Last week the National Surfing League (NSL) got together with Red Bull, for the third straight year, and ran their high school qualifying event for The Red Bull Riders Cup. Brad Gerlach and Shaun Burrell, two well known and accomplished professional surfers from southern CA, are the minds behind the NSL, and responsible for bringing surfing and their “surf game” format to the X-Games in years past. I can remember watching surfing debut into the X-Games at Huntington Beach in 2003, where the venue was set up with huge stadium bleachers along the waters edge, a score board and instant replay screen hung from the pier, and the East coast vs. West coast team match-ups made for one of the coolest new events the world of surfing had ever seen. I was nineteen at the time, and with a VIP pass for the event, I couldn’t imagine anything better than watching my heros compete in such a surreal setting.  The best part about this format is that it provides a team based event similar to one you’d see in a main stream professional arena, with strategy in using substitutions and timeouts, and it all runs in a spectator friendly three periods. Total run time is about two hours, short and sweet and AWESOME! The format had success for three years in the X-Games, as well as in a pro tour known as the California Cup, but for the past few years has lived through it’s High School version.

Water Coach

A few new Jersey Pros were involved with the event, including a couple contributors of this webpage. Sam Hammer was the head referee for the Game, while Dean Randazzo and Kevin Richards judged. It is not only a fun event to work, but also great way to stay involved with the upcoming youth who are always nipping at our heals.. I coached for Middle Township, a group of tough competitors, who gave the event favorite, Ocean City, a close battle to the end. When Middle wasn’t competing, I filled in as a commentator, and had a blast hyping up the action in the line-up, much like I had experienced back in H.B. as a grommet. The Final for the event was very close, and extremely exciting. For the three years Red Bull and the NSL have been running this event nation wide, this was said to be the most successful as far as great surf, close competition, and a beach full of screaming fans. It was absolutely insane, the entire venue knew what was going on in the line up, who needed what score, and when Mikey Ciramella threw a crazy, fins free, reverse to drop a 9pt score, the beach erupted. Ocean City had the bottom of each period and when Chris Kelly started his team off, in pursuit of an 18pt lead Middle had regained, The crowd went nutz with every turn. Ocean City came out with the win for the third straight year, and, with the growth in popularity of the Riders Cup, a special year it was.

Mikey Ciramello slashes while Coach Ges talks strategy with beach coaches Brian Heritage and Frank Walsh

Ocean City Coach Matt Keenan congratulates team MVP Chris Kelly on pulling off the win

Having involvement with the game initially as a spectator and over the years as a coach/commentator I can only hope that the idea, that Brad Gerlach and I discussed post event, of bringing the format back to the professional arena materializes. I honestly couldn’t imagine an event I’d have more fun as a participant.  Of the surfers I know that would be involved, and the young athletes coming up through these high school events, New Jersey will have a powerhouse pro team that I think would be a contender for a national title for years to come. So, until then my fingers are crossed.

2009 Red Bull Riders Cup: New Jersey Youtube video link