Tom Curren returned to the winners podium this past weekend at the Coastal Edge ECSC presented by Vans after winning the first ever Reef Clash of the Legends “East Coast’ edition. Curren took home $10,000 and is guaranteed a seed in the Reef Clash of the Legends during the upcoming 2011 Reef Hawaiian Pro.

To avoid Hurricane Irene’s Virginia Beach landfall the Reef Clash of the Legends event was moved up to Friday capitalizing on the ideal “Calm before the Storm’ conditions. The sun was shining and the waves were pumping as Sunny Garcia, Tom Curren, Brad Gerlach and Tom Holland put on a show for the frothing Virginia Beach crowd.

The highlight of the 30-minute heat was when Curren and Gerlach went wave for wave on contestable 2-3 foot 100 yard right-handers off the Virginia Beach 1st street jetty. Gerlach earned the highest scoring wave of the heat posting an 8.33, but Curren answered back with a solid 8.10. That score coupled with his earlier 7.67 was enough to crown him the first ever Clash of the Legends “East Coast’ edition champion.

Curren, a former ECSC champion and 3 x World Champion, commented, “I’m just stoked to be competing and back on the podium, especially amongst old friends.”

Reef will look to reunite four more legends during the 2011 Reef Hawaiian Pro in November. Curren has automatically earned his bid to compete but stay tuned to see what other legends will make a run for glory and a piece of the $20,000 prize purse in Haleiwa, HI November 12-23rd.

FINAL SCORES:

1st 15.77 Tom Curren

2nd 15.16 Brad Gerlach

3rd 11.96 Sunny Garcia

4th 11.64 Todd Holland