Luke Johnson Wins Northeast Regional Short Board Contest

Luke Johnson, 22 and a Whaler alumni, finished in first place in the Northeast Regionals short board contest this past weekend, which is sponsored by the Eastern Surfing Association. Johnson said this was a very important contest for him and something he was hoping to achieve a lot of success in.

"It is the best surfers from Maryland to Maine competing for spots in the 2022 ESA East Coast Championships, which is in North Carolina this coming September," Johnson said. "If you place high enough in that, you are flown out to Huntington Beach for the NSA championships, which is the current goal for me."

Johnson said the competition consisted of classic east coast conditions.

"Sideways rain, thunder and lightning, and tiny waves, I was pretty bummed to be knocked out early in the quarterfinals of the Open Division, which is everyone and anyone from all ages and definitely the category to win," Johnson said. "It was really nice to come out on top of the men's division though after an early round loss. It’s really hard for me in smaller conditions because I am a pretty big dude compared to the kids I drew."

Johnson said this was his first major win in a competition. He said his goal for Easterns this fall is to win the mens and the open. He wants to be the best and if the conditions align, he believes he can accomplish this goal.

"I’m going to work hard in the gym, on land, and in the water to do everything I can to secure the win. I always listen to some of my favorite surfers and some of them say your work out of the water is what matters most," Johnson said. "This win is also huge for my resume to look for support for future contests."

Johnson said this was the first time he competed in contests since high school.