A celebration awaits Virginia Beach, Virgina beginning August 23 - 28 with the return of Vans Pro and 60th Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships (ECSC) action, which kicks off August 21. The men's Qualifying Series (QS) is back after last running in 2019 and will now be joined by the women for the first time in competition history.
60 Years Strong: Coastal Edge ECSC
The Vans Pro is back for the first time since 2019 and now has a women's QS 3000 ready and waiting August 23 - 28.
The Vans Pro came to fruition in 2011 as Kolohe Andino and Nat Young claimed their respective wins, then a 4-Star win and fourth place Pro Junior result for Andino, in pumping Hurricane Irene swell. Fast-forward 11 years later and the Vans Pro is back alongside the now world's longest-running competition - the Coastal Edge ECSC. Running in 2020 and 2021 without Vans beside it, ECSC continued to crown event victors from "Parents Push-In" division all the way up to Grand Legends.
ECSC is a place where local legends can become icons of the sport such as Wes Laine, the only Virginia Beach surfer to claim back-to-back wins (1980, 1981) and finding his place into the Surfing Legends of ECSC Hall of Fame. Laine now oversees competition as Tournament Director and lends his voice to the beach when called upon.
Vans Pro Title Back Up For Grabs
In a Final that featured Gordon and two of his fellow East Coast natives and an Aussie, the 19-year-old prevailed brilliantly.
The Vans Pro title remains on the East Coast after Luke Gordon's second-career QS victory landed him atop the podium just hours away from his South Carolina home. Gordon added his name to the list of previous East Coast Vans Pro victors including Virginia Beach's born-and-raised Michael Dunphy and New Smyrna Beach, Florida's Evan Geiselman. Both Geiselman and Dunphy return alongside Gordon's fellow South Carolina competitor, former event finalist, Cam Richards, and more to keep the event win on the East Coast.
But, the likes of 2019 Vans Pro Junior victor Crosby Colapinto, fellow Pro Junior finalist Jett Schilling, and more from the West Coast look to battle for their claim to 3,000 points. This event marked Colapinto's third-career Pro Junior win, his fourth overall WSL win, and now strives to finish the 2022/23' QS season among the Challenger Series qualifiers - something Schilling was able to clinch in 2021/22'.
The San Clemente, California, native took control of the Final midway through the heat and never looked back.
Former Pro Junior winner Nolan Rapoza, double-finalist Tyler Gunter, recent Vans US Open of Surfing Semifinalist Eithan Osborne, and more Californians will look to reclaim an event win for the West Coast for the first time since 2016's Kanoa Igarashi.
Women Make Their Own History In Virginia Beach
The 16-year-old overpowered a formidable field featuring some of North America's best and topped Zoe Benedetto in a big Final.
The 2022 edition of the Vans Pro brings women's QS competition to 1st Street Jetty for the first time ever in their historic debut. The women now get their piece of Coastal Edge ECSC history with Sawyer Lindblad leading the charge as North America No. 1. However, she will have the likes of 2022/23' North America Regional QS Champion and now Championship Tour (CT) qualification threat Alyssa Spencer, fellow qualification threat Kirra Pinkerton, the East Coast's own standout Zoe Benedetto, and many more.
Spencer already has multiple East Coast wins to her name alongside wins from Benedetto, and Pinkerton. But, a hungry field awaits for their first taste of QS glory and 3,000 points to go with it, along with a slice of Virginia Beach history in the process.
The Vans Pro will run August 23 - 28 at 1st Street Jetty, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
A Glimpse of Virginia Beach History: Vans Pro x Coastal Edge ECSC
Andrew Nichols
A celebration awaits Virginia Beach, Virgina beginning August 23 - 28 with the return of Vans Pro and 60th Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships (ECSC) action, which kicks off August 21. The men's Qualifying Series (QS) is back after last running in 2019 and will now be joined by the women for the first time in competition history.
60 Years Strong: Coastal Edge ECSC
The Vans Pro came to fruition in 2011 as Kolohe Andino and Nat Young claimed their respective wins, then a 4-Star win and fourth place Pro Junior result for Andino, in pumping Hurricane Irene swell. Fast-forward 11 years later and the Vans Pro is back alongside the now world's longest-running competition - the Coastal Edge ECSC. Running in 2020 and 2021 without Vans beside it, ECSC continued to crown event victors from "Parents Push-In" division all the way up to Grand Legends.
ECSC is a place where local legends can become icons of the sport such as Wes Laine, the only Virginia Beach surfer to claim back-to-back wins (1980, 1981) and finding his place into the Surfing Legends of ECSC Hall of Fame. Laine now oversees competition as Tournament Director and lends his voice to the beach when called upon.
Vans Pro Title Back Up For Grabs
The Vans Pro title remains on the East Coast after Luke Gordon's second-career QS victory landed him atop the podium just hours away from his South Carolina home. Gordon added his name to the list of previous East Coast Vans Pro victors including Virginia Beach's born-and-raised Michael Dunphy and New Smyrna Beach, Florida's Evan Geiselman. Both Geiselman and Dunphy return alongside Gordon's fellow South Carolina competitor, former event finalist, Cam Richards, and more to keep the event win on the East Coast.
But, the likes of 2019 Vans Pro Junior victor Crosby Colapinto, fellow Pro Junior finalist Jett Schilling, and more from the West Coast look to battle for their claim to 3,000 points. This event marked Colapinto's third-career Pro Junior win, his fourth overall WSL win, and now strives to finish the 2022/23' QS season among the Challenger Series qualifiers - something Schilling was able to clinch in 2021/22'.
Former Pro Junior winner Nolan Rapoza, double-finalist Tyler Gunter, recent Vans US Open of Surfing Semifinalist Eithan Osborne, and more Californians will look to reclaim an event win for the West Coast for the first time since 2016's Kanoa Igarashi.
Women Make Their Own History In Virginia Beach
The 2022 edition of the Vans Pro brings women's QS competition to 1st Street Jetty for the first time ever in their historic debut. The women now get their piece of Coastal Edge ECSC history with Sawyer Lindblad leading the charge as North America No. 1. However, she will have the likes of 2022/23' North America Regional QS Champion and now Championship Tour (CT) qualification threat Alyssa Spencer, fellow qualification threat Kirra Pinkerton, the East Coast's own standout Zoe Benedetto, and many more.
Spencer already has multiple East Coast wins to her name alongside wins from Benedetto, and Pinkerton. But, a hungry field awaits for their first taste of QS glory and 3,000 points to go with it, along with a slice of Virginia Beach history in the process.
The Vans Pro will run August 23 - 28 at 1st Street Jetty, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
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