VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia, VA (Wednesday, May 1, 2024) - The World Surf League (WSL) North America Regional Longboard Qualifying Series conclusion returns to Virginia Beach, Virginia for the 21st annual Coastal Edge Steel Pier Classic presented by Katin beginning May 25 - 27. This marks the conclusion of the season with vital points on the line to crown the 2023/2024 North America Longboard Regional victors and the 2024 WSL Longboard Tour representatives. The iconic lineup of 1st Street Jetty will play host to region's top longboard contenders with everything left to compete for following the Surfing For Hope Longboard Classic earlier in the season.
"Last year marked the 20th anniversary of this contest and we were so happy to see it celebrated by joining our regional tour as a longboard qualifying event," said WSL North America Regional Manager Meg Bernardo. "We're all excited about returning over Memorial Day weekend and experiencing all that Virginia Beach Oceanfront and 1st Street Jetty have to offer: Art, Surf and Culture. A big thank you to Coastal Edge, Katin and the Virginia Beach Community for making it happen."
Coastal Edge continues to be a staple in the Virginia Beach community, providing pivotal opportunities for the sport of surfing with both amateur and professional events. Last year marked the first inclusion of a WSL Longboard event and now D. Nachnani along with his team and the city of Virginia Beach look to make it a reoccurring, marquee event.
"We're thrilled to bring the WSL back to the 21st Coastal Edge Steel Pier Classic presented by Katin after a great addition to competition last year," said Nachnani. "It's an incredible opportunity to showcase more of Virginia Beach's culture and history with local artists, musicians, and our surfers. We can't wait to host North America's best longboarders and crown some more winners along with the support from Katin."
Richie Cravey - WSL / Andrew Nichols
After the first event of the season concluded at Morro Bay, a big win from Jack Van Wagoner pushed him atop the rankings with reigning North America Longboard Regional victor Richie Cravey earning runner-up. With Chase Lieder and Noah Shimabukuro rounding out the finalists and all confirmed to contest at the Coastal Edge Steel Pier Classic, the 2023/2024 regional title is up for grabs.
For the women, a maiden WSL event for Star D'Elia finished with a runner-up result and the top of the rankings after Hawaii's Natalia Wunderlich claimed her first-ever WSL win. D'Elia is joined at the upper end of the rankings by finalists Chloe Coleman and Indie Hoffman as all three lead the charge into Virginia Beach with a chance to solidify the 2023/2024 regional win.
The Coastal Edge Steel Pier Classic presented by Katin holds an event window beginning May 25 through 27. Check out live scoring and updates from the event at WorldSurfLeague.com.