On the Edge

Newport Scores Surf

By Peter Pan

 

            It wasn’t expected to be a picture perfect summer beach day, with sunny skies and 2-3 foot surf.  Not in April.  But it was just that.  Air temperatures soared into the high 70’s, and sun bathers were out, this past Saturday, at the Annual Newport ESA Surfing Championships, held at First Beach.  Reality set in, however, when competitors hit the icy cold 40 degree ocean water.

            A large ocean storm had produced an overhead ground swell for the previous three days, prior to this ESA contest, so organizers felt that there would be enough of a swell left, to run a contest.

            “We managed to milk the last day of the big swell, and sneak in this contest,” said ESA Competition Director Mario Frade.  “And we had ridable surf and some nice walls to work with, all day.”

            The outstanding surfer of the day was without a doubt, Ana Barend of Little Compton.  She managed to find the best formed waves in every one of her heats, and she worked the faces to their maximum potential.  Not only did she dominate the women’s events, she took on all comers in the Open Final, and whipped everyone, with some strong power cut backs on the small right faces.

            The waves were ideal for the youth events, and the small riders made the most of the conditions.  Ed Barend of Little Compton got the longest rides, to edge out Narragansett’s Caroline Sutherland, in the Menehune Final.  Adam Marcuvitz found the open faces on two waves, to narrowly defeat Cob Ingalls in the Boys event.  Nantucket’s Mya Kotalac charged to the Girls title when she picked off a set wave in the last minute of the heat.

            It was a big day for the South Shore crew, as Hingham’s Chris Orlando topped James McGragham for the Junior title, and Fall River’s Matheus de Souza beat Block Island’s Seth Draper for the Men’s crown.  Chuck Barend, ringleader of the Little Compton crew, found a pristine right zipper, and pulled off a series of fast and hard maneuvers on the face, to take the Senior Men’s title over Matunuck’s Ron Belanger.  Bristol’s Nick Carter won his 3rd consecutive Masters title.  Narragansett 's Peter Pan solid backside lip bash was enough to take the Legend's crown over Tim Brooks.  Cambridge, Massachusetts Grand Legend, Kitty Pechet, styled her way to a win in that event.

            In the long board divisions, there were some very hot performances.  First Beach has always been famous for its’ long, peeling walls, making it ideal for serious long board riding.  Ron Belanger started things off with some dramatic fins firsts to take the Senior Long board crown.  Both Matheus de Souza and Chris Orlando repeated their wins in the long board finals.  Narragansett’s Courtney Sutherland trimmed to the nose on two inside sections, to win the Women’s Longboard Final.  Peter Pan "spinnered" his way to win in the Legends Longboard event.  In the final heat of the day, Boston’s Pat Redmond “el rollo-ed” his way to the Open Bodyboard crown, while Courtney Sutherland notched her second title of the day, when she took the Menehune Bodyboard Final.

            Local surfers will be in action again, this coming weekend, when Waterbrothers sponsors a fund raiser surfing contest at Second Beach in Middletown, R.I.  On May 2-4, area riders will be competing at the 2008 East Coast Surfing Championships Northeast Surf-Offs, to be held at Montauk, New York.

 

Results of the 2008

Newport Surfing Championships

Held at First Beach, Newport, Rhode Island on April 19th

in two to three foot, glassy surf.

 

Menehunes- 1.Edward Barend  2.Caroline Sutherland   Boys- 1.Adam Marcuvitz  2. Cob Ingalls   Junior Men- 1.Chris Orlando  2.James McGragham   Men- 1. Matheus de Souza  2. Seth Draper   Masters- 1.Nick Carter   Senior Men- 1.Chuck Barend  2.Ron Belanger  3.Bob Fitton  4.Scott Sutherland   Legends- 1.Peter Pan  2.Tim Brooks   Grand Legends- 1.Kitty Pechet   Girls- 1.Mya Kotalac  2.Courtney Sutherland   Senior Women- 1.Ana Barend   Junior Longboard- 1.Chris Orlando  2.James McGragham    Men Longboard- 1.Matheus de Souza  2.Nick Carter   Senior Longboard- 1.Ron Belanger  2.Chuck Barend  3.Bob Fitton  4.Scott Sutherland   Legends Longboard- 1.Peter Pan  2.Tim Brooks  3.Kitty Pechet   Women Longboard- 1.Courtney Sutherland   Senior Women Longboard- 1.Ana Barend  2.Melanie Kotalac    Open Bodyboard- 1.Pat Redmond  2.Courtney Sutherland  3.Peter Pan   Open- 1.Ana Barend  2.Chuck Barend  3.Siul Rami Reis  4.Chris Orlando  5.Ronaldo Lima  6.Matheus de Souza  7.Nick Carter