St. Rose freshman Gavin Mitchell wins U14 Eastern Surfing Championship
October 6, 2023 at 7:00 a.m.
Three cheers for the Jersey boy! Competing against surfers from up and down the East Coast, St. Rose of Belmar freshman Gavin Mitchell won the U14 championship at the Eastern Surfing Association’s Easterns Surfing Championship at Jennette’s Pier the week of Sep. 17-23 in Nags Head, North Carolina.
Easterns are the ESA’s largest event, bringing top amateur surfers from Maine through Florida to the Outer Banks to compete in 23 age divisions that include shortboard and longboard. Mitchell also took third in the open shortboard.
His success did not come as a surprise to St. Rose coach Adam Iatesta, who saw Gavin’s talent from the start.
During summer practices, Iatesta and coach Gary Finnigan were “immediately impressed by his ability in the water,” Iatesta said. “He is surfing at a level much higher than expected for his age. His performance at the Easterns Surfing Championship was incredible.”
Mitchell was competing in the same contest that his father, Jason, took part in when he was a teen. This was his fifth year of competing in the ESCs. He had made the finals twice but finished third both times.
“I kind of got a little frustrated the past couple of years, so this was just cool to win it,” Gavin said. “I kind of felt confident from my earlier heats (in the finals).”
Mitchell qualified by winning the East Coast Regionals in Atlantic City after finishing second there the past two years.
“That gave me a lot of confidence,” he said. “But I was still nervous because I knew some of the other competitors (in the finals) were good too.”
The format for the championships started with an opening round, and two surfers from each group advanced to the quarterfinals, two advanced to the semifinals, and four reached the finals. Surfers got 12 rides in the finals and the top two scores counted. Mitchell’s top two totaled just over 13, making him this year’s U14 champ.
“It just feels great,” he said. “It means I’m number one on the East Coast for U14 after doing this for five years.”
In gaining the win, Mitchell beat out North Carolina’s Taylor Meekins, who had better scores than him in the earlier rounds. But the Ocean Township resident felt good about his chances while waiting for the scores to be announced.
“I kind of felt I’d done it because I was watching the other competitors and they weren’t getting that many waves,” Mitchell said. “So, I knew I was ahead.”
Gavin is a member of Oakhurst Methodist Church and feels he has learned more about leaning on his faith since entering a Catholic school. He grew up surfing the Jersey beaches of Allenhurst and Deal, and also surfs in Belmar and Spring Lake. He feels the waves down south offer a greater challenge and greater chance to excel.
“I think there’s a big difference,” Mitchell said. “You have a really long pier you can paddle out on; the waves are a lot longer and more powerful.”
He will be riding those kinds of waves in the upcoming year after being invited to the USA Prime Surfing event, sponsored by the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA).
Obviously, Iatesta is thrilled to see what a member of his team is accomplishing.
“He has established a name for himself very early on in his surfing career,” the Purple Roses coach said. “He will be one of the top surfers to watch at the NSSA Northeast High School Championships.”
The Prime Surfing competition begins in Atlantic City Oct. 28-29, moves to Florida for two events at the end of February, and one in North Carolina at the end of May. That will feed into the United States Surfing Championships for the entire nation in San Clemente, Cal.
“The main amateur surfing organization that is recognized for the Olympics is the USA Prime Surfing,” said Jason Mitchell, who serves as a private coach for his son. “He’s been competing in it for three years, and this will be his first time surfing in that. His results in Atlantic City in the USA Prime last year were high enough to get him into this year’s championships.
“The kids in that are unbelievable,” Jason continued. “It’s great competition for him to be exposed to. He’ll surf in that for the first time this year.”
It will be the most challenging competition to date for Gavin, and he feels ready.
“I feel good,” he said. “Especially after winning in Atlantic City and coming off of a win in North Carolina.”
Confidence is the name of the game; and Mitchell has plenty as he continues to try and make the Jersey surfing community proud.
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Three cheers for the Jersey boy! Competing against surfers from up and down the East Coast, St. Rose of Belmar freshman Gavin Mitchell won the U14 championship at the Eastern Surfing Association’s Easterns Surfing Championship at Jennette’s Pier the week of Sep. 17-23 in Nags Head, North Carolina.
Easterns are the ESA’s largest event, bringing top amateur surfers from Maine through Florida to the Outer Banks to compete in 23 age divisions that include shortboard and longboard. Mitchell also took third in the open shortboard.
His success did not come as a surprise to St. Rose coach Adam Iatesta, who saw Gavin’s talent from the start.
During summer practices, Iatesta and coach Gary Finnigan were “immediately impressed by his ability in the water,” Iatesta said. “He is surfing at a level much higher than expected for his age. His performance at the Easterns Surfing Championship was incredible.”
Mitchell was competing in the same contest that his father, Jason, took part in when he was a teen. This was his fifth year of competing in the ESCs. He had made the finals twice but finished third both times.
“I kind of got a little frustrated the past couple of years, so this was just cool to win it,” Gavin said. “I kind of felt confident from my earlier heats (in the finals).”
Mitchell qualified by winning the East Coast Regionals in Atlantic City after finishing second there the past two years.
“That gave me a lot of confidence,” he said. “But I was still nervous because I knew some of the other competitors (in the finals) were good too.”
The format for the championships started with an opening round, and two surfers from each group advanced to the quarterfinals, two advanced to the semifinals, and four reached the finals. Surfers got 12 rides in the finals and the top two scores counted. Mitchell’s top two totaled just over 13, making him this year’s U14 champ.
“It just feels great,” he said. “It means I’m number one on the East Coast for U14 after doing this for five years.”
In gaining the win, Mitchell beat out North Carolina’s Taylor Meekins, who had better scores than him in the earlier rounds. But the Ocean Township resident felt good about his chances while waiting for the scores to be announced.
“I kind of felt I’d done it because I was watching the other competitors and they weren’t getting that many waves,” Mitchell said. “So, I knew I was ahead.”
Gavin is a member of Oakhurst Methodist Church and feels he has learned more about leaning on his faith since entering a Catholic school. He grew up surfing the Jersey beaches of Allenhurst and Deal, and also surfs in Belmar and Spring Lake. He feels the waves down south offer a greater challenge and greater chance to excel.
“I think there’s a big difference,” Mitchell said. “You have a really long pier you can paddle out on; the waves are a lot longer and more powerful.”
He will be riding those kinds of waves in the upcoming year after being invited to the USA Prime Surfing event, sponsored by the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA).
Obviously, Iatesta is thrilled to see what a member of his team is accomplishing.
“He has established a name for himself very early on in his surfing career,” the Purple Roses coach said. “He will be one of the top surfers to watch at the NSSA Northeast High School Championships.”
The Prime Surfing competition begins in Atlantic City Oct. 28-29, moves to Florida for two events at the end of February, and one in North Carolina at the end of May. That will feed into the United States Surfing Championships for the entire nation in San Clemente, Cal.
“The main amateur surfing organization that is recognized for the Olympics is the USA Prime Surfing,” said Jason Mitchell, who serves as a private coach for his son. “He’s been competing in it for three years, and this will be his first time surfing in that. His results in Atlantic City in the USA Prime last year were high enough to get him into this year’s championships.
“The kids in that are unbelievable,” Jason continued. “It’s great competition for him to be exposed to. He’ll surf in that for the first time this year.”
It will be the most challenging competition to date for Gavin, and he feels ready.
“I feel good,” he said. “Especially after winning in Atlantic City and coming off of a win in North Carolina.”
Confidence is the name of the game; and Mitchell has plenty as he continues to try and make the Jersey surfing community proud.