CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. — Two young Ocean City surfers won their divisions at the 2020 National Scholastic Surfing Association East Coast Championships on Sept. 11-13 in Carolina Beach, N.C.
The top East Coast surfers traveled to compete in great surf thanks to multiple hurricanes brewing off the coast.
Ocean City’s Cruz Dinofa, 11, won the Mini-Grom and the Super-Grom divisions, while Ocean City’s Mia Gallagher, 14, took top honors in the coveted Open Womens Title. Gallagher joins local surfing legends Rob Kelly and Matt Keenan, who won titles in 2007 and 1995, respectively. She also took home the title in the Girls Division.
Meanwhile, sister Brynn Gallagher, 12, made it to the final round of Open Super Girls, placing fourth.
One of the thrilling highlights of the competition was Dinofa’s come-from-behind win in the Super-Groms final with an incredible air-landing 8.57 score with just 25 seconds to go on the clock, making it the second time in a row Dinofa won the title.
The level of surfing and excitement were running high in Carolina Beach, especially after a long shutdown from competitive surfing due to COVID-19.
NSSA Executive Director Janice Aragon, who is a former ISA world champion and a new inductee to the Surfing Hall of Fame, was thrilled to be able to travel the 3,000 miles from her home in Huntington Beach, Calif., to finally “let the kids surf again.” She and West Coast NSSA Director Gayline Clifford worked for many months to overcome permit challenges in various potential surf contest venues before finding a home in Carolina Beach for the championship event.
Both gave high praise to the town of Carolina Beach for allowing them the opportunity to prove that the NSSA can safely and responsibly run a major competition while remaining compliant to all the safety guidelines and requirements.
“It was great to be able to put on the jersey and compete at a big event again,” Mia Gallagher said. “NSSA did an awesome job and I was so happy with my performance and to see all my friends again. The waves have really been firing so I am stoked to be able to do it again next week at Easterns.”
The Easterns is the next main event for East Coast surfers. It is organized by the Eastern Surfing Association and is beingheld Sept. 20-26 at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, N.C.
Other local competitors included Cooper Jewell, also of Ocean City, who competed in both the Boys and the Menehune divisions.