Texas surfing really came of age when 15,000 fans jammed the beach at Galveston Island near Houston and watched Pat Harral and Pam Curtiss defend their titles in the second annual Texas State Championships.

Harral and Curtiss were among 300 surfers in four divisions who competed April 6-7 in three-foot surf. The small waves put the emphasis on performance, and Harral, rated a real comer in Texas surfing circles, had to go all out to score a narrow victory over George Snyder. Pam Curtiss, a veteran of top national contests, also was given a fight for first-place honors, narrowly beating Gloria Dunn.

In addition to the beach crowd, the contest also was seen by an estimated 750,000 television viewers who, the following Sunday, tuned in a 60-minute taped report of the action that was beamed throughout the state.

"This is the biggest boost surfing ever has had in Texas," commented Head Judge Mack Blaker.

There were nice prizes for Harral and Curtiss, including two all-expense jet trips to the U.S. Championships next fall at Huntington Beach, California. Also, each first-place winner in all four divisions received a surfboard, a 17-jewel watch, a transistor radio and, of course, a shiny trophy.

Judge Blaker said the competition had added importance because it demonstrated that surfing has the support of civic and commercial interests in the Lone Star State. The city of Galveston Tourist Development Bureau enthusiastically endorsed and helped organize the contest, and sponsors included the Pepsi-Cola Company and Houston radio station KIKK. Blaker predicted there will be twice the support for next year's competition because the contest showed surfing's popularity as a crowd pleasing sport and also as a tourist attraction. Blaker sees a bright future for the sport in Texas.

The contest was judged under rules of the Gulf Coast Surfing Association, which is patterned along the lines of the Western and Eastern Associations. Judges included Margaret Harper, Dick Bishop, George Loe and Norman Akin - all active in Texas surfing. Surfing along Texas' Gulf Coast really has been growing in the past year, and if you want to know about the waves - well, just ask any Texas surfer.

The hurricane season is especially good with big swells frequently rolling across the Gulf of Mexico. During Hurricane Beulah, for example, swells at Galveston's 25th Street were measured by the U.S. Weather Bureau at sixteen feet. However, most of the Gulf waves are in the three- to five-foot category. Texas surfers are fast improving, and the locals predict big things for Lone Star competitors in this year's contest season. Harral and Curtiss will be seeded at Huntington Beach, and there will be other Texas stars battling for honors on the contest circuit, among them: Leonard Guidoz, who made his reputation when he won the boys' division last year at the East Coast Championships at Virginia Beach; junior Pat Magee and goofy-foot Mike Gollihar.

The major Gulf Coast surfing spots include Port Isabel (usually considered the best), Port Aransas and Galveston. The shorebreak at Port Isabel is really hot, and when it gets too big, the outside cove breaks well. Port Aransas has a good consistent break, too. The best area is next to the pier, but as is with many East Coast beaches, government "sod busters" have barred surfing in these areas. Many of these legislators have never even seen this beach, but the rich property owners have more influence than surfers do.

During one hurricane, beautiful blue overhead waves broke in the cove with point break perfection and a wild backwash on the inside. During a recent contest, the heats were held in nice three-foot shorebreak waves, and Tom Lonardo said the waves looked like a small, glassy day at his front yard back at Huntington Beach, California. Rusty Miller, also on the scene, said, "Don't try to compare Texas waves to California; just enjoy them."