The ESA Pulls Out Of Surfing America
Justin Cote
- November 04 2009
- 319 views
- 19 comments
Eastern Surfing Association Board Of Directors Votes To Leave Surfing America
Lack of communication and deviation from bylaws contributes to disillusion of Surfing America by co-founder and world’s largest amateur surfing association
Virginia Beach, VA — November 4, 2009 — Eastern Surfing Association®, the 10,000 member governing body of amateur surfing for the East Coast of the United States, today announced their immediate withdrawal from Surfing America in an October 2009 Board of Directors vote. While the Eastern Surfing Association (ESA) continues to support their members who participate in Surfing America events, the secrecy with which Surfing America instilled the Surfing America Prime Series, without the input of the ESA, led to a majority vote to leave the national governing body of surfing. In contrast to the bylaws that govern Surfing America, the ESA had no input in the conception, creation, and execution of the Surfing America Prime events- three of which are being held on the East Coast of the United States.
Cape Hatteras during the ESA Championships. Photo: Bielmann/SPL
“Surfing America’s refusal to create an amateur surfing committee that included the ESA, which is in direct opposition to their stated organizational founding, created an unprecedented event that resulted in the rescinding of our inclusion in Surfing America,” stated Debbie Hodges, executive director of the Eastern Surfing Association. “While we would prefer to continue our involvement, the gall and lack of transparency demonstrated by Surfing America left our Board of Directors little choice in this matter.”
Surfing America’s continued refusal to provide ESA a voting stake, or input, with regards to the Surfing America Prime Series and other Surfing America-sanctioned competitions, resulted in the Board of Directors voting to remove support, contributions, and infrastructure to all aspects of Surfing America.
“As a founding member of Surfing America in 2004 our decision is not a knee-jerk reaction, nor is it one taken without significance,” stated Hodges. “The ESA believes in the foundation of a governing body for amateur surfing that is inclusive, credible and provides standards for amateurs of all ages across the nation- values that founded Surfing America. Their desire to voluntarily act in bold disregard to our involvement does not support the reasons which led ESA to co-found Surfing America and therefore, we can no longer be associated with their actions moving forward.”
About Eastern Surfing Association
Eastern Surfing Association (ESA), the largest amateur surfing association in the world established in 1967, is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, dedicated to promoting and preserving the spirit of surfing through their regional programs and through the support of 26 districts on the East Coast, Gulf Coast, Great Lakes and Puerto Rico. For more information about the ESA, please visit www.surfesa.org.
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November 5th, 2009 at 2:43 am
Surfing America should get out of the contest business, hunker down and focus on hand picking and training a gold medal winning team. The SA goal is to represent America at the ISA games with the best team assembled from US amateur organizations. SA knows long before the prime series who they want for the team and they don't hide it from anyone. All this politicking is pretty disgusting, transparent and ultimately undermines the honorable sport of surfing. As a parent, its tough to look those folks in the eye, they know exactly what they are doing and so do we. Give us parents and our kids a break boys. Keep your eyes on the Gold and the surfers who will get the USA on the poduim. Leave the rest of us alone, we will wait for your call and be honored when it comes.
November 5th, 2009 at 4:15 am
just one more reason Australia is better than the US.
November 5th, 2009 at 8:52 am
ESA is living in the stone ages and obviously doesn't care about its individual members. Our family represents 4 paid members in ESA and our two kids avidly surf in both ESA and NSSA. We were already unhappy with the ESA, but because of this news, we will NOT be renewing our ESA memberships next year and there are several other families we know in the same position. Surfing America is the best thing to happen to amateur surfing in the past 30 years and ESA's leaving is probably a good thing for Surfing America. ESA is a mess and our kids really want to be part of Surfing America. We're surfing NSSA exclusively next year.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
The Prime series was created to bring 4 man, 20 minute, computer scoring to the amateurs. America is the only nation that still runs 6 man heats! The local organizations are living in the past and The Prime series brings competitive surfing up to date. Check your local events and see what they are running. It's time America trains it's competitors to compete with the rest of the world! ESA should have embraced this move and lobbied to run the series on the Right Coast, without bruised egos.
November 5th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Hey Insider, I smell the bruised egos too. The ESA needs new and better leadership from within, that's all.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Honestabe hit the nail on the head. For those of you sucked up into the smoke and mirrors that is Surfing America, you need to take your blinders off. Surfing America has no business coming into it's member orgs territories, and running contests. They have the audacity to ask that the member orgs do the legwork of getting them the lists of competitors, then they show up with their hands out asking for more money and forcing the kids to do it or they don't get to go to USA Champs. That makes your end of year ranking worthless in your member org. They also stabbed NSSA in the back by swooping Trestles, but they spun it by saying somebody else would have gotten it anyway, so they saved the day.!!Give me a break, it doesn't chage the fact that they did it. Those guys need to be booted out altogether, but it's kind of hard whe you are the VP of ISA as well. 3 member orgs filed a formal compaint against SA over the summer and ISA didn't even respond which is an atrocity. Anybody who sticks around for more of their BS deserves wat they get.
