June Surfing Report

“Eastern Surfing Association Georgia District News”

by Joe Richardson

by Joe Richardson

ESA Contest Schedule for 2010:

The 2010 ESA-GA District surfing and bodyboarding contest schedule has been approved, and the first contest is coming soon.  Not only are these contests competitive for surfers of all ages and abilities, but they are the pathway leading to higher levels of competition at regional and national levels as well.  So the competition is for real.

But as most ESA participants (and their families) will tell you, the contests are more FUN than anything.  People wait for the schedule to come out, put those dates (Saturdays) on their calendars, and plan other weekends around those contest weekends.  If you haven’t participated in our GA District ESA contests before, I encourage you to give it a try.

Enjoy the camaraderie, the fun, and the rush of competition. For more information about our GA District ESA activities, see the facebook page: or email: surftybee@aol.com

So, here are the dates and sign-in times for the 2010 contest season.  Contests are usually held near 17th Street.

June 19th   8:30
July 17th    7:30
July 31st    7:30
Aug 14th   7:00
Sept 11th   7:00
Oct 2nd     10:00
Oct 16th    10:00

Skim Boarding Contest

The 7th annual 17th SB Skim Contest is teaming up this year with Skim Invasion for the “Tybee Island Take Over 2010” skim board contest.  This will also be on Saturday, June 19th, from 9am til 7pm.  Contest site will be either the North Beach jetty or 2nd Street.  For more information Check the Facebook Event Page at: facebook.com. Also, check out Skim Invasion’s website to see the list of great prizes they are going to be awarding.  This is big-time skim boarding competition coming to Tybee.  Skim Invasion’s website is: skiminvasion.com/events/contests/tybee-island/. See you there on Saturday!!!

Important Announcement

A quick and important announcement before getting into the June surfing report.  On Saturday morning, June 19th (before the ISD and ESA events get underway) at 9:30am, all members and friends of the Tybee surfing community are invited to participate in a PADDLE OUT in memory of one of our surfing family members, Charles Pidgeon, who passed away last winter.  Please gather on the beach near 17th Street a few minutes before 9:30am, and feel free to bring some flowers for the paddle out circle.  Whether you knew Charles or not, you are invited to participate in this traditional surfers’ ceremony for one of our surfer brothers or sisters.

June Surfing Update

Those pesky Lions Mane jellyfish have finally dwindled, and now we should have a few months of warm water and pleasant surfing conditions before the Sea Wasps show up in late July and early August.  Late May also brought a few days of head-high surf while a low-pressure system sat offshore for awhile.  During some afternoons of that week there were 50-70 surfers in the water at any one time down at South Beach.  Hopefully this is just the beginning of a good surfing summer.  With the crowds, though, be considerate of others, including swimmers, and wear a leash.  And a quick congratulations to Josh Richardson who was recently notified that he has earned a slot and has been invited to surf in the Surfing America USA Championships in the Junior Longboard division, June 19-28, at Huntington Beach and Lower Trestles, California.

International Surfing Day Celebration, Saturday June 19th

Tybee’s annual surfing “event” is coming up this month, International Surfing Day.  The Coastal Georgia Low Country Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation will be sponsoring our ISD celebration on Saturday, June 19th, on the beach between 17th and 18th Street.  Some national sponsors will be providing some goodies, but the real stars of our celebration are our local supporters, partners and sponsors.  Many of them will be bringing and providing equipment for us to try out in our Tybee Surf.  Others are providing services both off and on the beach, like lessons and sponsoring activities.  Some will be giving away samples.  And others will be providing and distributing information of interest to surfers and non-surfers.  So there will be plenty for everyone.  Celebrate “the longest day of the year” in the surf on beautiful, healthy Tybee Beach!

The Coastal Georgia Low Country Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation would like to thank in advance the long list of supporters and sponsors for our 2010 International Surfing Day Celebration.

