Carolina Junior Waterman Team Forms At Wrightsville beach

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, North Carolina - It was recently announced that a group of local watermen have formed the Carolina Junior Waterman Team to be based out of Wrightsville Beach. The purpose of the team is to develop well rounded young men and women and to give them the skills necessary to become experts in a multitude of ocean disciplines. The first year team will consist of a smaller number of participants and will be selected on an invitation only basis. A smaller group will allow the leadership to refine the program in Year 1 and open it up to more participants in the future.

The team will meet on a weekly basis throughout the summer and receive instruction on topics from experts in the fields of SUP, Surfing, Ocean Rescue, Open Water Swimming, Diving, Fishing and Boating. Dave Baker (the Head of Ocean Rescue for the Town of Wrightsville Beach) for example, will lead the team on all things regarding water rescue techniques. “The ocean is a dynamic environment and unfortunately, you may find yourself faraway from any medical facility to take care of your own injury or that of a fellow waterman. I will focus on how to deal with and treat these unforeseen incidents. How to make rescues within the impact zone, should you see someone in need of your assistance. I hope to build the confidence of the Carolina Jr. Waterman Team by providing the knowledge and testing their skills, so they will know what to do when an incident occurs.” 

Anna Blackburn just competed in the SUP Youth Fiesta in California last month. Barry Blackburn will employ a number of techniques in SUP Racing and Surfing that Anna learned during her time under the tutelage of Anthony Vela and Candice Appleby at the Sup Youth Fiesta.

Anna Blackburn at the 2014 Sup Youth Fiesta

The team will work closely with April Zilg and participate heavily in the Sunset Race Series, which will run out of the Blockade Runner Hotel on Thursday afternoon's. The race series will start each week with a 10 minute instructional period to be followed by races for adults and kids alike. April wants to invite all of the kids in the area to participate in the Sunset Race Series, even those that are not on the Junior Waterman Team. The kids races will be held every other week starting June 5th. According to April "Having kids participate in our Local Series is a great way to build our paddling community. It is the ideal opportunity for them to practice their skills and develop a sense of camaraderie."  

Elle Newkirk - Chris McQuiston Local Sessions Magazine
Organizers have already made contact with several well known Watermen in the Mid-Atlantic Region that are interested in working with this group to establish their own Junior Waterman Programs. The Carolina Junior Waterman Team will be coached by James Bain, Dave Baker, Barry Blackburn, Jason Colclough, Haywood Newkirk and April Zilg. The leadership in this group has a long history in the area in terms of Surfing, SUP, Diving, Fishing, Boating and Water Rescue.