East Coast Wahine Championship: A Wrightsville Beach Summer Tradition in North Carolina, USA

Move over boys of summer…surfer girls rule on August 15 when wahines of all ages ride the waves during the 14th Annual East Coast Wahine Championship at Wrightsville Beach. All eyes will be on the surf action just south of Crystal Pier (near the Oceanic Restaurant) when the East Coast’s largest all-female surfing competition gets underway. The competition begins at 8:00 AM and lasts until 5:00 PM on Sunday. Deadline for entry is August 1 or when all slots are filled.

In 1997, the East Coast Wahine Championship was the first all-female amateur surfing contest on the East Coast. Each year, approximately 150 girls of all ages and abilities reconvene in Wrightsville Beach to compete in Shortboard, Longboard, and Bodyboard divisions. A Novice division is open to surfer girls who have never before been in a contest; any size board is welcome. There’s also the ever-popular Guppy division (parental assistance allowed) for the age 9 and under surfers and body-boarders. Women (ages 18+) can participate in the Open Shortboard division. Entry forms are available online via www.eastcoastwahines.com. For more details email anne@eastcoastwahines.com.

For wahines and others who don’t surf but would like to learn, Indo Jax Surf School will set up at the tournament site offering advice and surf tips to Novice and Guppy competitors, and offering lessons: http://indojaxsurfschool.com.

North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast beaches (Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, and Wrightsville Beach) are renowned as great places to learn to surf. In 2008, Surfer magazine named UNC-Wilmington as one of the East Coast’s top surf schools (the campus is located just minutes from Cape Fear Coast beaches). According to Outside magazine (May 2006), Wrightsville Beach is among the “Best North American Beginner Surf Spots.” According to Outside, “Wrightsville’s soft, sandy beaches are the perfect venue for beginners and perfectly warm in the summer.” Visitors can learn to surf by signing up for lessons and camps offered by local eco-friendly surfing schools. Indo Jax Surf School; Crystal South Surfing Camp; Kowabunga Surf School Camp; Surf Camp, Inc.; Tony Silvagni Surf School; Carolina Surf School; Jeremy’s Surf School; and Hook, Line & Paddle are among the local surf schools that offer instruction and programs for children, adults, families, and corporate retreats. The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, Wrightsville Beach Parks & Recreation, and UNC-Wilmington also offer summer surf programs.

For a free Visitors Guide for Wilmington & North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast, please call 1-866-266-9690 or email visit@capefearcoast.com. For information on accommodations and a complete Calendar of Events, please visit website www.gocapefearcoast.com/events.

For specials and package deals, visit www.gocapefearcoast.com/specials and for last-minute hotel discounts, visit www.sunnysavers.com

July 28, 2010   Posted in: United States East