Bertha’s Swell Makes For A Fun Ocean City Surf Contest

OCEAN CITY –
The Malibu’s Classic ESA surf contest, sponsored by Malibu’s
Surf Shop on 8th Street,
ran for its 14th year last weekend in great waves, compliments of Hurricane
Bertha situated just below Bermuda.

This was the third
Eastern Surfing Association event for the Delmarva district this year, and co
directors Chris Vaxmonsky and Chris Makibbin were thrilled to have yet another
contest run with great waves and great conditions.

Over 225 competitors
from Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Delaware, Virginia
and Florida
duked it out in some serious swell. While the classic waves kept the action in
the water hot, Malibu’s
owner Lee Gerachis kept the contestants pumped up with the bands Lower Class
Citizens and The Bends jamming on the front porch of his shop and hot dogs and
hamburgers on the grill.

With plenty of power and
wave size to work with, contestants were able to pull out all the stops and put
on a real show for the hundreds of spectators lining the beach. But for many of
the groms in the contest that day, the real prize were the waves themselves.

Speaking of groms, Malibu’s Super Grom
division for boys and girls needing a little more assistance was a big hit
again this year. Especially considering the size of some of the set waves, it
was comforting to have parents helping out a bit. Parker Marshall of Pocomoke
took top place in the Super Grom Body Board and Jack Fager of Bishopville won
the Super Grom Short Board division.

However, when the big
boys and girls took to the water the fireworks really started. With barrels the
order of the day and the occasional reverb in the waves, the surfing was almost
as exciting to watch as it was to participate. A highlight of the contest was
the aerial mastery of ESA All Star Vince Boulanger, who dominated the Men’s
Shortboard division and almost pulled off one of the only Gorkin Flips seen in
a local contest. In the highly contested Open Shortboard Division, Ian
Tilghman, home from college on summer break comboed a sweet barrel and a
floater in the final seconds to take first place.

Longboards were
especially challenging when the backwash met changing tidal conditions. There
were more than a few horrific wipeouts. But in the Men’s Division, big Ted
Smith showed them how it was done as he deftly negotiated the challenging waves
on his nine-footer to take first place.

Results from last
weekend’s event in order of finish are:

Super Grom Body Board
(boys/girls 11 & under): Parker Marshall of Pocomoke; Simon Hetrick of
Harrisburg, Pa.; Mickey Thane of Ocean City; Danton Boulanger of Ocean City;
and Conrad Gerachis of Ocean City.

Super Grom Short Board
(boys/girls 11 & under): Jack Fager of Bishopville; Evan Conboy of
Bishopville; Simon Hetrick of Harrisburg, Pa.; Claire Porter of Berlin; Melissa
Harrell of Ocean View, Del. ; and Conrad Gerachis of Ocean City.

Open Shortboard (all
ages): Ian Tilghman of Ocean City; Ted Smith of Ocean
City; Waldon Remington of Ocean Pines;
Vince Boulanger of Ocean City; Dillon Harrington of Ocean
City; and Brady Dashiell of Ocean City.

Menehune Shortboard
(boys/girls 11 & under): Sam Deeley of Berlin; Myles Deppe of Ocean City;
Jack Fager of Bishopville; Evan Conboy of Bishopville; Shane Moore of Berlin; Patrick
Ruppert of Indiatlantic, Fla.; and Simon Hetrick of Harrisburg, Pa.

Girls Shortboard (14
& under): Emily Ruppert of Indiatlantic, Fla.; Claire Zurkowski Havre de Grace,
Md.; and Courtney Genovese of Baltimore.

Boys Shortboard (12-14):
Seth Conboy of Bishopville; Brad Flora of Ocean City; Brady Dashiell of Ocean
City; Avery Seig of Ocean Pines; Gabe Bell of Berlin; and Roland Gerachis of
Ocean City.

Jr. Men Shortboard
(15-17): Dillon Harrington of Ocean City; Austin Deppe of Ocean City; Joey
Boulanger of Ocean City; Spencer Ashton of Berlin; Austin Gerachis of Ocean
City; and Tommy Edmunds of Ocean City.

