The New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS), Town of Westerly, Eastern Surfing Association (ESA), and North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) announce the 9th Annual Catch-A-Curl Youth Surf Competition and Beach Cleanup. The event will be held at the Westerly Town Beach (365 Atlantic Avenue) in Rhode Island on Saturday, September 19.Catch-a-Curl Youth Surf Classic & Beach Cleanup September 19
Catch-A-Curl is open to beginners through advanced youth surfers. The beach cleanup will follow the competion. Kids can try surfing with the support of NESS surf instructors or tune up their surfing skills before the competition. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an emphasis will be placed on wearing face coverings when not in the water and social distancing for all.
NESS’s Associate Program Director Lauren Barber is the driving force behind NESS’s efforts for the event. “We are so excited for our 9th Annual Youth Surf Classic and Beach Clean Up. Despite this year’s uncertainty, one thing has remained constant: we are here to bring our community together in a time where we need it the most. We are here to get students out the water in a safe and fun way, and to promote clean swell for all to enjoy. We hope to see a great turnout for both the surf contest and beach cleanup!” said Barber.
She adds, “A big shout out to The Town of Westerly, Eastern Surfing Association, and Peter Pan for their continued partnership in running this event. We are so thankful for all of our sponsors who have come together to help bring the stoke to the contest through prize donations and support a clean environment through a day of beach cleanup. We couldn’t hold this event without our friends at Narragansett Surf & Skate, O’Neill, Raw Elements, RI Surf Co., North Swell, Surfrider CT, Surfrider RI, Civil, Avies Ski/Sport, North American Marine Environmental Protection Association (NAMEPA), Sailors for the Sea, and Ocean Recovery Community Alliance (ORCA).”
The event starts at 9:00AM for young surfers under the age of 17 and the beach cleanup (at 1:30PM) is open to all who want to help. Pre-registration is required this year and information and sign-ups are available at www.nessf.org/catchacurl.
About NESS
New England Science & Sailing Foundation ("NESS") is a nationally recognized and award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit ocean adventure education organization that provides students of all ages and backgrounds with year-round programming that includes marine science, sailing, and water sports. NESS's scholastic programs support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curricula in over 70 schools and organizations with a unique combination of on-the-water and in-the-classroom lessons intended to build confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills. NESS is the first school partner program accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and has been recognized by US Sailing as the top community sailing program in the United States. With 25 full-time staff members, 9 AmeriCorps members, and over 30 seasonal educators, NESS serves over 9,000 students annually across New England. Since its inception, NESS has enabled over 35,000 students to get out on the water. For more information, visit www.nessf.org.
