By Daryl Law/Jennette’s Pier
If you’re looking for some first-class entertainment, then grab your beach chair, sun block and towel before heading to the wide, clean beach at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head for the 2021 WRV OBX Pro surf contest sponsored by Pacifico.
More than 150 professional athletes will converge on the southside beach for the World Surf League event starting Wednesday, Sept. 1, just before Labor Day weekend.
Organizer L. G. Shaw, who works out of the Virginia Beach Wave Riding Vehicles Surf Shop, says this year’s event features equal prize purses, $10,000 each, for both men and women. By mid-August, four dozen women and 100 men had already signed up. He noted the prize money gets distributed to “a few rounds” deep.
A World Surf League Qualifying Series event, competitors go head-to-head in the waves, which break over top of a sandbar. In past years, hurricanes or northeasters have kicked up big swells just in time for the competitions.
The wave riders compete in timed heats and those who have the best rides on the best waves and accumulate the most points assigned by beachside judges then they move on to the next heat until eventually there’s an overall winner in each division – men’s and women’s.
There’s also quite a scene on the beach with several sponsors including Dragon eyewear, Catch Surf soft top surfboards and more. Just over the dune in the nearby Jennette’s parking lot, check out the WRV pop-up shop with limited edition tees, hats and commemorative posters.
Pacifico has sipping samples and there’s an athlete and VIP tent on the beach too where members of the WRV Model Team are often hanging out, Shaw said.
Because the surf conditions can change radically from day-to-day, organizers plan to hold the contest on the best three or four days during a five-day wave window over Sept. 1 to Sept. 5. There will also be occasional beach games and giveaways to keep things interesting.
“On lay days, we’ll have the soft board contest for the pros, locals and visitors if they want to try,” Shaw said. “The pop-up shop will be open the whole time with limited edition gear and clothing and we plan to have Jeep [Outer Banks Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram] on site along with Pacifico sampling.”
At night, Pacifico also plans to sponsor parties at numerous establishments along the Outer Banks with some great music, Shaw noted. The surfing heats will be streamed live thanks to the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, he noted.
“Stay tuned for the locations of the after parties and events at the local watering holes,” he said.
For information on surf days, party nights and the live streaming, go to wrvobxpro.com.
Be there, aloha!
