D.C. native puts nation's capital on surfers' maps

By Karl Hille
Examiner Staff Writer
Published: Monday, August 29, 2005 11:18 PM EDT


A little to the east of Maui - across 2,300 miles of the Pacific Ocean and about 3,600 feet of dry land - lies the East Coast of the U.S., a surf destination one Washington native wants the world to see through his eyes.

Will Lucas, 59, still surfs and has produced two documentary films on the evolution and current state of East Coast surfing. The latest, "Cruisin' Atlantic Avenue," came out this month and looks into the history of surf shops in the Washington region.

 

He chronicles the lives of many fellow surf aficionados who made the weekly trek out to Ocean City to ride the waves. Many managed to turn their passion into money by running surf shops and selling lessons.

"I was making that same trip in the '60s, looking for waves. In 1998, after commuting the Beltway for years and surfing on weekends, I left my job of more than 30 years in Washington to fulfill my lifetime passion for surfing."

He now catches waves out of Melbourne Beach, Fla., when he is not editing film and keeping in touch with fellow board riders up and down the coast.

The films do more than show good footage of his favorite sport, said Tony Sasso, a lifetime surfer, city commissioner for Cocoa Beach, Fla., and director of the East Coast Hall of Fame Surf Museum there.

"They're kind of a step beyond a documentary. It's a very interesting and fun-to-watch documentary," he said.

The museum features the 2004 film "Waves of Reflection," which Sasso said chronicles the history and culture of East Coast surfing.

"Most people don't appreciate the riches and culture of East Coast surfing because most of the magazines and movies come out of the West Coast," Sasso said.