These are the people and businesses that make our celebration happen:

Tybee Island Marine Science Center – displaying common beach animals
Eastern Surfing Association Georgia District – providing PA equipment and contest
North Island Surf and Kayak – providing kayaks, SUP’s and instruction
Photography by Joey Wilson – providing professional photography for our surfers year-round
Tybee Island YMCA – providing surfing lessons and boards
Underground Boardworks – providing boards (and probably some surprises!)
Coastal Environmental Analysis – providing publicity and computer/printing services
High Tide Surf Shop – providing surf boards, SUP’s, and other equipment for use
The Tybee Times – providing professional print and electronic publicity
Savannah Bee Company – providing some delicious give-aways (don’t miss these)
Smart Girls Who Surf – providing skin care and sunscreen information and samples
Tubby’s Tank House – provides the Surfriders with a place to meet every month
Yoga With Christine – providing yoga on the beach
Surf-Vival Reef Friendly Sunscreens – providing sunscreen samples and skin care information
Half Moon Outfitters – providing equipment and displays and instruction

For more information visit: surfesa.org, or call: 912-897-6651,

by Joe Richardson

April brought us some warmer weather, warming water temperatures (thank goodness), some surprisingly good swells during the last week of April, and lots of Lion’s Mane jellyfish!  These jellyfish are our typical late winter-time jellies.  So I’m guessing that because of our long colder-than-normal winter water temperatures, and now rapidly warming water, the Lion’s Mane “season” has been shortened and concentrated.  Luckily, their “sting” is pretty mild, and to me is more of an “irritation” than a sting.  You know you’ve been hit, but it’s not enough to bring you out of the water.

With the warming water and pleasant air temperature in late April and now May, surfers are wearing everything from full suits to “skinning it.”  During the last week of April when a surprisingly good swell lasted for a few days, you could see surfers wearing the full range at any one time.  Hopefully now that May is here, we can put away all the neoprene for a while.  Of course we do have to go through a few sessions with a fresh new batch of skin “abrasions” as we get back into boardshorts, bikinis and rash guards.  It’s a price most of us are willing to pay for not having to wrestle in and out of a wetsuit.

International Surfing Day, June 19th at Tybee
Plans are taking shape for a great 2010 International Surfing Day Celebration on Tybee Island.  This year’s celebration will be on Saturday, June 19th, on the beach between 17th and 18th Street.  A full day of activities are planned thanks to local supporters and partners.  The Surfrider Foundation Coastal Georgia Low Country Chapter is organizing the celebration, and joining them are a number of local sponsors and supporters including:  Underground Boardworks Surfshop, High Tide Surfshop, North Island Surf and Kayak, Yoga With Christine, Joey Wilson Photography, Coastal Environmental Analysis, Tybee Island Marine Science Center, Tybee Island YMCA, Georgia District Eastern Surfing Association and The Tybee Times.  If you would like to join this list of local supporters, please contact the Surfrider Foundation through their website at: http://www.surfrider.org/coastalgeorgia.
We will soon be announcing dates for Georgia District ESA surfing and body boarding contests for the 2010 season. The Eastern Surfing Association Georgia District has submitted to the City of Tybee Island a list of tentative dates for permission to hold the 2010 GA District ESA surfing and body board contests. These dates will not be official until approved by the City, so tune in next month for the official list.

Who’s Going to VA Beach, May 13-16?
Some of the top competitive surfers in our area will be representing our Eastern Surfing Association Georgia District in the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship that will be held this year at Virginia Beach.  These surfers have earned slots in this invitation-only regional competition that will include the top surfers from the east coast from Delaware through Georgia.  Not only will they be seeking regional honors, they will be surfing to advance in rankings high enough to earn invitations to the “Easterns,” which is the East Coast Championship for the ESA that will be held in September at Cape Hatteras, NC.

