“You should’ve been here yesterday.”
As if stolen from the classic scene in “The Endless Summer,” the Outer Banks locals at the Oakley Surf Shop Challenge’s Mid-Atlantic Regionals professed that the same Kitty Hawk, N.C., peak hosting the contest produced fun, waist-to-stomach-high runners just 12 hours prior to the early-morning competitors’ meeting.
For those privy to the motions of East Coast competitive surfing, the morning of Friday, April 11 yielded an all-too-familiar sight. The sun shone brilliantly, steady offshores groomed the sea and a perfect beach day awaited. Unfortunately, the Atlantic just wasn’t feeling up to the challenge of providing the boys with a solid push.
With or without waves, the OSSC is one of surfing’s class events, giving team riders and shop employees a day of internal camaraderie and external competition against the best surf shop teams from Virginia and North Carolina authorized Oakley dealers. Instant computerized scoring, a blasting PA system, a sponsor goodie bag and a breakfast/lunch spread give the everyday bros a taste of the contest experience enjoyed by the pros.
The waves indeed proved to be contestable and improved as the incoming tidal push provided the finalists with a handful of scattered canvases, fueling a tight race for the regional championship between the Outer Banks’ Duck Village Outfitters and Wrightsville Beach’s Sweetwater Surf Shop in the final. The skills of former WCT competitor Ben Bourgeois made the difference as Sweetwater successfully defended its 2013 regional championship with the victory to earn the top prize of a trip to Central America to compete in the OSSC National Championships.