Jr. Women Shortboard
(15-17): Kelly Powell of Ocean City; Rachel Harrell of Ocean View, Del.;
Jenna Landon of Newark, Md.;
and Meegan Smith of Ocean
City.

Men Shortboard (18-24):
Vince Boulanger of Ocean City; Aviad Sasi of Ocean City; Mikey Lawson of Ocean

Pines; Waldon Remington of Ocean Pines; Sam Svenson of  Bethany Beach, Del.; and Dan Baumgardner of

Berlin.

Women Shortboard
(18-29):  Kelsey Willison of Berlin;
Kelcey Bodolus of Ocean Pines; Laurel Harrington of Berlin; Mackenzie White of
Berlin; Caitlin Whalan of Ocean City; and Jen Abrams of Seaford, Del.

Masters Shortboard
(25-34): Ted Smith of Ocean City; Chris Makibbin of Ocean City; Rhett Cherivtch
of Pittsville; Pat Merkle of Street, Md.; Jack Thomas of Chincoteague, Va.; and
Jess Baunhoffer of Baltimore, Md.

Ladies Shortboard (30+):
Bonnie Preziosi of Berlin

Sr. Men Shortboard
(35-44): Keith White of Frankford, Del.; Chris Vaxmonsky Ocean Pines; Brendon
Hanley of Ocean City; and Craig Garfield of Ocean City.

Grand Masters (45-54):
Chris Tilghman of Ocean City; Doug Brown of Ocean
City; Paul Zurkowski of Havre de Grace, Md.; Dean Thompson
of Selbyville, Del.;
and JD Moore of Berlin.

Legends Shortboard
(55-64): Bill Helmuth of Ocean Pines, and Brett Buchler of Fenwick Island, Del.

Grand Legends Shortboard
(65+): Bryant Hungerford of Ocean
City.

Open Bodyboard (all
ages): Jake Buchler of Fenwick Island, Del.; Caleb Buchler of Fenwick Island,
Del.; Matt Landon of Newark; Ty Webb of Ocean View, Del.; Josh Mitchell of
Berlin; and Jacob Ahlfeldt of Selbyville, Del.

Menehune Bodyboard
(boys/girls 14 & under): Zachary Mitchell of Berlin; Matt Meekins of
Berlin; Michael Murray of Ocean City; Ryan Thane of Ocean City; Brady Cooling
of Bishopville; and Colin May of Ocean Pines.

Menehune Longboard
(boys/girls 14 & under): Brady Dashiell of Ocean City; Sam Deeley of
Berlin; Ryder Lahr of Berlin; Roland Gerachis of Ocean City; Ben Vaxmonsky of
Ocean Pines; and Robert Fernandez of Chincoteague, Va.

Jr. Longboard (15-17):
Spencer Ashton of Berlin; Jake Buchler of Fenwick Island; Matt Meinhardt of
Ocean City; Austin Cook of Berlin; RJ Smith of Ocean City; and Tanner Jennings
of Salisbury.

Men’s Longboard (18-34):
Ted Smith of Ocean City; Chris Makibbin of Ocean City; Pat Merkle of Street,
Md.; JT Hazard of Ocean City; Zac Jester of Chincoteague, Va.; and Aviad Sasi
of Ocean City.

Women’s Longboard (29
& under): Rachel Harrell of Ocean View, Del.;
Kelsey Willison of Berlin; Chelsea
Remines of Berlin; and Kaitlyn Curran of Berlin.

Ladies Longboard (30+):
Beth Deeley of Berlin; Bonnie Preziosi of Berlin; and Ann Cook of Ocean City.

Masters Longboard
(35-49): Chris Vaxmonsky of Ocean Pines; Doug Brown of Ocean City; Jeff Jester
of Ocean City; Craig Garfield of Ocean City; Michael Harrington of Ocean City;
and Brendon Hanley of Ocean City.

Legends Longboard (50+):
Chris Tilghman of Ocean City; Dean Thomson of Selbyville,
Del.; Bill Helmuth of Ocean Pines; and Bill
Thompson of Ocean
City.