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TED SMITH WINS RODEWAY INN CASH PRIZE AND BECOMES 2004 MARYLAND STATE SURFING CHAMPION

OCEAN CITY, MD --September 5, 2004-- More than 100 surfers from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia competed in the 2004 Maryland State Surfing Championships held at 47th Street in Ocean City, Md. on Saturday, September 4 and Sunday, September 5. Surfers vied for the title of Maryland State Surfing Champion and a $500 cash prize donated by the Rodeway Inn Oceanfront at 29th Street in Ocean City, Md. This was the first event in the history of the Eastern Surfing Association's Maryland District to ever offer cash prizes to its competitors. The Rodeway Inn Oceanfront prize was split among the highly contested open Shortboard division as follows; $200 - 1st place, $100 - 2nd place, $75 - 3rd place, 50 - 4th place, $40 - 5th place and $35 - 6th place.

Swells from Hurricane Francis provided surf conditions that ranged from waist-high to head-high on Saturday, while a strong northeast wind created overhead storm surf for the Open division on Sunday. Open competitors battled strong currents while paddling through pounding shorebreak to make it into the large peaky surf while judges, spectators and contest officials tried to stay dry under the large competition tent during the torrential wind-driven downpours that kept passing over the contest site.

Offering the Rodeway Inn Oceanfront prize created an extremely competitive Open Shortboard final with a very close finish for first place. Ted Smith of Ocean City, Md. squeaked by Hunter Merritt of Chinqoteague, Va. for the title of 2004 Maryland State Surfing Champion. The spectacular nose riding performance of Wyatt Harrison during the Open Longboard final in storm surf conditions amazed the spectators and earned Harrison the title of 2004 Maryland State Longboard Champion. Seasoned competitors Jen Abrams of Seaford, De. and Jake Buchler of Fenwick Island, De. took the titles of 2004 Maryland State Womens Surfing Champion and 2004 Maryland State Bodyboard Champion respectively.

Complete contest results follow for the 2004 Maryland State Surfing Championships. For more information on the Maryland district of the Eastern Surfing Association please visit www.marylandesa.org.

Open Shortboard - Rodeway Inn Oceanfront Prize (all ages)
1. Ted Smith (2004 Maryland State Surfing Champion) - $200 Rodeway Inn Oceanfront Prize
2. Hunter Merritt - $100 Rodeway Inn Oceanfront Prize
3. Art Baltrotsky - $75 Rodeway Inn Oceanfront Prize
4. Gatey Dawkins - $50 Rodeway Inn Oceanfront Prize
5. Clifton Rogers - $40 Rodeway Inn Oceanfront Prize
6. Keith White - $35 Rodeway Inn Oceanfront Prize

Open Longboard (all ages)
1. Wyatt Harrison (2004 Maryland State Longboard Champion)
2. Art Baltrotsky
3. Ted Smith
4. Jake Buchler
equal 5. Eric Kurzbard
equal 5. Mark Harrell

Open Bodyboard (all ages)
1. Jake Buchler (2004 Maryland State Bodyboard Champion)
2. Ted Smith
3. Ryan Schneider
4. Caleb Buchler
equal 5. Eric Kurzbard
equal 5. Ryan Bounds

Open Womens Shortboard (all ages)
1. Jen Abrams (2004 Maryland State Womens Surfing Champion)
2. Jenna Ruppert
3. Hannah Preziosi
4. Bonnie Preziosi
5. Ali Faucher

Menehune Shortboard (boys/girls 11 & under)
1. Caleb Buchler
2. Brady Dashiell
3. Jeffery Vitak
4. Anthony Montegue
5. Ben Clark

Boys Shortboard (12-14)
1. Jake Buchler
2. Aviad Sasi
3. Chase Remington
4. Matt Meinhardt
5. Justin Weismiller
6. Dillon Harrington

Jr. Men Shortboard (15-17)
1. Vince Boulanger
2. Wyatt Harrison
3. Mike Lawson
4. Walden Remington
5. Ian Tilghman
6. J.T. Hazard

Men Shortboard (18-24)
1. Hunter Merritt
2. Ted Smith
3. Fletcher Birch
4. Clifton Rogers
5. Adam Antes
6. Kevin Daisey

Masters Shortboard (25-34)
1. Brian Kohut
2. Mark Harrell
3. Keith White
4. Drex Harrington
5. Will Smith
6. Brandon Noelte

Sr. Mens Shortboard (35-44)
1. Art Baltrotsky
2. Eric Kurzbard
3. Chris Vaxmonsky
4. Craig Garfield

Grandmasters Shortboard
1. Chris Tilghman
2. Scott Webb
3. Jon Ashton

Legends Shortboard (55-64)
1. Bill Helmuth
2. Jeff Phillips
3. Charlie Birch

Jr. Women Shortboard (15-17)
1. Hannah Preziosi
2. Jenna Ruppert

Women Shortboard (18-29)
1. Jen Abrams
2. Ali Faucher

Sr. Womens Shortboard (30+)
1. Bonnie Preziosi
2. Pat Gentry

Menehune Bodyboard (boys/girls 14 & under)
1. Jake Buchler
2. Caleb Buchler
3. Wil Heuring
4. Matt Meinhardt
5. Nick Leonard
6. Justin Weismiller

Jr. Bodyboard (15-17)
1. Taylor Ballard
2. Mike Lawson
3. Michael Marciano

Mens Bodyboard (18+)
1. Ryan Schneider
2. Ted Smith
3. Eric Kurzbard

Womens Bodyboard (all ages)
1. Alicia Osborn
2. Emily Firor

Menehune Longboard (boys/girls 14 & under)
1. Jake Buchler
2. Chris Dashiell
3. Will Heuring
4. Aviad Sasi
5. Nick Hogan
6. Justin Weismiller

Jr. Longboard (15-17)
1. Wyatt Harrison
2. Mike Lawson
3. Logan Helmuth
4. Vince Boulanger
5. J.T. Hazard
6. Taylor Ballard

Mens Longboard (18-29)
1. Ted Smith
2. Chris Makibbin
3. Baptiste Buchler

Masters Longboard (30-39)
1. Eric Kurzbard
2. Craig Garfield

Sr. Longboard (40-49)
1. Chris Tilghman
2. Art Baltrotsky
3. Chris Vaxmonsky

Legends Longboard (50+)
1. Jon Ashton
2. Bill Helmuth
3. Scott Webb
4. Charlie Birch
5. Roger Wolleyhan
6. George Smith

Womens Longboard (under 29)
1. Hannah Preziosi
2. Jenna Ruppert
3. Sarah Clark

Sr. Womens Longboard (30+)
1. Bonnie Preziosi

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 Maryland District of the Eastern Surfing Association contact:

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