General Rules for Competitors- ESA/NSC

Please visit for a complete set of rules.

  • Entry forms available at any of our 6 core surf shops (Eternal Wave, North Shore, Surf City, Surf the Earth, Village, X-treme), or online.
  • Entries must be submitted by 6pm on the Wednesday prior to the contest. Late entries will be subject to a $10 late fee, if space is available.
  • If you are unable to attend a contest, after you have signed up, you must withdraw prior to the start of the contest. You will then be able to transfer the entry fees to the next contest. Otherwise, money will be forfeited.
  • If you miss your heat, you will be placed at the end of the alternate list. If you are not put in a heat, your money will be forfeited.
  • If a contest is postponed, by the director, due to weather, waves or other, your entry and money are automatically transferred to the next contest.
  • All contestants are required to check in 15 minutes prior to their heat. All contestants are expected to be at waters edge, in their jersey, by the 5-minute warning. If a contestant fails to check in by the 5-minute warning, a paid alternate may replace him/her. It is the surfer’s responsibility to know when he/she surfs and to be on time, for their heat.
  • All heats will start from the beach, unless otherwise determined by the event director. Notice will be given for a water or buoy start. The green, red, and yellow flag system will be utilized. Green means start and yellow means 5 minutes remain. The red flag may be used to stop a heat in progress or signal a delay between heats. All heats begin by the sounding of a horn and raising of the green flag.
  • All preliminary, quarter and semi final heats will be 15 minutes. Each surfer may only ride 10 or fewer waves during these heats. The finals are 20 minutes. Each surfer has a 12-wave maximum in these heats. A surfer that exceeds these limits will be penalized. No waves outside of these parameters will be used for scoring. The top two wave scores will be used for tabulation.

It is the competitor’s responsibility to monitor their wave count.

  • Judging criteria: the surfer must perform radical, controlled maneuvers in the most critical sections of the wave, with speed, power and flow to maximize scoring potential. Innovative and progressive surfing and variety of maneuvers will be taken into consideration when awarding points for waves ridden. The surfer that executes these criteria, with the maximum degree of difficulty and commitment, on the waves will be rewarded with the highest scores.
  • Three or five judges will be used to score each heat. The judges will be trained and maintain competence. The judges will be rotated to ensure no favoritism and maintain freshness.
  • The scoring is based on a 1-10 point system. 1-2= poor ride, 3-4= fair ride,

5-6= average ride, 7-8= good ride, 9-10= excellent ride.

  • Contestants may review the results of their heats for up to 15 minutes after the heat results are made public. If an error in tabulation is found, notify the contest director for possible correction. If you have a protest about your heat, you must submit it in writing, to the contest director, within 30 minutes of the heat results going public.
  • Interference Rule- If the majority of judges rule interference, than the tabulators will reduce the second best wave score by 50%.
  • A competitor may gain wave possession by:
  • Catching a wave and completing a maneuver before the face of the wave reaches another competitor.
  • If two or more competitors are paddling for the same wave, possession is gained by being closer to the curl, catching the wave and completing a maneuver.
  • Two surfers may go in opposite directions, on the same peak, providing they don’t cross paths or hinder one another.
  • If two competitors, at opposite ends of the contest area, catch the same wave and ride toward each other, they both gain wave possession. If they eventually meet, the surfer who was up first, on his/her respective peak, will have the right of way.
  • A competitor may be called for interference for any of the following:
  • For catching the same wave, in the same shoulder, as a competitor that already has possession.
  • For occupying any part of the wave that could simultaneously or eventually be reached by any possible maneuver, of the competitor who has possession.
  • For breaking the wave down on the competitor with wave possession, or for infringing on the possible length of the ride of the competitor with wave possession.
  • Both competitors may be called for double interference, if no right of way has been established. If one competitor is clearly the aggressor in forcing a collision, only he/she will be called for the interference.
  • Blatantly paddles for a wave in a manner so as to intimidate, or hassle a competitor, who is clearly in position to gain wave possession.
  • Grabs a leash or touches any part of another competitor or his/her equipment in a manner that impairs his/her ability to surf.
  • Paddles out in such a manner so as to interfere with the ride of a competitor with wave possession, whether intentional or not.
  • Is assisted with his board in any manner. Board caddying is not allowed. This includes losing your board and having someone retrieve it for you. Saving a board from damage is allowed as long as the board is not paddled, handed or carried to the competitor.
  • Any contestant not presently surfing in his/her heat, who is observed in the contest zone, will be disqualified without warning. If the surfer has already completed his events, he/she will not be able to surf in the next contest (even if the next contest is a post season event). No points in either case.
  • When a heat has ended, all contestants must return to the beach, in a prone position, wearing their contest jersey. Standing up or removing their jersey while in the water, after the start of the next heat, will result in penalty against the offending surfer’s score.
  • Short boards will not exceed 2 feet longer than the competitors height. Long boards must be 9 feet long, except for menehune long boards. They must be at least 3 feet over your head.
  • Points will be issued for each contest, to NCS District member’s, in good standing. Members can surf in other ESA districts, but will not accrue points.
  • Trophies will be awarded for menehune short board 1-6 place and others 1-3.
  • Mid Atlantic Regionals eligibility- In order to receive an invitation to Regionals, a competitor must: be an ESA member in good standing, have competed and accrued competition points in at least 50% of our NSC district contests and have amassed enough points to rank within the allotted slots for our district. Results at Regionals will determine invitations to Easterns.
  • Sportsmanship Rule: No official of any event, in any capacity, shall at any time be subjected to unsportsmanlike conduct, in either word or deed. Any display of poor sportsmanship by either a competitor, or in the case of a minor, the competitor’s parent/ guardian, shall be cause for automatic dismissal from the contest. This also applies to unsportsmanlike conduct directed at another competitor, by any ESA competitor.
  • Competition rules provided herin are subject to change.