Dedrick.jpg	JR_Start.jpg	JT_Hazard.jpg	Waldon.jpg	Womens_Champ.jpg

RUPPERT AND BIRCH TAKE MARYLAND STATE SURFING TITLES

OCEAN CITY, MD The Eastern Surfing Association hosted the 2003 Maryland State Surfing Championships this past weekend, Sept. 30, at 47th Street in Ocean City, MD, with surfers from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware and Florida vying for Maryland State Titles in twenty three surfing and bodyboarding competition divisions. With the first impressive surf in the last two weeks, the 2'-3' wind chop south swell made the day's competition exciting, and held up throughout the long hot day with the help of a moderate southwest breeze. Several days of west winds had once again caused an upwelling of cold ocean water to drop the ocean temperature in to the mid sixties once again.

Jenna Ruppert, of Selbyville, DE gave a surprise come from behind performance in the Open Womens Surfing division to upset defending Champion Jen Abrams, of Seaford, DE and take the 2003 Maryland State Womens Surfing Champion title.

Taking a loss in an early round, defending Maryland State Surfing Champion Ted Smith, of Ocean City, MD, fell to the wayside and opened up the hotly contested Open Surfing Division for a fierce battle in the final between some of the area's highest ranking amateur surfers. On a roll, Fletcher Birch of Chincoteague, VA took the 2003 Maryland State Open Title and the Mens Surfing Division Title impressing the crowd and the judges with his fast, down the line style of surfing and strong maneuvers on the face of the waves.

Early in the day, the youngest competitors thrilled the beach with their fearless performances despite high tide conditions, strong current and crunching waves. In the Menehune Division (ages 11 and younger) the Harrington brothers, of Ocean City, ruled the day, with Dillon Harrington taking the Division Title and his younger brother Dallas taking second. Newcomer Avery Sieg took a solid third in the final, with another team of brothers, Ben and Noah Vaxmonsky finishing in 4th and 5th respectively.

Keeping alive the Maryland tradition of producing great bodyboarders, this division saw some new talent come out for the Maryland States, but in the end perennial favorite Taylor Ballard, of Salisbury, MD, took home the gold. New to the bodyboarding competitive scene, the brother team of Mackenzie and John Zink put up a challenge, with Mackenzie taking second in the division. Unchallenged in the Mens Bodyboard division, newcomer Ryan Schneider still put on an impressive show of maneuvers for the crowd and should help to build excitement next summer in this Maryland States division that has produced nationally ranked riders like Jay Reale and Brian Stoehr.

Compete results follow:

OPEN SURFING DIVISION -
1. Fletcher Birch 2003 MARYLAND STATE CHAMPION
2. Gatey Dawkins
3. Art Baltrotsky
4. Robbie Mears
5. Mike Dedrick
6. Brian West

OPEN WOMENS DIVISION
1. Jenna Ruppert 2003 MARYLAND STATE WOMENS CHAMPION
2. Jenn Abrams
3. Bonnie Preziosi
4. Hannah Preziosi
5. Elie Tilghman

MENEHUNE SURFING
1. Dillon Harrington
2. Dallas Harrington
3. Avery Sieg
4. Ben Vaxmonsky
5. Noah Vaxmonsky

BOYS SURFING
1. Taylor Ballard
2. Paul Kramer
3. Logan Helmuth
4. Vince Boulanger
5. Waldon Remington
6. Will Heuring

MENEHUNE BODYBOARD
1. Taylor Ballard
2. Mackenzie Zink
3. Paul Kramer
4. John Zink
5. Roy Rogan
6. Waldon Remington

GIRLS SURFING
1. Elie Tilghman

JUNIOR WOMEN SURFING
1. Jenna Ruppert
2. Hannah Preziosi

WOMENS SURFING
1. Jenn Abrams

SR WOMENS SURFING
1. Bonnie Preziosi

WOMENS BODYBOARDING
1. Alexis Zink
2. Lynda DelCastillo

JUNIOR MENS SURFING
1. Mike Detrick
2. Wyatt Harrison
3. J.T. Hazard
4. Ian Tilghman
5. Toby Gilbert
6. Mike Lawson

MENS SURFING
1. Fletcher Birch
2. Robbie Mears
3. Kevin Daisey
4. Clifton Rogers
5. Ted Smith
6. Gatey Dawkins

MASTERS SURFING
1. Chris Makibbin
2. Craig Garfield
3. Trenton Barnhardt

SR MENS SURFING
1. Art Baltrotsky
2. Chris Vaxmonsky
3. Wally Abrams
4. Ray Wimbrow

GRANDMASTERS SURFING
1. Chris Tilghman
2. Scott Webb
3. Josh Merritt
4. Bruce Krueger

LEGENDS SURFING
1. Jeff Phillips
2. Bill Helmuth
3. Charlie Birch

MENEHUNE LONGBOARD
1. Paul Kramer
2. Logan Helmuth
3. Chase Remington
4. Avery Sieg
5. Taylor Ballard
6. Waldon Remington

JUNIOR LONGBOARD
1. Wyatt Harrison
2. Mike Dedrick
3. Ian Tilghman
4. J.T. Hazard
5. Dean Jackson
6. Toby Gilbert

MENS LONGBOARD
1. Chris Makibbin
2. Ted Smith
3. Brian West

MASTERS LONGBOARD
1. Chris Vaxmonsky
2. Art Baltrotsky
3. Craig Garfield

SENIOR LONGBOARD
1. Wally Abrams

LEGENDS LONGBOARD
1. Charlie Birch
2. Josh Merritt
3. Scott Webb
4. Bill Helmuth
5. George Smith

WOMENS LONGBOARD
1. Hannah Preziosi
2. Jenn Abrams
3. Jenna Ruppert
4. Elie Tilghman

The Eastern Surfing Association (ESA), a non-profit, IRS tax-exempt corporation, is the largest amateur surfing organization in the world. It is dedicated to the sport of amateur surfing, to the operation of a program of amateur competition for surfers of all ages and abilities, and to the establishment and preservation of free access to a clean shoreline and ocean environment. The association’s activities are organized in a total of twenty-eight districts, which extend along nearly 2,000 miles of coastline, stretching from Maine through the Gulf Coast of Florida and Alabama and also around the Great Lakes.

For more information about the Eastern Surfing Association contact:

Art Baltrotsky
Maryland ESA District Director
Tumbling Monkeys
314 N. Main Street
Berlin, MD 21811
410-641-3329
art@tumblingmonkeys.com