November 5th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
ESA is not taken seriously by the industry and this press release just solidifies that position
For the serious or aspiring surfer this is a REAL concern that is reality
Sponsors don’t even look at ESA results as a way of measuring talent
ESA is a organization that welcomes families old and young to compete for fun day at the beach.
ESA is no different from WSA and neither of them are taken seriously and that is the way they like it.
As for the competition path to QS & CT
#1 ASP ProJr = SA Prime
skip a level (except for nationals)
#3 NSSA regional
Skip a level
#5 ESA & WSA
The SA Prime is the best event going in North America period, for the BEST young talent under 18.
Bottom line, you want to have a fun day at the beach and compete do ESA and WSA
You want to take your competition seriously NSSA and SA Prime are for you.
November 5th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
SA Prime does not need the ESA or NSSA to provide a list of competitors, they can get that just like anyone else…go online and look at the rankings from Easterns or Nationals…
November 5th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
NSSA is ruled by Janice and her agenda….competitors "the kids" have been getting robbed for years at Nationals
ESA is ruled by Districts that want control at Easterns for the most finalist!
SA Prime on the surface appears to be based on a level playing field where the competitors "the kids" come first!
November 5th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
What a Shame. The ESA obviously doesn't care about the kids. It constantly changes the playing field and qualifications, adding contests changing formats (4 man)…The ESa had a long going fued with the NSSA and now they are "friends". Spare us. Janice and Debbie and their crew are a bunch of control freaks without the slightest cluw as to whats best for developing kids. Hell the "new" All Star Coach has no experience, certification or expertise, other that he was available and surfs ok. Debbie you should have put this to a vote with your membership!!!!!!!!! NO One spoke to our family or any of the dozens of surfers we now and grew up with. We may not renew as a result next year. SAD.
November 6th, 2009 at 3:10 am
Are you kidding me? I just checked the rankings of the east coast kids, hardly any of those names make a final in the Nationals. There is a handful of ringers but they said they have 10,000 members?? who are they? what are they teaching them back there? Wasnt surprised when Texas pulled out, their best guys get smoked in one easy heat. They are just not learning and getting ready for the next step which is ProJrs. So along comes SA and tries to show them what level they need to get on…….and waaaaaaa we don't want to play, we want to just do what we've been doing. Come on you need to pick up your game East Coast and Texas, what are you doing for your kids? Can we just get all of our kids learning the same direction just like Australia does from the get go? Or are you just in it for "fun day at the beach"??
November 6th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
What happens when NSSA leaves SA?
November 6th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
The problem with this whole effin' mess is that surfing in the US is not adopting the models of other national sports associations- queue any sport in the NCAA- in which most people understand you're not going to be a pro… (Hey kids go get an education!!!) This is also a systemic problem from the top down as well- queue ASP WT vs. Rogue Tour. Politics is being practiced with a sport, vast number of kids and adults, and by brands that believe politics is a way to "stop the progression if I don't get my way." That is the problem… if you're going to play politics understand that you will have to compromise and unfortunately no one is willing to compromise right now… these announcements and the ones that follow are the results of that inability.
November 6th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
rightcoast… you're kooky!
Thank God Surfing America is here the save the sport from people like you!
November 7th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Wow . . . sour grapes. Sounds like someone from ESA Board. Couldn't believe I was reading a press release from a non-profit with a 40 year history. Sounded like a group of backwards cry babies whining that they didn't get their way. As a marketing professional, I would have never let a press release like that go out under my name. If this press release is a representation of how the ESA is run, I say good riddance, who needs that crap. I don't know how Surfing America has endured them for this long.
November 8th, 2009 at 4:01 am
You're right. I keep forgetting to take my meds. Please excuse my rambling.
November 14th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
go back up to the top and read Honest Abe's post, Hit the nail on the head. If you want to surf in Surfing America and go to the US Champs all you have to do it pay……ESA is about family and the fun sport of surfing.
November 14th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
yep…as long as those "kids" have the money to keep paying through the nose.
November 16th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
But if you are a kid and aspire to more than cookin' hotdogs and hanging out with friends on the beach, Surfing America Prime will take you to the next level. If that's not for you fine. It really only impacts less than .5% of ESA's 2000 members.