Longest running SUP surf contest returning to Wrightsville Beach
The Carolina Pro Am will take place Saturday and Sunday south of Crystal Pier on Wrightsville Beach from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — The longest running stand up surf contest in the world is happening this weekend in Wrightsville Beach bringing athletes from around the world to the Cape Fear.
The Carolina Pro Am will take place Saturday and Sunday south of Crystal Pier on Wrightsville Beach from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
One of the organizers of the event, Haywood Newkirk, came on Good Evening Wilmington Wednesday to talk about the contest.
The Wrightsville Beach Longboard Association approached Newkirk and Jason Colclough about having a Standup Division in their contest in about 2013. That evolved into the first Carolina Pro Am in 2014. Haywood said they have competitors from all over the world that come back year after year.
Newkirk said Wrightsville Beach has pretty consistent surf, a welcoming southern vibe and the competitors love the way the people in the Cape Fear spend so much time on the water; surfing, fishing, paddleboarding, etc. He said that’s what makes this event so popular each year.
“These are ocean people who love our “aquatic diversity,” Newkirk said. “Secondly, they love the way the contest is structured. It is a contest run by surfers for surfers. And we offer categories for all levels of skill. Everything from our ‘First Comp Division’ for beginners to our Pro divisions for both men and women.”
Newkirk said they also have a “SUP Squatch Division” which is a giant inflatable paddleboard. He said they send two teams out to compete against each other and best wave wins. He said they don’t really have rules in this division.
Every year, they give out the “Haywood Newkirk Sr. All Waterman Award”, which was named after your Newkirk’s father. Newkirk said his Pop was one of the first true watermen at Wrightsville Beach. He was head lifeguard, first mate of the Martha Ellen, Army Swim Team and surfed at WB in the early 50’s on an airplane wing. The award was created to honor the best overall surfer in the contest. At the end of the contes, they combine the men’s scores in Pro Longboard and Pro Short Board. Then, they combine the women’s scores in Pro Longbaord and Pro Shortboard. Whoever has the highest combined score is crowned the overall contest champion.
“One of the things that we are most proud of is the fact that Women have one the title 2 of the last 3 years,” Newkirk said.
The awards ceremony will be held on the pier at the Oceanic after the competition on Sunday Afternoon. You can go to Facebook and look at Carolina Pro Am and to get more details on how to register.
