Easterns searching new home

One of many youth in the Eastern Surfing Association's Eastern Surfing Championships exits the water after a heat. Pressing regulations at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Jetty in Buxton could result in the event being moved in the near future. Owen Hassell photo
One surfing tournament has been what the Eastern Surfing Association is all about: the Eastern Surfing Championships.

It is the best of the best, and in the last 38 years, the best amateurs on the East Coast have come to Buxton on Hatteras Island to compete.

As the ESA has grown, it could also mean the competition will not reach 40 years on the island.

The organization uses National Park Service property at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Jetty, and it comes with restrictions, including most notably no signage or commericalism.

"It's ultra-restrictive, and I don't think it's fair, and none of our 7,000 members think it's fair," ESA Competition Director Brian Broom said. "So are we looking for another site, you bet."