1st Wave of Pro Surfers Announced for Nags Head Labor Day Cup
Professional surfing icon Sunny Garcia is among the first wave of contestants announced this week for the Bud Light Lime Surf Series Labor Day Cup at Jennette’s Pier, also including big wave record-setter Keala Kennelly, Wrighstville Beach native Ben Bourgeois, and Outer Banks local Kim Diggs!
Sunny Garcia
The Bud Light Lime Surf Series is coming to Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head this Labor Day weekend, September 1-3, featuring some of the world’s best surfers competing for more than $125,000.
Just yesterday (Monday), 14 of a total of 32 professionals set to compete in the Men’s Roster in Nags Head was released, including Wrightsville Beach, NC native Ben Bourgeois.
The full list of male pro surfers competing so far is:
1. Benji Weatherley
2. Ben Bourgeois
3. Brian Toth
4. Dylan Goodale
5. Dylan Graves
6. Fred Patacchia
7. Gabe Kling
8. Gorkin
9. Kalani Robb
10. Kilian Garland
11. Nate Tyler
12. Sean Moody
13. Sunny Garcia
14. Torrey Meister
Born on the west side of Hawaii, Sunny Garcia won the ASP WCT World Surfing Championship in 2000, holds six Triple Crown of Surfing titles, and has captured the most WQS surfing event wins in history with 22 competition victories, since his professional debut in 1986.
Kitty Hawk, NC’s Kim Diggs in action.
Also announced yesterday, five of the eight Women’s Roster participants were revealed, including the Outer Banks’ own Kim Diggs.
The full list of female pro surfers competing so far is:
1. Anastasia Ashley
2. Claire Bevo Bevilacqua
3. Jenna Balester
4. Keala Kennelly
5. Kim Diggs
Keala Kennelly – who co-starred in the HBO series John from Cincinnati (2007) and played herself in the feature film Blue Crush (2002) – set a record in 2005 at Teahupo’o in Tahiti, riding the biggest tow in wave ever by woman.
A native of Kitty Hawk, Kim Diggs has been making waves ever since she was born the third of four daughters into a local surfing family. Earlier this year, she was featured in a full-page spread in Surfing Magazine.
Kitty Hawk, NC native pro surfer Kim Diggs
The total 32 top men and 8 top women will be competing for the covenant Bud Light Lime Surf Series beer steins at the first ever BLLSS Labor Day Cup, September 1-3, 2012 at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head.
This innaugural Labor Day Cup marks the first time that the Bud Surf Series has ever held an event on the east coast.
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