VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Drive down Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach, and you'd be hard-pressed to find much that's been around longer than the East Coast Surfing Championship.
2020 marks the 58th version of the event in a row. It also marks perhaps the most unlikely version of the event to see surfers in the Atlantic. Coronavirus seemed poised to cancel or postpone the Virginia Beach staple, as it had to other surfing championships around the world.
A tireless effort by the staff and a number of safety protocols means that not only will the event take place, but it will take place during the weekend it has long owned on the Oceanfront calendar.
That, combined with the previously mentioned worldwide cancellations, means ECSC is now the longest-running continuous surfing contest in the world.
Temperature checks upon entry, masks, social distancing, a 50 person capacity including surfers, and no spectators are among the precautions that led the health department to approve the event.
Those who were still hoping to see the competition can stream the event live on the ECSC Facebook page.