DATE: Monday, August 25, 1997               TAG: 9708250168

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   74 lines

SECOND-PLACE FINISH BUOYS CURRAN'S SURFING TITLE HOPES CALIFORNIAN IS EDGED BY BRAZILIAN IN VIRGINIA BEACH EVENT BUT CLOSES IN ON TITLE.

Diminishing swells and a Brazilian surfer got in Tim Curran's way at the 35th annual East Coast Surfing Championships at the Oceanfront.

A victory in the men's professional division Sunday would have given the Oxnard, Calif., surfer enough points in the Clarion Surf Tour to lay claim to the overall title with one event remaining. Jeff Deffenbaugh, in second place, left the door open by failing to make it out of the semifinals.

Curran managed a second-place finish, however, and likely enough breathing room to take the series and a shot at qualifying for the World Tour.

``It was tough out there,'' said Curran, 20, who has won two events on the six-stop tour. ``It was surfable, but it really seemed like it was dying as the tide came in.

``I was surprised by the last two days' waves. They were kind of fun, and I was really surfing good. But it was so close, and it probably came down to one wave.''

When the points were tabulated for the best four waves out of a maximum of 12 ridden in the 30-minute, four-man final, Danilo Costa had won the $5,000 top prize by the slightest of margins. Curran took home $2,500.

``I'm sorry, I don't speak English very well,'' the 19-year-old Costa said. ``It is nice here, and I rode the waves . . . . pretty well.''

Costa also advanced to the semifinals of the junior professional division.

Felina Spires of Orman, Fla., captured the professional women's division's $1,800 top prize, managing to capture some cleanly shaped waves off the First Street Jetty.

``I love this contest,'' the 24-year-old said. ``This is my third year here, and now I've won it twice. I finished second last year.

``I have family in Virginia Beach, so that makes it nicer. But this is my biggest win of the year, so it's even nicer than that.''

Cocoa Beach, Fla., youngsters C.J. and Damien Hobgood dominated the professional juniors division - taking first and third, respectively. C.J. Hobgood won $3,000.

The pro side also featured its first long-board event, with Joel Tudor of Delmar, Calif., taking the victory and $750.

The event's foundation - amateur surfing - also enjoyed some of the best-shaped waves in recent years. ``Everyone was amazed at the swell this year,'' said Clarion tour director Ian Cairns. ``It's actually a very fun wave, and it's been really great the past two days.

``Unfortunately, it's smaller today, and that makes things challenging.''

Virginia Beach amateur Grey Martin made the most of the falling conditions - taking titles in senior men's short board and master men's long board.

Bobby Hollland of Virginia Beach - who is trying to make the national team in the long-board division - took second in senior long board and third in grand masters short board.

Virginia Beach's Paul West, who works for the U.S. Surfing Federation and helped a crew of volunteers run the amateur side, was second in master long board and third in senior men's short board.

To keep interest in the sport booming, amateur directors this year started the novice menehune division for boys and girls under 12. An adult held each youth's board and gave it a shove as a wave approached. Eric Dubinski set the tone for his future with his first victory.

The ECSC is the second-oldest, continuous surfing contest in the world. Run by the Virginia Beach Jaycees as a fund-raiser, the weekend featured competitions in volleyball, skimboarding, snakeboarding and races for multi-hull sailboats and outrigger canoes. ILLUSTRATION: L. TODD SPENCER PHOTOS

M.J. Marsh of Atlantic Beach gets some air on his way to capturing

first place in the junior men's amateur finals of the East Coast

Surfing Championships at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront on Sunday.

Julie Morris, left, Jamie Dewitt, Felina Spires and Alisa Cairns

jockey for position Sunday in the final heat of the women's pro

division. Spires of Orman, Fla., ended up winning the division's

$1,800 top prize.

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