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OCEAN CITY MARYLAND SURFER IAN TILGMAN RECEIVES IRON MAN AWARD AT REGIONAL SURFING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Some of the best surfers from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia travelled to Folly Beach, SC to win fourteen awards at the 2006 Mid-Atlantic Regional Surfing Championships international competition, May 5-7. After traveling eleven hours to the competition site, surfers were greeted with warm, sunny weather, 75 degree water, and disappointing tiny surf. Even though Delmarva surfers dominate and are often feared by their competitors in big wave contests, they still managed to score big in the pitifully small waves.
Ocean City, Maryland surfer Ian Tilghman received one of the most prestigiuos awards of the entire competition, the Junior Iron Man Award. Tilghman's superior performance in three of the most competitive surfing divisions granted him this honorable title. Jake Buchler of Roxana, Delaware, once again took first place in the Menehune Bodyboard division (ages 14 and under) while his younger brother Caleb Buchler received fourth place. The Buchler brothers also placed in the Open Bodyboard final (all ages). Former ESA All-Star Jenn Abrams of Seaford, Delaware out-surfed her competition for another first place finish in the Women shortboard division (ages 18-29). Art Baltrotsky of Berlin, Maryland, made it through multiple heats and two finals with second place in Senior Men (ages 35-44) and fourth place in Masters Longboard (ages 30-49)
In order to qualify for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Surfing Championships, Delmarva
surfers had to accumulate enough points in ten local competitions throughout
the year-long competition season. Only the top few competitors with the most
points from each age division received an invitation to compete in the regional
event. With four hundred and sixty-five competitors, the Mid-Atlantic Regional
Surfing Championships is the largest of three regional events on the east
coast. The Mid-Atlantic region spans from Delaware to Georgia and this year
includes Puerto Rico, the newest district in the Eastern Surfing Association.
Top surfers from all three regional events are qualified to compete in the
annual ESA Eastern Surfing Championships held in the Outer Banks, North Carolina
and the United States Surfing Championships in Hungtington Beach, California.
Delmarva surfers receiving awards at the 2006 Mid-Atlantic
Surfing Championships are:
Ian Tilghman of Ocean City, Maryland - Junior Iron Man Award
Jake Buchler of Frankford, Delaware - 1st place Menehune Bodyboard, 4th place
Open Bodyboard
Caleb Buchler of Frankford, Delaware - 4th place Menehune Bodyboard, 5th place
Open Bodyboard
Jenn Abrams of Seaford, Delaware - 1st place Women Shortboard
Art Baltrotsky of Berlin, Maryland - 2nd place Senior Men, 4th Masters Longboard
Justin Weismiller of Ocean City, Maryland - 4th place Junior Longboard
Brady Dashiell of Salisbury, Maryland - 4th place Menehune
Avery Sieg of Ocean Pines, Maryland - 6th place Menehune
Bill Helmuth of Ocean Pines, Maryland - 4th place Legends
Jenna Landon of Ocean Pines, Maryland - 5th place Girls
Charlotte Deck of Ocean City, Maryland - 6th place Girls
The next competition for the Delmarva District is the Quiet Storm Delaware State Surfing Championships at North Side Indian River Inlet, June 4-5. For more information on the Eastern Surfing Association, visit www.DelmarvaESA.org or call the toll-free contest hotline at 1-888-632-4742.