Mission Statement

The Eastern Surfing Association (ESA) is dedicated to the sport of amateur surfing, to the operation of a program of amateur competition for surfers of all ages and abilities, and to the establishment and preservation of free access to a clean shoreline and ocean environment. It was founded in 1967 by East Coast surfers to promote, preserve, and protect the sport of surfing on the East Coast.

Quick Facts

Eight time world professional surfing champion Kelly Slater and former world professional womens surfing champion Lisa Anderson both learned their competitive skills through the Eastern Surfing Association.

2001 World Champion C.J. Hobgood began his competitive career in the ESA’s Central Florida District, as did current WCT pro surfers Shea & Cory Lopez. WCT pro surfer and 1996 World Amateur Junior Champion, Ben Bourgeois, is a product of the ESA, Southern North Carolina District.

Professional WQS surfers Dean Randazzo, Noah Snyder, Asher Nolan, Falina Spires, Eric Taylor, Jamie DeWitt, Karina Petroni all began their careers through the Eastern Surfing Association.

Who We Are

ESA is the largest amateur surfing association in the world, with a current membership of over 7,000 surfers. Our family oriented programs promote a healthy and active lifestyle. It is not uncommon to find two or three generations of the same family involved as members of the ESA, and actively competing in our program. Two of the original founders of the ESA, Cecil Lear and David Reese, are still active in the association forty years later.

The Association’s activities are organized into a total of twenty-six districts, which extend along nearly 2,000 miles of coastline. Stretching from Maine through the Gulf Coast of Florida, Alabama, and the Great Lakes across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, each district’s programs are developed and operated by a dedicated group of volunteer directors and staff.

At the national level, the ESA is a founding member association of Surfing America (SA), the National Governing Body for amateur surfing in the United States. The ESA is empowered by SA to carry out qualifying amateur events on the East Coast for the American Surfing Championships, the USA Surfing Championships and the U.S. National Surf Team. The ESA is also empowered by Surfing America to conduct ASP WQS rated professional surfing competitions under contract to ASP North America.