Jeff and Tara Mosley (GA District Directors) will helping to run the Regional Championship contest.  Jeff will be the announcer throughout the 4-day event, and Tara will be involved in tabulating judges’ scores and determining results.  We wish these folks the best of luck, and we look forward to seeing them again this year during our Georgia District contests:

Conrad Fonseca – Boys Shortboard
Josh Richardson – Junior Mens Shortboard, Junior Longboard, and Open Shortboard
Joey Crook – Mens Shortboard and Open Shortboard
Rolando Gamboa – Masters Shortboard

by Joe Richardson

by Joe Richardson

Local Surfers Invited to ESA Mid-Atlantic Championships, Virginia Beach

Several of the Eastern Surfing Association Georgia District surfers have earned invitations to and slotted positions in the ESA’s Mid Atlantic Regional Surfing Championships.  This year, the Mid Atlantic Regionals will be held at Virginia Beach, VA, during a 4 day period in mid May.  Our Georgia District surfers being invited and their divisions, based on their performances during the 2009 district contest season are:

Noah Mosely – Menehunes
James Urbin – Boys
Josh Richardson – Junior Men
Ben Thompson – Men
Rolando Bamboa – Masters
Montee Coursey – Senior Men
Randall Kato – Grand Masters
Jimmy Manning – Legends
Jennifer Wittendorf – Women
William Urbin – Menehune Longboard
Josh Richardson – Junior Longboard
Ben Thompson – Mens Longboard
Joey Crook – Mens Longboard
Atsushi Yamada – Masters Longboard
Joe Richardson – Legends Longboard
Jennifer Wittendor – Womens Longboard
Josh Richardson – Open (all ages)
Ben Thompson – Open (all ages)

International Surfing Day Celebration, June 19th

Plans are being made for the 2010 International Surfing Day Celebration on Tybee Island.  This year’s celebration will be on Saturday, June 19th, on the beach between 17th and 18th Street.  A full day of activities are planned thanks to local supporters and partners.

The Surfrider Foundation Coastal Georgia Low Country Chapter is organizing the celebration, and joining them are a number of local sponsors and supporters including:  Underground Boardworks Surf Shop, High Tide Surf Shop, North Island Surf and Kayak, Yoga With Christine, Joey Wilson Photography, Coastal Environmental Analysis, Tybee Island Marine Science Center, Tybee Island YMCA, Georgia District Eastern Surfing Association and The Tybee Times.  If you would like to join this list of local supporters, please contact the Surfriders through their website:   http://www.surfrider.org/coastalgeorgia

by Joe Richardson

March 2010 Surfing Report
March sure does sound better than February.  After this colder-than-I-can-remember winter, we can sure hope that spring will not only bring waves, but also some milder weather.  This past winter, not only was it cold, with below average winter water temperature, but it has also been pretty flat.  Spring has just got to be better!  With this optimistic view, plans are being made for a number of events and activities of interest to surfers and other beach sportsmen and watermen.  Although the surfing seems a bit slow right now, there is actually a good bit of things going on.

Eastern Surfing Association Georgia District
Before long, the Eastern Surfing Association Georgia District will be developing its schedule of surfing and bodyboarding contests for 2010.  Many of the ESA-GA District surfers are already preparing themselves for their next level of competition – the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships.  This spring, the Regionals will be in Virginia Beach in mid May.  As time gets closer and the group of surfers representing our district is selected, we will announce their names.  In the mean time, be watching for our own ESA Georgia District 2010 contest schedule.

The ESA-GA District is proud to have one of its members on the prestigious ESA All Star Team, Josh Richardson, for 2010.  Josh, along with other All Star Team members, were publicly announced and introduced to the surfing industry during the January Surf Expo in Orlando during January.  He has already taken part in a training session at New Smyrna Inlet, and has a busy competition schedule during the remaining part of this winter and into spring including: “Daytona Longboard Classic” (pro and amateur), the ESA and Texas Gulf Surfing Association sponsored “East Coast Scholastic Championships” at New Smyrna Inlet, and the National Scholastic Surfing Association’s “East Coast Championships” at Sebastian Inlet.

Surfrider Foundation Coastal Georgia Low Country Chapter
The next Surfrider meeting will be Monday evening, March 15th.  Unless otherwise announced, meetings will be on the third Monday of each month at Tubby’s Restaurant in Thunderbolt, starting at 7:00pm.  If you currently do not receive email notices of Surfrider Foundation meetings, but would like to, just check the Coastal Georgia Low Country Surfrider Foundation website, www.surfrider.org/coastalgeorgia for updates and how to get involved.  Among other things, the local Surfrider Chapter will be involved in the consideration of plans to place sediments dredged from the Savannah River into the nearshore waters off Tybee Island.  The next Surfrider Adopt A Highway litter pick-up along Highway 80, just west of Lazaretto Creek Bridge, is scheduled for March 27th.  If you would like to help clean the path to Tybee and intercept some debris before it makes its way to the beach, plan to join the Surfriders at the Lazaretto Creek boat ramp Saturday morning, March 27th.

