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Nags Head, North Carolina (November 18, 2018) – After two days of competition among the East Coast’s best surfing talent, USA Surfing announced the winners of its East Coast Prime Series event held this weekend in the Outer Banks. More than 80 of the best under 18 surfers from Florida to New York competed at Jennette’s Pier for points that cumulatively determine rankings and a chance to compete at USA Surfing's national championships.

As Winter Storm Avery moved up the coast, she left some fair-sized waves and chilly conditions. Making it to the finals required being in position and finding waves with enough face for higher-scoring maneuvers. 

Highlights included Florida’s Ava McGowan earning the highest scoring wave for girls with an 8. McGowan also had the highest heat total of 15.67. Virginia Beach’s Blayr Barton had the highest scoring wave (9.23). The highest heat total of 16.4 was earned by Tommy Coleman of Vero Beach, Florida with an 8.83 and 7.57.  

The Nags Head Prime event is the second stop in the East Coast USA Surfing Prime series. USA Surfing’s Prime Series is a nine-stop, cross-country tour created to bridge the gap young surfers experience when working to make the leap from pro junior competition to next-level competition opportunities, including a position on the USA Surfing national teams, the World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series and potentially the Olympics and WSL Championship Tour. 

Results are as follows:  

Girls U16

1st  Zoe Benedetto, Palm City, Fla.

2nd Ava McGowan,New Smyrna, Fla.

3rd  Sarah Abbott, Palm Beach, Fla. 

4th  Bree Labiak, Conway, S.C.

Girls U18

1st  Ava McGowan,New Smyrna, Fla.

2nd Eden Lange, Cocoa Beach, Fla. 

3rd  Jasmine Gailey, Melbourne Beach, Fla.

4th  Bree Labiak, Conway, S.C.

Boys U18

1st  Blake Speir, Melbourne Beach, Fla.

2nd Tommy Coleman, Vero Beach, Fla. 

3rd  Blayr Barton, Virginia Beach, Va.

4th  Ryan Huckabee, Flagler Beach, Fla.

Boys U16

1st  Ryan Huckabee, Flagler Beach, Fla.

2nd Blayr Barton, Virginia Beach, Va.

3rd  William Heddleston, Cocoa Beach, Fla. 

4th  Cole Deveney, Manasquan, N.J. 

Boys U14

1st   CJ Mangio, Long Island, N.Y.

2nd  Kendrick Remahl, Carolina Beach, N.C.

3rd  Seamus Carey, Linwood, N.J. 

4th  Logan Radd, Satellite Beach, Fla. 

The Prime Series provides surfers with a competitive experience similar to WSL pro events with professional WSL/ISA judges and announcers, four-person heats using priority, and computer scoring. 

Several current WSL pro surfers honed their competitive skills through USA Surfing’s Prime Series. Former East Coaster 16-year-old Caroline Marks, currently ranked No. 6 in the WSL, qualified for the Championship Tour while still competing in the Prime Series. Other greats include 2018 US Open champions Courtney Conlogue and Kanoa Igarashi, 2nd-ranked Lakey Peterson, 10th-ranked Conner Coffin, 11th-ranked Kolohe Andino, and 20th-ranked Griffin Colapinto.

“The Prime Series celebrates its 10thanniversary this year,” USA Surfing CEO and Prime Series co-founder Greg Cruse said. “It has been such a privilege to watch these athletes grow and progress. This strong pipeline of U.S. talent will be exciting to watch as surfing makes its 2020 Olympic debut.” USA Surfing is the National Governing Body for the sport of surfing in the Olympics.

The first stop in the East Coast Prime Series was in Atlantic City last month. The Got Milk Prime Series continues in venues across the country including: 

• December 8 – 9, 2018 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event, Salt Creek, Dana Point, Calif.
• January 13 – 14, 2019 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event – Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz, Calif.
• January 26 – 27, 2019 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event – Satellite Beach, Fla. 
• February 9 – 10, 2019 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event – Huntington Beach Pier, Calif.
• March 2 – 3, 2019 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event and East Coast Junior Team Training – New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
• May 4 – 5, 2019 – USA Surfing Prime Junior Event – West Coast location TBD

The series culminates with USA Surfing Championshipsin June – the pinnacle competition with 250 of the nation’s top surfers competing for national titles and spots on the USA Surfing team at one of the world’s best surf breaks – Lower Trestles.  

Contact: becky (at) usasurfing (dot) org

USA Surfing is the National Governing Body for surfing in the United States, recognized by the International Surfing Association (ISA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USA Surfing’s mission is to promote and grow the sport of surfing and support United States athletes of all backgrounds to achieve sustained competitive excellence in Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American competition. USA Surfing will oversee and support America’s Olympic team as surfing makes its debut in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and surfing and stand-up paddleboarding athletes compete in the 2019 Pan American Games.

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