Eastern Surfing Association Goes Big with SUP

Maui, Hawaii, Apr 03, 2012 - Eastern Surfing Association, the world's largest surfing association with 7000 members, has added Standup Paddling to their over 150 annual surf competitions.  Maui-based shaper Jimmy Lewis has decided to support this decision by sponsoring the Jimmy Lewis SUP Division for the entire year and the Jimmy Lewis Invitational during the ESA Regionals and Championships.  As Jimmy's roots are in surf shaping, Jimmy decided to become the official ESA Surfboard Sponsor as well as the sponsor for the most competitive part of the ESA surf competitions, the Jimmy Lewis Junior Men's Division.  Interested competitors should become an ESA member HERE.

Of the new partnership and of SUP entering the ESA, Jimmy Lewis said, "I'm glad to sponsor surfing and standup in this year's ESA contest schedule.  Paddleboarding comes from surfing, so it's good to see them side by side in the waves and in competition.  The ESA is the perfect partner to grow SUP as a true surfing sport."  Jimmy's been shaping high quality custom surfboards on Maui for the last 44 years.  His lineup of production boards includes 7 wave-dedicated SUPs in 15 sizes, as well as 7 classic and progressive Surfboards in 22 sizes.

The Eastern Surfing Association was founded in 1967, one year before Jimmy shaped his first surfboard.  ESA surf and SUP contests are organized at the grassroots, district level on a year round basis. Each District conducts four or more contests per year, and each year the ESA has over 150 competitions along the entire East Coast. From the local District level, top finishers are invited to advance to Region competitions (of which there are three, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic & Northeast), then the top finishers in those Regional championship events are invited to the The Easterns held each September at Cape Hatteras, N.C. This is the official championship of the East Coast of the United States and is now in its 4th decade!

UPCOMING DISTRICTS AND FINALS
•2012 Southeast Regional Surfing Championships and Jimmy Lewis SUP Invitational - Qualifier for the 2012 Easterns®
Thursday, April 19th - Sunday April 22nd at New Smyrna, FL
•2012 Northeast Regional Surfing Championships and Jimmy Lewis SUP Invitational - Qualifier for the 2012 Easterns®
Friday April 27th - Sunday April 29th at Hampton Beach, NH
•2012 Mid-Atlantic Regional Surfing Championships and Jimmy Lewis SUP Invitational - Qualifier for the 2012 Easterns®
Thursday, May 3rd - Sunday May 6th at Carolina Beach, NC
•2012 Easterns® Surfing Championships and Jimmy Lewis SUP Invitational — Grand Finals
Sunday September 16th - Saturday September 22nd at Cape Hatteras (Buxton), NC
*Sunday, September 23rd is a backup day