Club
Beginnings
The
club was officially christened the “Annapolis Surf Club” on August 19,
2001, during a freakish meeting that took place in the lineup in Ocean
City, Md. But the club's concept was born many moons earlier during
Neal Carver and Bruce Gabrielson's many drives to and from DelMarVa surf
sessions. Neal and Bruce began their surf odyssey in January 2001,
by meeting at a convenient location in Annapolis, loading piles of cold
water surf gear into the surf vehicle of the day, and hauling ass down
to the shore to ride some cold waves. As the winter turned into summer,
scheduling conflicts arose and Neal and Bruce found it tough to meet up
on the same days. Nonetheless, Neal and Bruce began discussing the possibility
of a local surf club that could meet up and share the beach commute.
They knew a number of surfers that had professional careers in and around
the Washington and Baltimore corridor that also loved to surf.
In
May 2001, Kirk contacted Rod via e-mail, having read his posts on the alt.surfing
newsgroup and after finding his web page. They corresponded back and forth
several times before realizing they lived only about 12 miles apart. They
never met until the chance meeting in August because of Rod's heavy involvement
with his son's summer league baseball team.
In
June 2001, Neal posted on the Beach-Net
forum asking about other inlanders. Kirk replied and they hooked up for
an initial surf trip in July 2001. Neal told of his surfing adventures
with Bruce that had started during the winter. Foon, KC and Rod already
knew each other from alt.surfing
activities and knew of Bruce, but had not met him until the day before
the inaugural blood ritual. |
Club
Birthing & Inauguration Day - 8/19/01
August
18, 2001 - KC and Rod head down to OC for a weekend of surf and fun at
the Foonbunker, attend a Surfrider meeting, and hook-up for an initial
meeting with Bruce Gabrielson.
On
August 19, 2001, a freakish (first blood!) meeting took place in the lineup
in Ocean City, Md. Foon, KC, Rod and Bruce run into Neal and Kirk at 64th
Street. The group took a blood oath (Foon's blood) to form the club and
determined there was potential to go far beyond a ride sharing surf group.
Needless to say, everyone was getting stoked on the idea. The name,
Annapolis Surf Club, seemed fitting since Annapolis was our meeting place.
One
Week Later at Snake's Annual Luau
Pictured
are four ASC Charter Members
(L-R)
Neal, Bruce, Rod, and KC (Missing: Kirk and Foon). |
ASC
Draws First Blood!
(L
to R): KC, Snake, Rod, Foon, Neal, Kirk.
Neal
and his brother-in-law put the first ASC web page together in September
2001. Rod started hosting and maintaining the web page in March 2002.
On
October 15, 2001, Neal established the ASC's e-mail listserv at "Yahoo!
Groups" so that everyone could communicate about their day trip plans
and other activities. The Yahoo site also allows members to post photos,
maintain a club calendar, conduct polls and more. |
ASC
1st Surfabout - November 18, 2001
The
Annapolis Surf Club scheduled its first club surf on November 18, 2001.
Seven members drove down to OC/Md together for a day of surfing and camaraderie.
<<Robb's
ASC Party. Breakout of the ASC Hats>>
On
December 1, 2001, the ASC held its Inaugural Surf Sacrifice Party, hosted
by Neal Carver. Several hand carved mini surfboards were burned in honor
of the surf gods.
<<add
pic>>
By
early 2002, the group has grown to 25 members and is in the planning stages
of an international surf trip. All this while maintaining the local
stoke. LONG LIVE THE ASC!!!
|
ASC
Members Post Session on 11/18/2001
(L
to R) Rob Smith, Rod Rodgers, Neal Carver, Bruce Gabrielson,
KC Filer,
Kirk Mantay, Doug Rhodes (still in the water) |
| The
ASC Club banner was officially unveiled at the July 13, 2002, "Toes on
the Nose" Team Surf Contest, hosted by Surfrider Foundation. The
Club finished dead last in the "competition" this year but easily outpaced
all others in fun and pure stoke. Bruce Gabrielson will compete with
the team next sure to help ensure a tiki trophy for the team (we can also
use the coaching as none of the team had ever been in a surfing contest!).
See pictures and reports on the report page. |
 |
Aug.
16, 2002 - First Anniversary Blue Crush Special.
Club
members and spouses celebrate the Club's first anniversary by watching
Blue
Crush on opening night with post show eats at Gallway Bay Pub &
Restaurant.
Pictured
from left to right, standing: Jill Smith, Beth Rodgers, Neal Carver, Rob
Smith, Missy Smith and friend, Mrs. and Mike McCourt, Bruce Gabrielson.
In the tuck-in tubular position: Kirk Mantay and Rod Rodgers. |
 |
| Sept
14-19, 2002 - First ASC Surf Trip - Cape Hatteras |
|
| Dec.
6, 2002 - ASC'ers stoked on the Los
Straitjackets. "The 45s" opened with some good rippin' sounds. |
|
| April
2-9, 2003 - Costa Rica Trip. |
|
| May 16-18, 2003 - ASC Guys
Surf Weekend, in Bethany Beach (Doug's house). A great time was had by
all -- many overnight guests for one or two nights and day visitors. Thanks
Doug! See the full
report. |
|
| August
10, 2003 - The club is the subject of a feature article in the Annapolis
Gazette and later in the week makes the front page of the Crofton Crier. |
|
| August
16, 2003 - ASC 2nd Anniversary Birthday Party @ Assateague National Seashore
(Northside) -- BBQ and Family Picnic -- All Day -- Distribution of our
first ASC t-shirts! Read about it in the reports section. |
|
| June
11-13, 2004 - ASC Guys and Gals Weekend & Toes on the Nose (TOTN) Longboard
Team Challenge Surfrider Foundation OC Weekend |
 |
|
