Texas surfing really came of age
when 15,000 fans jammed the beach at Galveston Island near Houston
and watched Pat Harral and Pam Curtiss defend their titles in
the second annual Texas State Championships.
Harral and Curtiss
were among 300 surfers in four divisions who competed April 6-7
in three-foot surf. The small waves put the emphasis on performance,
and Harral, rated a real comer in Texas surfing circles, had to
go all out to score a narrow victory over George Snyder. Pam Curtiss,
a veteran of top national contests, also was given a fight for
first-place honors, narrowly beating Gloria Dunn.
In addition to the
beach crowd, the contest also was seen by an estimated 750,000
television viewers who, the following Sunday, tuned in a 60-minute
taped report of the action that was beamed throughout the state.
"This is the
biggest boost surfing ever has had in Texas," commented Head
Judge Mack Blaker.
There were nice prizes
for Harral and Curtiss, including two all-expense jet trips to
the U.S. Championships next fall at Huntington Beach, California.
Also, each first-place winner in all four divisions received a
surfboard, a 17-jewel watch, a transistor radio and, of course,
a shiny trophy.
Judge Blaker said the
competition had added importance because it demonstrated that
surfing has the support of civic and commercial interests in the
Lone Star State. The city of Galveston Tourist Development Bureau
enthusiastically endorsed and helped organize the contest, and
sponsors included the Pepsi-Cola Company and Houston radio station
KIKK. Blaker predicted there will be twice the support for next
year's competition because the contest showed surfing's popularity
as a crowd pleasing sport and also as a tourist attraction. Blaker
sees a bright future for the sport in Texas.
The contest was judged
under rules of the Gulf Coast Surfing Association, which is patterned
along the lines of the Western and Eastern Associations. Judges
included Margaret Harper, Dick Bishop, George Loe and Norman Akin
- all active in Texas surfing. Surfing along Texas' Gulf Coast
really has been growing in the past year, and if you want to know
about the waves - well, just ask any Texas surfer.
The hurricane season
is especially good with big swells frequently rolling across the
Gulf of Mexico. During Hurricane Beulah, for example, swells at
Galveston's 25th Street were measured by the U.S. Weather Bureau
at sixteen feet. However, most of the Gulf waves are in the three-
to five-foot category. Texas surfers are fast improving, and the
locals predict big things for Lone Star competitors in this year's
contest season. Harral and Curtiss will be seeded at Huntington
Beach, and there will be other Texas stars battling for honors
on the contest circuit, among them: Leonard Guidoz, who made his
reputation when he won the boys' division last year at the East
Coast Championships at Virginia Beach; junior Pat Magee and goofy-foot
Mike Gollihar.
The major Gulf Coast
surfing spots include Port Isabel (usually considered the best),
Port Aransas and Galveston. The shorebreak at Port Isabel is really
hot, and when it gets too big, the outside cove breaks well. Port
Aransas has a good consistent break, too. The best area is next
to the pier, but as is with many East Coast beaches, government
"sod busters" have barred surfing in these areas. Many
of these legislators have never even seen this beach, but the
rich property owners have more influence than surfers do.
During one hurricane,
beautiful blue overhead waves broke in the cove with point break
perfection and a wild backwash on the inside. During a recent
contest, the heats were held in nice three-foot shorebreak waves,
and Tom Lonardo said the waves looked like a small, glassy day
at his front yard back at Huntington Beach, California. Rusty
Miller, also on the scene, said, "Don't try to compare Texas
waves to California; just enjoy them."
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