ECSC credits sponsor with improved rating

George Alcaraz took over promotional duties for the East Coast Surfing Championships as general manager two years ago.

When Alcaraz approached Deepak Nachnani of Coastal Edge about sponsorships, he likely had no idea what the marriage would do for the world's second-oldest, continuous-running surfing competition.

"We made some changes that might not have been too popular back then," Alcaraz said Thursday. "One of our first goals was to get the (surfing) industry here. So I asked Dee if it would be possible to get maybe four companies here for the contest.

"He brought in 34 and we doubled the attendance from the previous year. Last year he brought in 45 companies and tripled the attendance. Wow!"

Nachnani's magic continued to shine Thursday, when officials announced that the 49th annual ECSC's event that takes place this August will be rated a 4-star competition by the Association of Surfing Professionals.

The ECSC's highest previous rating was a 2 in 2001.

With the higher rating comes bigger prize purses - with this summer's event handing out $115,000 in four pro divisions.

Nachnani was quick to divert the credit, pointing to his relationship with Steve Van Doren of Vans and a reason for the quick growth.

The last two years a large portion of the sand at ECSC looks like a surfing industry convention - which played a role in the new ranking.

"This event is recognized by the international surf industry," Nachnani said. "Now we can give back."

The new rating and higher payouts mean bigger names in the field of competitors.

But surfing director Paul West said organizers refuse to forget the amateur or entry-level professionals who have been the foundation of the ECSC.

Many are not ASP members and can't afford the higher entry fee of such events, West said.

"Doc (Taylor) and Tautog's Restaurant, through Bill Gambrel, have stepped up and supplied a $5,000 purse so we could make our Open Shortboard Division a non-ASP pro event," West said in a news release. "The winner will receive a wildcard slot into the ASP Vans Pro and have their ASP membership paid for.

"In addition, this division will receive an all-out throw-down at the restaurant where the athletes will have a chance to cut loose and collect their cash winnings. This is an example of hard-core, grass-roots community support."

West said the rest of the amateur portion of the surfing competition will remain the same as it has been in previous years.

Surf shop challenge

Sweetwater Surf Shop in Wrightsville Beach captured the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Oakley Surf Shop Challenge last weekend in Kitty Hawk.

In the final, Sweetwater pro Ben Bourgeois edged Coastal Edge's Michael Dunphy by .13 of a point to give the defending national champions the victory for the second straight year.

Coastal Edge, with Wes Laine, Lucas Rogers and Bryce Humphreys joining Dunphy as team members, finished second for the third-consecutive year.

"Second by a tenth of a point again," Laine said. "Judging is very subjective and it's almost not even definable between two rides that close. But I love the contest and the format - each shop having two pros and two employees battling it out."

Sweetwater will defend its national title against six other region winners later this year in California.

New record

The International Game Fish Association has certified an 8-pound, 5-ounce Alfonsino fish caught last fall by Kevin Wong as the initial all-tackle world record for the species.

Officials originally had thought the fish to be a Darwin's Slimehead and were in the process of approving it as such when biologists with the IGFA noticed it was a different species.

Wong caught the fish last October while deep-dropping the Norfolk Canyon with Capt. Michael Meredith on the Wave Runner.

Results

- From largemouth bass fishing tournaments held out of Bob's Fishing Hole on the Northwest River:

April 13 - 1. Mike Evans and Jeff Garnes, both of Virginia Beach, 3.63 total pounds (including the 2.72 lunker winner caught by Evans); 2. Mark London of Virginia Beach, 2.61.

April 20 - 1. Josh and Hunter Clark, both of Chesapeake, 6.93 total pounds (including the 3.5 lunker winner caught by Hunter Clark); 2. Al Napier and Bob Glass, both of Virginia Beach, 6.21; 3. Greg Dick of Chesapeake, 6.11.

- From the Tidewater Angler's Club freshwater tournament held on lakes Meade and Cahoon in Suffolk.

1. Branson Poulter, 3.26-pound chain pickerel; 2. Carl Herring, 2.86-pound chain pickerel; 3. Steve Harding, 2.74-pound chain pickerel.

Saltwater tournament leaders

Leaders are listed by species; angler, hometown; weight; location; citation in category

Blueline tilefish; Clifford Shuart, Marietta, Ga.; 13-14; Norfolk Canyon; 6

Speckled trout; Michael Whittaker, Chesapeake; 12-9; Elizabeth River; 42

Striped bass; James Greenwood, Chesapeake; 55-1; False Cape; 178

Tautog; Neal Taylor, Virginia Beach; 16-1; Traingle Wrecks; 29

This is the weekly 2010 Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament leaderboard. There have been 759 total entries so far - 255 for weighed fish and 504 for releases. New entries are in bold type. Of the releases, 3 was for shark (any species), 418 for speckled trout, 75 for striped bass and 8 for tautog. There have been no entries for black drum, bluefish, blue marlin, cobia, crevalle jack, croaker, dolphin, false albacore, flounder, gray triggerfish, gray trout, king mackerel, kingfish (sea mullet), pompano, red drum, sailfish, sea bass, sheepshead, Spanish mackerel, spearfish, swordfish, tarpon, true albacore, tuna (bluefin), tuna (all others), wahoo, white marlin. The contest is operated by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and is financed through the Chesapeake Bay recreational fishing license fund.