OCEAN CITY — With a couple of familiar faces back at the helm for the organization, resort officials this week approved an Eastern Surfing Association (ESA) Delmarva District Summer Surf Series.
The Mayor and Council on Monday approved ESA-Delmarva’s summer-long surf contest series spread across one weekend a month from May to September. The first ESA-Delmarva event is scheduled for next weekend May 14-15 at 46th Street. Subsequent contests are scheduled for June 25-26 at 30th Street, July 16-17 at 8th Street, Aug. 13-14 at 35th Street and Sept. 10-11 at 46th Street.
Resort officials approved ESA-Delmarva’s proposed summer surf contest series after resolving a few issues. For example, the Ocean City Beach Patrol weighed in and put some stipulations on beach safety and appropriate buffers from regular swimmers and bathers. There was also a question raised about surf contests taking up space in the ocean during busy summer weekends, particularly the June contest, but Special Events Coordinator Lisa Mitchell allayed any concerns.
“We haven’t heard any complaints,” she said. “At that time in June, the water is still cold and most of the people going to the beach are utilizing the sand and the views.”
Approving the summer-long surf contest series was made easier by having a couple of familiar faces back in charge at the ESA-Delmarva District. After a 12-year hiatus, long-time locals Jeff and Kathy Phillips have returned as District Directors of the ESA’s Delmarva Chapter. The couple served as district directors for 25 years from 1979 to 2004 and helped shepherd surfing in Ocean City through a major growth period.
For example, they worked closely with the town to develop the rotating surfing beach program that continues today. The couple also created the Maryland State Surfing Championships, which, at its height attracted 200 competitors and thousands of visitors and spectators to the resort.
Under the couple’s watch, the ESA hosted the first Mid-Atlantic Championships, an event that attracted roughly 300 competitors and their families from all over the region. They also worked with the Recreation and Parks Department in creating a “learn to bodyboard” summer camp that has become a staple in the department’s summer offerings.
Jeff and Kathy Phillips left as directors of the ESA Delmarva District in 2004 and in the 12 years since many of their initiatives have waned or disappeared altogether. Mayor Rick Meehan praised the couple for returning as directors and thanked them for their prior work.
“Many years ago, the ESA started bringing surfing events and we had a lot of issues,” he said. “During that time, Jeff and Kathy Phillips were leading ESA Delmarva and they worked through a lot of those issues. Now they’re back. I, for one, am glad you’re back. Things were running smoothly with you guys at the helm.”
Kathy Phillips said she and her husband looked forward to working with the town to bring back some events, starting with the summer-long contest series this year.
“The district has had some difficulty the last couple of years,” she said. “So, we’re back and we’re really excited about it. We’re trying to keep this low key this year and bring it back slowly. We want to get the community and businesses more involved. It has always been our philosophy that by running these small local surfing competitions that help teach kids not only how to surf better but also how to be part of a community, we may not be putting a lot of heads in beds with our summer surf series qualifying events, but are helping to enhance the overall recreational opportunities for the town.”