Champs Crowned in Ho Ho Surf Off

BERLIN- The 2008 Ho Ho Surf Off, the Eastern Surfing Association-Delmarva’s final contest of the year, produced its share of drama last weekend despite the high winds and cold temperatures, with veteran surfer Travis Knight edging upstart Dillon Harrington in the men’s open division and a couple of other surfers young and old capturing titles.

The ESA’s 2008 Ho Ho Surf Off was held last Saturday at the north side of the Indian River Inlet with stiff northwest winds and temperatures hovering just above the freezing mark as the competitors took to the waves for the last competition in the series this year. Because of conditions, Delaware Park Service officials bent the rules to allow for a bonfire on the beach for contestants to warm up around between heats.

Going into the final ESA-Delmarva event of the year, 16-year-old Dillon Harrington held a slim lead over Travis Knight in the men’s open division, but Knight edged Harrington in the Ho Ho Surf Off last weekend to capture the title and punch his ticket to Puerto Rico for the ESA regionals next spring.

At just 16, Harrington burst on to the scene this year and led the open division for much of the series before Knight tracked him down and passed him at the end. Harrington did win the junior men’s shortboard division last weekend, edging Jamie Crosby, Matt Reinhardt and Shawn Woolyhan in the contest.

In another division, Shane Moore, 11, of Berlin, captured the championship in the Menehune shortboard division for young surfers 11-years-old and younger to add another title to his impressive resume in 2008. Moore won the Maryland State Championship in 2008 by collecting the most points in his division during the year and his also headed to Puerto Rico in April to compete in the ESA regionals along with his father, J.D. Moore, who was the overall winner in the Grandmaster’s Division.

In the boys’ shortboard division, another local surfer, Brad Flora, took the title. Dillon Harrington won the junior men’s shortboard division, while Knight won the men’s shortboard division. The master’s shortboard division title went to Chris Makibbin, while the senior men’s shortboard competition went to Craig Garfield.

Rachel Harrell won the junior women’s shortboard division, while Kelsey Willison won the women’s shortboard competition. Chelsea Remines won the women’s longboard competition last weekend at the Ho Ho Surf Off.

In the menehune longboard competition, it was Robert Fernandez taking the championship, while Makibbin took the men’s longboard and Garfield too the master’s longboard titles. Finally, Craig Chatterton won the open bodyboard competition, while Brady Cooling took the menehune bodyboard title.