secret Machine" is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (September 27).

"Post Cards from Paradise" is shown at Wrightsville Beach Park (September 30).

"Sipping Jetstreams" is shown at Hollywood East Cinema Grill in Wilmington (October 4).

The 2nd annual Clean Water Classic is held in Wrightsville Beach, NC (October 7-8).

"The Freddy P Project" is shown at Kefi in Wrightsville Beach (October 12).

The Hot Wax Challenge is held at Fort Fisher, NC (October 21-22).

The UNCW Surf Team takes first place at the 3rd annual Terrapin Collegiate Surf Contest in Ocean City, MD (October 21).

A Volcom VQS event is held at Wrightsville Beach to qualify for the May 2007 Totally Crustaceous Tour VQS World Championships in Newport Beach, CA (October 22).

At Soup Bowls in Barbados, Ben Bourgeois winds the sixth stage of the Latin and Caribbean Surfing Tour, ALAS Special Event, Reef Latin Pro Barbados (November 6).

Tony Silvagni takes first place in the longboard division and finishes 11th in the Men's Pro at the Jupiter Pro/Am Fall Classic in Jupiter, FL. Thomas Cannon finishes in 4th place while Drake Courie ties for 5th in the longboard division as well (November 17-19).

The 3rd annual Cold Water Classic Hope From Helen Surf Contest is held in Wrightsville Beach (December 2).

2007

Kure Beach's Tony Silvagni is signed by Bavaria Holland Beer (January).

Corey Howell, Dylan Kowalksi, and Nick Rupp were named as members of the 2007 ESA Allstar Team at Surf Expo in Orlando, FL (January).

Pride Surf Shop closes its doors. Moving to a new location on South College Road in Wilmington, it is renamed 17th Street Surf Shop and is affiliated with 17th Street Surf Shop in Virginia Beach, VA (March).

Tony Silvagni of Kure Beach, NC receives an invitation to participate in the Oxbow World Longboard Championship in Anglet Basque Country, France, April 30, 2007. He is ranked #5 among the top 100 longboard surfers in the world (March).

Several individuals from southeastern North Carolina placed at the 21st Annual 2007 Eastern Surfing Association (ESA) Scholastic Championships, held in New Smyrna Beach, Florida from March 31-April 2. These included Tony Silvagni (2nd, Open Longboard); Corey Howell (2nd, Menehune); Nick Rupp (1st, Boys - 2nd, Junior Men - 4th, men); and Dylan Kowalkski (4th, Boys).

Tony Silvagni takes first place in the premier event, the Men's Longboard Pro, at the 43rd Annual Ron Jon Easter Surf Festival in Cocoa Beach, FL. He also finishes in second place in the event's nose riding competition. Nick Rupp of Ocean Isle Beach, NC wins the Amateur Boys division (April 5-8).

The UNCW Surf Club hosts the Cape Fear Surf Fest at Fort Fisher, NC (April 14-15).

"Baggage," a film by Nate Lee premieres at Hollywood East Cinema Gril in Wilmington (May 17).

The "Off the Beaten Path" skate tour stops at Eastern Skateboard Supply in Wilmington (May 19).

Tony Silvagni wins 1st place in the Kanaka Longboard Division (20-29 yrs), 1st place Retro Open Longboard Division, 1st place Pro Longboard, and 1st place in the Tandem Division (with Kate Easton) at the 4th annual Steel Pier Longboard Classic in Virginia Beach, VA (May 26-27).

The inaugural King of the Peak contest is held at the county line in Surf City, NC (May 27). The event is sponsored by the Surf City Mafia, On Shore Surf Shop, and Blueheavensurf.com.

Local-Session Surf Magazine debuts in southeastern North Carolina (June).

The 6th annual Longboard Classic is hosted by the Wrightsville Beach Longboard Association and Rippy Automotive in Wrightsville Beach, NC (June 2-3).

The Billabong Surf Rat Series '07 is held in Wrightsville Beach (June 3).

"Mixed Tape" is shown at Wrightsville Beach Park with professional surfer Bobby Martinez in attendance (June 6).

