After four days, 10 free pairs of Hurley Jeans, 600 photos and 2,000 "I )( VB" hats, the ECSC is a wrap. And Hurley certainly left a sizable footprint at the event. As the most in-demand booth on the beach, lines for the Hurley Photo Booth averaged 35 minutes during the four-day stretch. The most sought after commodity at the ECSC? The I )( VB hats. Marines, lifeguards, cops, Budweiser reps, contest organizers, surf fans, crazed teens and tweens, moms, grandmas, hotel workers -- anyone and everyone wanted one of those signature pieces of headwear. We could have easily run through 4,000. If you were lucky enough to get your photo snapped before our hat, sticker and sunglasses reserves ran dry (or you're envious of those who did), check out all the Day 4 highlights here, or go to Facebook to view the full gallery. See you next year. We )( VB.
Hurricane Danielle delivered in a big way on Saturday. Though never really a threat to make landfall, she generated good size surf on Saturday, as two-to-three foot, peaky lefts and rights pulsed through all day. Hurley team riders Oliver Kurtz and local favorite Michael Dunphy shined in the Men's Pro division, advancing to the Semifinal on Sunday. Dunphy will surf in the Men's Pro Junior Final on Sunday afternoon as well. North Carolinian, Kim Diggs, will also surf on Sunday, in the Women's Amateur Final.
On the sand, the Hurley Photo Booth created the biggest buzz. With Saturday the biggest day of the event, lines were longer and giveaways were bigger. We moved 720 "I )( VB" hats (by far the hit of the contest), took almost 200 photos and we handed out over 200 Hurley sunglasses to people who became a fan of Hurley on Facebook via our iPad station. The highlight of the day was the impromptu product toss from the scaffolding into a crowd of 200 crazed kids. Check out all the Day 3 highlights here, or go to Facebook for the full Hurley ECSC Photo Booth gallery.
This is actually a surf contest. But from where we sit, the main draw of the East Coast Surfing Championships has nothing to do with what's happening in the water. It's clearly about the beach, and all that free stuff.
Today, Bob Burnquist skated vert, there were tow-at and freestyle moto exhibitions, plus LIVE music. We did't catch any of it. We were busy pushing hats and slangin' sunglasses.
The Hurley booth, far and away the most popular at the event, gave away more than 600 "I )( VB" hats, as Hurley fans waited in line, in the sticky 80 degree weather no less, for more than 35-minutes to receive a hat and take a photo with Hurley Family members Noah Snyder, Asher Nolan, Michael Dunphy, Oliver Kurtz, Kim Diggs, Mikey Detemple and Bob Burnquist (quite the pleasant surprise). Plus, while fans waited for their pictures to print, we took advantage of the opportunity and had them "become a fan" of Hurley on Facebook (iPads are so rad) in exchange for a pair of Hurley sunglasses.
Now, for your viewing pleasure, the highlights from Day 2 at the ECSC. Head over to Hurley's Facebook page for all the day's images (all 196 of 'em).
That's VB. You'll hear those two words a lot here -- as an explanation, or rationalization, really, for some of the things you'll see in this place. Virginia Beach, quite simply, is pure madness. And VA Beach doesn't get any wilder than during the East Coast Surfing Championships.
The festivities kicked off today, as teen mobs descended the contest venue, and by 11am there was a 20-minute wait outside the Hurley photo booth, where Hurley fans posed with team riders in "I )( VB" hats. Some of the numbers from the day: 109 photos, 50-minute lines and over 400 hats were distributed to Hurley fans eager to get a chance to win a pair of new Hurley jeans. Check out the Top 10 fan photos in the attached gallery.
On August 14th, a swathe of Outer Banks luminaries led by longtime stylist Mark Slagle and Autism Society of North Carolina Outer Banks Chapter President Eileen Lowery broke ground at Jennette’s Pier with the area’s inaugural Surfing For Autism event, stressing the importance of early intervention, parental support, and the latest research concerning Autism and Asperger’s before giving kids their first paddling/ standing lessons and pushing them into waves. While head-high groundswell proved challenging for the first-timers, a skilled and caring local cast including Lynn Shell and Jason Forrest, Pete Erickson, Noah Snyder, Tom Rogers, Bobby Holland, Sr., Kim Diggs, and Whitney Hines kept things safe in the shorebreak. Visit www.surfingforautism.com for more. -- Matt Pruett, Editor At Large, Eastern Surf Magazine
Bob Hurley and Lee Stacey collaborate on a board building project, fusing past and present techniques to create unique, modern designs.
Rob's new film opens to capacity crowd at historic La Paloma Theatre
Rob Machado premiered his latest project, Melali: The Drifter Sessions, at La Paloma in Encinitas on Thursday night. Needless to say, it was to a packed house. This wasn't your average surf premiere at the iconic North County theatre, as Rob, John Swift, Todd Hannigan and band provided a live soundtrack to the film as it played. Also, in an effort to ensure every seat was filled for the 7:30 and 9:00 o'clock shows, the first hundred people through the door received autographed posters from Rob. Check out a few photos from the evening below:
