Wahine Surf-Off Celebrates Growth Of Female Surfers

OCEAN CITY – Quiet Storm Surf Shops of Rehoboth Beach and Lewes, Del. hosted the 3rd Annual Quiet Storm Wahine Surf-Off for 100 competitors in 26 heats of surfing at North Side Indian River Inlet last weekend.

Eighty-five women competitors from the age of 10 to 48 surfed for $4,500 in prizes in 10 different age divisions, while 15 "guys dressed as girls" battled for bragging rights in the annual dress-up competition.

Small, clean knee-high waves consistently reeled in through low tide at Delaware’s most crowded surf spot. Violent thunderstorms forced the final two heats of the competition to be continued on Sunday.

This Eastern Surfing Association event promotes the growing population of women surfers on the east coast with a fun day of competition. The level of competition among women surfers has improved greatly over the past several years and this competition clearly showcases the awesome talent of our east coast women competitors.

Quiet Storm Surf Shops gave away $100 gift certificates for the first place finishers in all of the Open divisions and prizes for the top three finishers in every age division. Roxy supplied gift bags for all competitors while Billabong provided some of the other prizes. Dana Smith of Ocean City gave away her unique hand-made Swag Bags to the Open division winners.

Abi Buchler of Fenwick Island, DE won the competitor’s raffle at the end of the event and took home a brand new seven-foot Walden Wahine model surfboard.

The next Delmarva ESA event is the American Cancer Society Relay for Life Maryland State Surfing Championships on Aug. 11 and 12 at the inlet jetty in Ocean City. Anyone interested in competing can enter on the beach between 7 and 8 a.m. the morning of the event. Call the toll-free contest info-line at 1-888-632-4742 for the latest contest update and location. Check out the Eastern Surfing Association Delmarva District’s web-site at www.DelmarvaESA.org for more information and to view a schedule of upcoming events.

The 3rd Annual Quiet Storm Wahine Surf-Off results are:

-Open Shortboard (all ages):

Jasset Umbel of Melbourne Beach, Fla, Laurel Harrington of Berlin, Emily Ruppert of Indialantic, Fla., Kelsey Willison of Berlin, Kate Bassett of Berlin and Jenna Landon of Newark.

-Open Longboard (all ages): Kate Bassett of Berlin, Chelsea Remines of Berlin, Kelcey Bodolus of Berlin, Jasset Umbel of Melbourne Beach, Fla. Hannah Preziosi of Ocean Pines and Emily Ruppert of Indialantic, Fla.

-Open Bodyboard (all ages): Abi Buchler of Fenwick Island, Kelly Powell of Ocean City, Jenna Landon of Newark and Courtney Davison of Dover, Del.

-Beginner Girls Shortboard (14 & under): Claire Zurkowski of Havre de Grace, Lexi Ashton of Berlin, Sarah Buchler of Fenwick Island, Victoria Whigham of Ocean City, Olivia Overton of Salisbury, Claire Powderly of Reistertown and Spenser Shanahan of Bel Air.

-Girls Shortboard (14 & under): Jasset Umbel of Melbourne Beach, Fla., Emily Ruppert of Indialantic, Fla., Jenna Landon of Newark, Kelly Powell of Ocean City, Tierney Loeser of Dagsboro, Del. and Abi Buchler of Fenwick Island.

-Jr. Women Shortboard (15-17): Laurel Harrington of Berlin, Kelcey Bodolus of Berlin, Abi Buchler of Fenwick Island, Elizabeth Butterly of Milford, Del., Mackenzie White of Berlin and Serena Guen of London, England.

-Women Shortboard (18-29): Kaitlyn Curran of Berlin, Kelsey Willison of Berlin, Kate Bassett of Berlin, Chelsea Remines of Berlin, Stacy Sklar of Bishopville and Sloane Doud of Rehoboth Beach.

-Ladies Shortboard (30+): Danielle Ariano of Lewes, Del. and Bonnie Preziosi of Ocean Pines.

-Women’s Longboard (29 & under): Kaitlyn Curran of Berlin, Kate Bassett of Berlin, Jasset Umbel of Melbourne Beach, Fla., Hannah Preziosi of Ocean Pines, Kelcey Bodolus of Berlin and Jenna Landon of Newark.

-Ladies Longboard (30+): Beth Deeley of Berlin, Bonnie Preziosi of Ocean Pines and Janet Linton of Lewes, Del.

-Guys Dressed as Girls: Brad Flora of Phoenix, Craig Garfield of Ocean City and Spencer Ashton of Berlin.