OCEAN CITY- The Ocean City Surf Club’s 15th Annual Longboard Team Challenge last weekend was a big success with near perfect conditions for the competitive events on both days.
The annual event got underway last Friday with an Ocean City Legends Induction Party at Barn 54, recognizing longtime area surfers over age 50 who have made their mark on the surfing scene in Ocean City and have maintained their involvement well past their prime surfing years. This year’s inductees included Chris Hazard, Dean Thompson, Sandy McNutt, Jeff Shields, Adam Showell and Joe Lieb. Receiving the first-ever Aloha Spirit award was Surf Club board member Tommy Vach.
The surfing action got started last Saturday with several five-man teams from all over the region competing in the Longboard Challenge with bragging rights and the perpetual hand-carved Tiki trophy on the line. After a long day of hanging ten, the Carolina Beach Longboard Club emerged as the first-place winners, while the local Malibu’s Surf Shop Club finished in second.
Tony Silvagni of the Carolina Beach Longboard Club took first place last Sunday in the Walk Da Plank professional longboard invitational hosted by the Ocean City Surf Club. Pictured above, Silvagni hangs 10 during a contest heat on Sunday.
Photo courtesy Plak That Printing Co.
On Sunday, the Ocean City Surf Club wrapped up the event with the “Walk Da Plank” professional longboard invitational with cash prizes for the best in classic longboard riding. The contest featured some of the top long-boarding talent on the east coast or arguably anywhere else. The surf conditions at 37th Street were near perfect on Sunday with a clean two-foot swell that held up all day.
When it was all said and done, it was Tony Silvagni of the Carolina Beach Longboard Club taking first-place and a check for $1,500. Brier Haycox was second and earned $1,000. Rounding out the top-eight was Mike Melchiorre in third, Chris Makibbin in fourth, Thomas Cannon in fifth, Roland Gerachis in sixth, Kevin Penn in seventh and Colbie Crombie in eighth.
The Ocean City Surf Club is a local non-profit organization that initiated the Adopt Your Beach program, conducted the Surf into Integrity program at Stephen Decatur Middle School, offers scholarships for local high school students, conducts year-round beach and marsh cleanups and sponsors social events for club members.