Tony Silvagni wins the Open Longboard Division, Men's Longboard Division and the Men's Shortboard Division at the Herden Label Memorial Classic in Garden City, SC (June 9-10).

"One Winter Story" is shown at Riverfron Park in downtown Wilmington as part of the kickoff celebration for the Scene First Student Film Festival (June 14).

Wblivesurf.com presents the film "Drive Thru Caribbean" at WOW Cafe & Wingery in Wilmington (July 5).

The 3rd Annual Reef/Sweetwater Pro-Am Surf Fest is held in Wrightsville Beach (July 13-15).

The 2nd Annual Bavaria Holland Beer Pro/Am Silvagni Benefit Surf Contest is held at Fort Fisher State Park (July 21-22).

Hanover Seaside Club Surf Challenge is held at Wrightsville Beach and includes paddling, running, and watermelon races (July 28).

"The Buddy" Buddy Pelletier Memorial Longboard Classic is held at the Sheraton Resort in Atlantic Beach, NC and includes an open pro division (July 28-29).

Former ASP World Tour surfer and Wrightsville Beach local, Ben Bourgeois defeats the Brazilian Heitor Alves at the Rip Curl Boardmasters 5 star World Qualifying Series (WQS) surfing contest (August 12). The win increases his ranking on the WQS to #2 and clinches him a spot on the World Championship Tour for 2008.

Surfer's Healing, a surfing day camp begun in California, comes to Wrightsville Beach (August 16). The organization "host[s] day camps at the beach where autistic children and their families could be exposed to a completely new experience of surfing."

Barefoot Wine, the Surfrider Foundation, and the Cape Fear Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation designate Wrightsville Beach as " barefoot-friendly" and host a beach cleanup. Wrightsville Beach is one of seven beaches nationally chosen by the organizations to receive this attention (August 18).

The film "Trilogy" is shown at Wrightsville Beach Park (August 18).

The 11th annual East Coast Wahine Championships are held in Wrightsville Beach, NC (August 18-19).

Tony Silvagni wins the ASP Pro Longboard and Men's Longboard divisions at the 45th East Coast Surfing Championships in Virginia Beach, VA. He also places 3rd in the Men's Shortboard and 2 nd in Open Longboard divisions. Nick Rupp wins the Boys division at the same contest (August 22 – 26).

Tony Silvagni wins the Longboard Pro Men's Division at the 22nd Annual Cocoa Beach Surf Company / NKF Pro-Am Surf Festival in Cocoa Beach, FL. August 31-September 3, 2007.

"The Dirty South 2" is shown at Kefi in Wrightsville Beach (September 6).

Tony Silvagni wins the Longboard Pro division at the Verizon Belmar Pro in Belmar, NJ . September 7-9, 2007.

The film "El Lorax" is shown at Red Dogs in Wrightsville Beach (September 10).

The 3rd annual Clean Water Classic is held in Wrightsville Beach, NC (October 5-7).

The 21st Hot Wax Challenge, sponsored by Hot Wax Surf Shop, is held at Fort Fisher State Park (October 20-21).

The film "Walking on Water" is shown at UNCW's Kenan Auditorium in Wilmington, NC (October 25).

The film "One California Day" is shown at Thalian Hall in Wilmington, NC (October 25).

Southeastern North Carolina surfers Nick Rupp and Dylan Kowalski are named to the 2008 PacSun USA Surf Team (October 30).

As part of the Cucalorus Film Festival, three surf films are shown locally. "Baggage" is featured at Riverfront Park on the waterfront in downtown Wilmington (November 7); "Thread" is shown at UNCW's Lumina Theater (November 8); and "Any Given Morning" is shown at Jengo's Playhouse (November 9).

The film "The Best Laid Plans" is shown at UNCW's Lumina Theater and is sponsored by the UNCW Surfrider Club and Sweetwater Surf Shop (November 11).

Sweetwater Surf Shop manager and WBlivesurf.com owner, Tony Butler, is recognized by the weekly newspaper, Lumina News, as the Person of the Year in Wrightsville Beach for his contributions to the community (December).

2008

UNCW's Randall Library hosts the exhibit, "Country Soul: The Surfing Experience in Southeastern North Carolina" (February 1 - November 30).

