Kathy Phillips
Kathy Phillips served as the Executive Director of the Eastern Surfing Association (ESA) for more than 15 years (1990 to 2006) and is widely credited with improving the perception of East Coast surfing worldwide through her initiation of innovative programming.
Phillips took over as the ESA director following the passing of Doc Couture. Couture was seen as a brilliant mind by his friends and colleagues, but rarely kept records during his directorship tenure. Phillips was tasked with assembling a new organizational strategy from scratch.
Recognizing the long-standing disparity between the public perceptions of East vs. West Coast surfing, Phillips focused on addressing the East Coast’s image problem. She brought on a Washington, D.C. public relations firm for help. The glamour of West Coast surfing often overshadowed the East Coast scene, where many up-and-coming surfers were paying their dues and establishing strong work ethics. In Phillips’ words, “The 7,000 member ESA bills itself as the world’s largest surfing association, but the East Coast suffers in part because the (surf) industry and its leading publications are centered in and around Orange County, CA. We want to force the West Coast coalition to pay attention to us.”
On Phillips’ watch, the ESA negotiated a deal with publisher Bob Mignogna making San Clemente, CA based Surfing magazine “The Official Publication of the ESA,” which brought attention and coverage to East Coast surfers. She established the ESA’s All-Star program, which led to increased sponsorship opportunities for emerging East Coast competitors. Phillips worked toward raising awareness for the talent coming out of the Right Coast, reminding the public that the East Coast held more professional world titles than California and Hawaii combined — and that many world champions cut their teeth competing in the ESA.
Phillips has been a key member of several environmental advocacy organizations, fighting tirelessly for the health of her home state, Maryland’s, coastal habitats. She has served as the Executive Director for the Assateague Coastal Trust and a member of the Bay Enforcement Network and the Maryland Clean Agriculture Coalition, and has sat on the Maryland Stormwater Consortium. As a Coastkeeper for Waterkeepers Chesapeake, she monitored coastal watersheds for signs of pollution and ensured that local water quality laws were enforced. In 2008, Phillips was appointed by the Department of Natural Resources Secretary John Griffin to the Maryland Aquaculture Development Workgroup.
Phillips is now the Director Emeritus of the ESA Board. She was inducted into the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame in 2004.
