WHEREAS, North Carolina was a pioneer of the US Mainland Competitive Surfing; the April 2, 1910 edition of Collier's Weekly includes a letter from a resident of Wrightsville Beach, the Honorable Burke Haywood Bridgers Esquire, describing surfing; an announcement in the Wilmington Morning Star on June 30, 1910 includes mention of one of the earliest surfboard riding competitions in the mainland United States and direct communications with Alexander Hume Ford who Appropriated the Hawaiian Transcendent Experience of Surfing and changed it to an American Competitive Sport; and
WHEREAS, along North Carolina’s roughly 300-mile coastline continues to be a popular sport for residents and tourists of all skill levels, especially during the fall when surf conditions are most favorable; North Carolina has realized tremendous gains and market share during the last several decades in result of surfing culture; and
WHEREAS, in 2002, the UNC Wilmington Cape Fear Surfing Archive was founded by Funderburg and due to the popularity of the archive exhibit, it was extended to two years; the exhibit was a spawning ground, and two permanent UNC Wilmington semester courses were developed, History of Surfing in NC, and the Physics of Surfing and Oceanography, to calculate the big waves of today; and
WHEREAS, the 2020 NC Surfing Hall of Fame Inductions, NC Watersports Hall of Fame exhibits at UNC-Wilmington and other landmarks pay homage to our surfing & watersports industry; in 2015 the North Carolina Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, unveiled a Historical Highway Marker to honor Pioneer East Coast Surfing in Wrightsville Beach the birthplace of competitive surfing on the American East Coast and the birthplace of American Competitive Surfing on the United States mainland in 1909; and
WHEREAS, surfing subculture has spawned several reputable and worthy non-profit charitable organizations with purposes ranging from surf camps for autism, hearing & visually impaired, wounded warriors, orphans to environmental protection, such as IndoJax Surf Charities was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network, focusing on a Surfing Safari to India, where IndoJax influential surf therapists’ surfers taught blind & abused orphan girls to surf; and
WHEREAS, North Carolinian Mason Hyce Barnes, one of the world’s most influential competitive big wave professional surfers, has officially partnered with the World Surfing League to be the Face of Big Wave Riding; and
WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina celebrates our state's long surfing history and recognizes the benefits that an active surfing culture brings to our state’s economy and tourism industry;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim October, 2021, as “SURFING MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.