International Surfing Day Celebration on Tybee will be June 19th
Mark your calendars for our International Surfing Day 2010 Celebration, Saturday, June 19.  Plans are already being made for a full, fun day at Tybee Island to celebrate surfing, skimming, standup paddling, bodyboarding, kayaking, and other beach activities.  Soon, an ISD website will be created with specific information about our events, activities, sponsors and partners.  If you or your business would like to be involved in this annual beach celebration, please contact the Coastal Georgia Low Country Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation.

Shore Bird and Beach Water Quality Study Update
The GA DNR supported study being conducted by the City of Tybee Island regarding possible impacts of shore birds on beach water quality is currently well underway.  In late January, members and supporters of the Coastal Georgia Low Country Surfrider chapter assisted in gathering information and data during the first (of eight) beach samplings.  Dr. Joe Richardson of Coastal Environmental Analysis trained the volunteers on setting up 100m long transects along two sections of beach and gathering shore bird data.  Following the beach data-gathering study conducted at low tide, water samples were collected from both study areas every 2 hours for the following 10 hours.  If you are interested in helping and participating in this research project, contact Dr. Richardson at joe@ceasurf.com.

Photos: Surfrider Foundation team receiving instructions from Chairperson, Joey Wilson; volunteers measuring 100 meter transects through intertidal zones, and counting shore bird deposits.

February 2010 Surfing Report

Jim Stephens: Making More Than Just Boards On Tybee by Joe Richardson

It’s been said before that the Tybee surfing community is lucky to have a local surfboard shaper and repairer.  But we are more than lucky, we are very fortunate that Jim Stephens happens to be our local shaper.  In fact, it’s fair to say that the heart of our local surfing community is Mr. Jim and his Underground Boardworks Surfshop.  For many folks, part of their trip out to Tybee for a few hours of surfing includes a stop, either on the way out or on their way back home, at Underground Boardworks (UGB) and a brief visit with Jim.  More likely than not, he is in his board shaping shop working to complete someone’s new board or repairing somebody’s ding.  Even on days when a trip out to Tybee isn’t in the plans, many local surfers and beachgoers will pull up Jim’s website just to see how Mr. Jim describes the daily surf forecast for the entertainment value alone!

Jim Stephens has been making surfboards for about 20 years, beginning by making them for himself and friends on a part-time basis.  Early on, Jim crafted boards in a small shaping and glassing room out on Dean Forest Road.  He would work awhile, blow the foam dust off his clothes, and go to work for an airline company out at the airport.  Before long, he was making boards for the “Alakai” surfboard label, and actually constructed the last few boards produced by Alakai.  Some of them are still around (there’s one in Atsushi’s quiver).  In 1999, Clay Culvert of Alakai told Jim of a garage available for rent on Tybee behind Huc-a-Poos where he might set up his own workshop; and from there, Underground Boardworks was born.  UGB was just that workshop until 2004 when an actual retail shop on the back side of Huc-a-Poos opened and Jim retired from the airlines.  Following the fire at Hucapoos in 2006, UGB moved across the parking lot to its present location.

Over the years, Jim has hand crafted about 800 surfboards.  Presently he is making around 8 boards per month.  There is no computer designing or pre-formed blanks involved in an UGB board.  Every one of Jim’s board is totally hand shaped from large foam blanks, cut and shaped by hand, diligently sanded, examined from all angles, and smoothed to perfection.  On the other side of his workshop, the board is hand glassed and painted.  Jim’s boards are built to last and don’t include cheap, thin glassing jobs that are common of many mass-produced surfboards.  That is one reason that you see so many UGB boards not only on Tybee but up and down the east coast now days.

