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With phones, trips, skateboards, and pimped out bicycles to give away, who wouldn’t get motivated to put it all on the line? Throw in skatepark-like windswell conditions, enough sunshine for every spectator to win the ‘Bronze Medal’, and the hottest crop of up-and-coming talent that the mid-Atlantic offers, and you got yourself the setting for an epic showdown.
Well, that was exactly the scenario at stop #6 of the 2007 Rip Curl GromSearch proudly presented by BOOST Mobile, which went down August 12 at Jennette’s Pier in North Carolina’s famed Outerbanks. After opting to hold out on the first day of the waiting period, GromSearch personnel and enthusiasts alike were greeted to what our East Coast friends refer to as “a wave.”
With 79 of the most coveted mini humans from VA to South Carolina, what ensued was inevitable. From the feel-good performance that Darsha Pigford put on to convincingly snag the Girls 16/under division to the ironman, double division performances put on by Julian Payne and one Cam Richards, Jennette’s Pier saw a packed house of spectators from parents to curious onlookers.
Young Cam Richards, hailing from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is a straight up stud. Not phased by those bigger than him, the small stature of Richards stood up to every competitor to dawn a jersey against him. The result?
Cam walked away with the hardware for both the Boys 14/under and 12/under! Showing the agility of a trained ninja, the 12-year old put on show that gave a sneak-peak into the future of East Coast surfing, including arguably the most innovational maneuver of the whole event in any division: a fully committed, Josh Kerr inspired, grab-rail reverse.
His awards speech? “I’d just like to thank all the girls who showed up at the beach today to lay out…. Oh yeah, and I’d like to thank my mom and dad,” claimed a smiley Richards over the mic.
Of course, the real fireworks went off in the Boys 16/under final. You put Fisher Heverly, Michael Dunphy, Cole Richards, and Morgan O’Connell together, add a new BOOST Mobile phone for the winner, a trip to the Boost Mobile Pro of Surf for some VIP lounging, a fresh, cherry red beach cruiser, and a ridiculous amount prizes, and you’re bound for a spectacle.
Heavyweight exchanges took place from start to finish: Fisher blows his tail out on a left, Dunphy slices a right, Cole cracks a left- straight for the full 20 minutes. When the flag turned red, Michael Dunphy stood tall as the victor. Showing supreme fluidity and flare throughout the day, Dunphy was unquestionably the performer of the event. Throwing up a 9 and an 8 in his semi, and notching up a couple more excellent scores in the final, Dunphy now finds himself packing his bags for the BMP of Surf in between his joy ride sessions on his new Cruiser.
“I’m so stoked, “ released a pumped Dunphy. “Can’t wait to go to California to watch the best do it.”
The GromSearch is now transporting to Brighton Ave smack dab in Seaside Park, New Jersey to give the Northeast groms a crack at the G-Search glory. This event will pop off this Tuesday, August 14. Stay dialed to ripcurl.com, surfingmagazine.com, and surfline.com for all event info, updates, and coverage.
Complete Results of Stop #6 of the 2007 Rip Curl GromSearch presented by BOOST Mobile @ Jennette’s Pier, OBX:
Boys’ 16/under
1. Michael Dunphy
2. Cole Richards
3. Morgan O’Connell
4. Fisher Heverly
Boys’ 14/under
1. Cam Richards
2. Evan Barton
3. Mason Barns
4. Julian Payne
Boys’ 12/under
1. Cam Richards
2. Daniel Glenn
3. Julian Payne
4. Morgan Taylor ‘MT’ Leavel
Girls’ 16/under
1. Darsha Pigford
2. Kate Easton
3. Allison Parks
4. Jessica Lowcher