Sponsored by Wblivesurf.com, the film "Lightning Strikes' is shown at W.O.W. Cafe and Wingery in Wilmington (February 19). Funds raised are used to support New Jersey surfer, Dean Randazzo, in his battle against cancer.

Surfing in swim zones during red flag days is an issue at Wrightsville Beach, NC (spring).

Hosted by On Shore Surf Shop, the 2nd annual County Line Classic Surf Contest is held at the Onslow-Pender County line in Surf City, NC (March 15-16).

The UNCW Surf Club's team wins the tag team division at the ESA Scholastics. The team includes Cody Leutgens (Captain), Chris Curry, Ben Powell, and Michael Powell (March 15-17).

Tony Silvagni wins the Longboard Pro division at the 44th annual Easter Surf Festival sponsored by Ron Jon's Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach, FL. Drake Courie wins the Nose Riding division (March 20-23).

The 2nd annual Cape Fear Surf Fest, sponsored by the UNCW Surf Club, is held at the north end pier in Carolina Beach, NC (April 5-6).

The Cape Fear Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and the Town of Wrightsville Beach reach an agreement with property owners to retain public access to beach access 33 in Wrightsville Beach (March-April).

The film "Drive Thru New Zealand" is shown at W.O.W. Cafe and Wingery in Wilmington (April 10).

"Any Given Morning," by Wilmington filmmaker Laurel Hughes, is selected for inclusion in the Rincon International Film Festival in Puerto Rico (April 22-26).

Surf Carolina Magazine, focused on surfing in North and South Carolina, hits shelves on the Carolina coast (May).

Ben Bourgeios wins the Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro at Lower Trestles in San Clemente, CA (May 3). It is an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 4 Star event.

The 7th annual WBLA Longboard Classic is held at Shell Island in Wrightsville Beach, NC (May 17).

Joseph "Skipper" Funderburg's book, Surfing on the Cape Fear Coast, is published (June).

Wilmigton photographer, Sean Ruttkay, has the photographic essay, "Beyond the Barrier" published in the Surfer's Journal (Summer).

Wilmington photographer, Kenny Onufrock, is included in the Water magazine article, "No Place Like Home," an article featuring seven east coast surfing photographers (Summer).

Taylor Steele's film, "Stranger than Fiction," is shown at W.O.W. Cafe and Wingery in Wilmington (July 1).

The 4th annual Reef Sweetwater Pro-Am Surf Fest is held at Wrightsville Beach, NC (July 11-13). Hurricane Bertha churns offshore providing quality surf for the event.

The film, "SurfWise," is shown at Thalian Hall in Wilmington (July 14-16).

The Buddy Pelletier Memorial Longboard Classic is held at Oceanana Resort in Atlantic Beach (July 26-27).

Kure Beach surfer, Tony Silvagni places 2nd in the Longboard final at the Honda U.S. Open of Surfing (presented by O'neill) in Huntington Beach, CA (July 18-27). Taylor Jensen (San Clemente, CA) places 1st while Ned Snow (Hawaii) places 3rd and Noah Shimabukuro (Oceanside, CA) places 4th.

Sponsored by IBX Promotions, the 3rd annual Silvagni Surf Pro/Am is held at Carolina Beach, NC (August 2-3).

The film, "The Life," is shown at Wrightsville Beach Park (August 4).

The film, "Just Add Water," is shown at Wrightsville Beach Park (August 11).

Surfers Healing is held at Wrightsville Beach, NC (August 14).

The 12th annual East Coast Wahine Championships are held at Wrightsville Beach, NC (August 16-17). The film, "Surfers: The Movie Then and Now" is shown at Wrightsville Beach Park.

Cody Leutgens, from Surf City, NC, wins the Mens Division at the 2008 SIMA Surfing America USA Championships in Huntington Beach, CA (August 19).

Page created and maintained by: Peter Fritzler, Randall Library, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Citing This Page:

"A Timeline of Surfing in the Cape Fear Region." Cape Fear Surfing Archive. William Randall Library, University of North Carolina Wilmington. [Created: March 1, 2004; ; Cited: ]. Available from http://library.uncw.edu/surf/timeline.htm