Jim’s philosophy regarding surfboards reflects his philosophy regarding surfing: fun and enjoyable.  He makes “good, clean, functional boards” that work, are easy to surf, and designed with Tybee’s waves and those for most of the southeast coast in mind.  As an avid surfer himself, who has surfed all over the world, he knows what works here.  He makes lots of boards for the average surfer who is more interested in getting lots of rides rather than struggling to catch our size waves on a high performance board.  It’s all about fun, catching waves, and enjoying your surfing trip, according to Jim.  It’s no surprise that he has lots of repeat business and orders. Don’t get the idea that Jim makes just your standard surfboard.  He is constantly innovating.

More than once, I’ve waited to talk to Jim while he was on the phone with some well known, famous shaper in Hawaii or California discussing new designs, techniques or materials.  He was one of the first to produce epoxy boards (I’ve still got one of the first of those he made).  He’s been adding bamboo decks to some of his latest designs.  Just recently back from the surfing industry’s large trade show/convention Surf Expo, Jim noted that more and more of the larger board companies are now making shorter, wider, thicker shortboards for east coast surfing.  Jim has been doing that for at least a couple of years.

It’s not just his craftsmanship, though, that makes Jim Stephens and UGB the heart of our local surfing community.  He has been deeply involved in most of everything that has happened over the past 10 years.  Jim was one of the founding members of our local Surfrider Foundation Coastal Georgia Low Country Chapter a few years ago.  With his support and efforts, Tybee has hosted “International Surfing Day” in June the past few years.  People still talk about the great October beach and surfing day enjoyed by many a few years ago when Tybee celebrated its birthday.  That was Jim’s doing.   He has been a strong and constant supporter of our Georgia District Eastern Surfing Association surfers and organization, and has many times donated a new, hand crafted surfboard for them to use as a fund raiser.

Over the last year, our surfing community has held a couple of paddle outs in memory of some members we have lost: Tim Fuller and Ashley Mosely.  Jim was behind the organizing of these special ceremonies.  Probably more than any other single person, Jim Stephens is responsible for the “community” of our Tybee surfing community.

We are more than lucky, we are very fortunate indeed.

You can learn more about Georgia District Eastern Surfing Association by calling 912-897-6651, or e-mailing surftybee@aol.com, or by visiting: surfesa.org.

ISLAND SPORTS WRAP-UP

Happy New Year!  Looking back and looking ahead
December’s surfing was mixed, with a few nice surprises of some good days, and some of them provided a few hours of clean moderately sized waves.  Although the water is now definitely cold, we had a more gradual temperature decline compared to last year’s fall and winter.  This, added to a fair share of December days in the 70’s helped to prolong the fall surfing season, and provides some hope that maybe January and February will give us some surprises of nice beach days with some clean waves.  For those who are looking way ahead, the first predictions for the 2010 hurricane season call for 11-16 named storms with 6-8 of those becoming hurricanes.  With these numbers, Dr. Gray is predicting an above average hurricane season for 2010.  In the mean time, now that the holiday season has wound down and we are a bit particular about whether it’s worth climbing into a wet suit for a few hours, this is a good time to think about talking to Mr. Jim at Underground Boardworks about a board for spring.

Surfriders Participate in Water Quality Research
The City of Tybee Island was recently awarded a grant from the GA Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program to study possible sources of bacteria pollution in Tybee’s beach water (see article in this edition of the Tybee Times).  A key component of this study will be the participation of volunteers from our local Surfrider Foundation Coastal Georgia Low Country Chapter in field work and the collection of field data.  As a part of this study, one of the possible causes of beach water bacteria that will be investigated is shore birds that congregate on the wet intertidal sand during low tide.  The Surfrider volunteers will be comparing sections of beach that have lots of birds with sections that have fewer birds.  Water samples from these areas will be collected from both areas as the tide rises and falls, and the samples will be analyzed for bacteria concentrations.  If you are interested in participating and helping the Surfriders with the field work, contact Joe Richardson at: joe@ceasurf.com.  For more information about the Surfrider Foundation Coastal Georgia Low Country Chapter, visit their website at: www.surfrider.org/coastalgeorgia. The next Surfrider Foundation Coastal Georgia Low Country Chapter meeting is Monday evening, January 25th,
at 7:00 pm, at Tubby’s Restaurant in Thunderbolt.

