Feeding the need to surf

Mary-Townsend 'MT' Bourque will work for surfing.

Last December, her father, David Bourque, who introduced her to surfing when she was a young child, recognized the teenager's enthusiasm for competing and wanted her to foot part of the bills for entry fees and travel to nearly a dozen contests this year.

After all, one of the contests was the Eastern Surfing Association's Mid-Atlantic Regionals in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, in late April.

So off to work she went.

First stop, the Red & White near the Bourques' home on the Isle of Palms. She worked there on weekends during the winter, but when April rolled around and she couldn't keep that schedule, she got the boot. Then, she started dog sitting for a bargain $10 per day and landed a job at surfer-friendly board shop, Oli-Nah.

At the suggestion of a family friend, the 15-year-old set out to ask local business owners to help her and raised $1,400.

Her mother, Carol Bourque, says, 'People just opened their hearts to her.'

MT understands where her parents, who are both teachers, are coming from and wanted to help out with the costs.

'All my money has gone back into surfing,' says MT, 'and I don't consider it a loss at all.'

A good kid

While the stereotype of surfers is unjustified, she's certainly doing her part, unintentionally, to change it.

The sophomore at Wando High

in math. She's on the newspaper staff and is active in her church, Holy Cross Episcopal on Sullivan's Island.

And though young surfers gravitate to the shortboard because it's cooler, MT is more of a longboard rider.

Like so many local female surfers, she was introduced to competitive surfing at the female-only Folly Beach Wahine Classic three years ago and recalls the experience.

'I met a gazillion nice girls and immediately wanted to know when the next contest was going to be.'

Easterns this weekend

MT will be among the 16 local surfers headed to the Eastern Surfing Association Championships, aka the Easterns, at Cape Hatteras, N.C., this weekend.

Her star appears to be on the rise. She's coming off a successful Governors Cup of Surfing, the championship for South Carolina, where she was first in women's longboard, second in junior women's shortboard and fifth in an open women's division, a shortboard contest that featured several seasoned female surfing veterans. She was the youngest of the bunch.

But while talking to her, you know this girl is grounded, not full of herself. She simply loves surfing. And plans to do it the rest of her life.

'Surfing is addictive,' says MT. 'I would never choose to stop surfing. I love the water, the ocean and the sunshine too much.'

If you go

The Eastern Surfing Championships will take place at Cape Hatteras, N.C., from Sunday to Sept. 26. This event is a qualifier for this year's National Surfing Championships.

To qualify for 'Easterns,' surfers must be top finishers at the district level. Locals who are qualified for Easterns are Rick Anson, Dyer Askins, MT Bourque, Chip Campsen, Carlisle Carter, Kai Dilling, Christian Gaeta, Chris Jenkins, Joe Keane, Wade Martin, Grace Muckenfuss, Chaz Schuck, Bryant Thomas, Clint Thomas, Tara Thomas and Sully Ware.

Reach David Quick at 937-5516 or dquick@postandcourier.com.