Eastern Surfing Association Georgia District 2009 Season Wrap Up and Champions
The Eastern Surfing Association Georgia District held it 2009 Awards Banquet at the Tybee American Legion Building in December with a Mexican Fiesta theme for the affair.  Raffle prizes, plenty of good food, and lots of fun prevailed throughout the event hosted by GA District Directors Tara and Jeff Mosley.  Supporters for the awards banquet and the 2009 GA District surfing season included:  The City of Tybee Island, Underground Boardworks Surf Shop, The Quarter Sports Grill, Spanky’s Beachside, Jim & Jimi Goodlett, Coastal Environmental Analysis, Joe & Jackie Richardson, Joey Wilson and photographybyjoeywilson.com, The Tybee Breeze, The Tybee Times, and The American Legion Post 154.  Joey Wilson took lots of pictures, and they can be seen at: http://www.photographybyjoeywilson.com/Galleries/Surfing-and-Skim-Boarding/GA-District-ESA-Year-End.

You can learn more about Georgia District Eastern Surfing Association by visiting:surfesa.org,
or by calling 912-897-6651, or by e-mailing surftybee@aol.com

ISLAND SPORTS WRAP-UP

The Eastern Surfing Association Georgia District 2009 final standings and champions were:

OPEN SHORTBOARD (ALL AGES)

Josh Richardson 1st,  Wilmington Island, GA
Benjamin Thompson 2nd,  Savannah, GA
Joey Crook 3rd,  Tybee Island, GA
Vaughn Keener 4th,  Wilmington Island, GA
Jennifer Wittendorf 5th,  Tybee Island,GA
Mikey Sloan 6th,  Wilmington Island, GA

MENEHUNES (11 & UNDER)

Noah Mosely 1st ,  Tybee Island, GA
Alex Powers 2nd,  Wilmington Island, GA

BOYS (12-14)

James Urbin 1st,  Hilton Head Island, SC
William Urbin 2nd,  Hilton Head Island, SC
Conrad Fonseca 3rd, Wilmington Island, GA

JUNIOR MEN (15-17)

Josh Richardson 1st,  Wilmington Island, GA

MEN (18-24)

Ben Thompson 1st,  Savannah, GA
Joey Crook 2nd,  Tybee Island, GA
Vaughn Keener 3rd,  Wilmington Island, GA

MASTERS (25-34)

Rolando Gamboa 1st,  Savannah, GA
Mikey Sloan 2nd, Wilmington Island, GA
Chris Black 3rd,  Bluffton, SC

SENIOR MEN (35-44)

Montee Coursey 1st,  Savannah, GA

GRANDMASTERS (45-54)

Randall Kato 1st,  Hinesville, GA
Atsushi Yamada 2nd,  Savannah,GA
Johnny Thompson 3rd,  Guyton, GA

LEGENDS (55-64)

Jimmy Manning 1st,  Whitemarsh Island, GA
Joe Richardson 2nd,  Wilmington Island, GA

WOMEN (18-29)

Jennifer Wittendorf 1st,  Tybee Island, GA

MENEHUNE LONGBOARD (14 & UNDER)

William Urbin 1st,  Hilton Head Island, SC
John Solitario 2nd, Savannah, GA

JUNIOR LONGBOARD (15-17)

Josh Richardson 1st,  Wilmington Island, GA

MENS LONGBOARD (18-34)

Ben Thompson 1st,  Savannah, GA
Joey Crook 2nd,  Tybee Island, GA

MASTER LONGBOARD (35-49)

Atsushi Yamada 1st,  Savannah,GA

LEGENDS LONGBOARD (50 & OVER)

Joe Richardson 1st,  Wilmington Island, GA
Jimmy Manning 2nd,  Whitemarsh Island, GA
Randall Kato 3rd,  Hinesville, GA

WOMENS LONGBOARD (UNDER 30)

Jennifer Wittendorf 1st,  Tybee Island, GA