Words by: Will Buehn
It was a classic spring-break Saturday at Sebastian Inlet. A fun leftover swell was pitching little emerald peaks, fishing boats were catching bruisers against the jetty, and manatees were lumbering through the lineup. Even rays were getting airborne out the back.
But on the beach, it looked more like a mid-aughts Sebastian Inlet Pro, with contest tents and crowds stretching wide from First Peak to Second—and Florida’s best surfers in jerseys for the day.
The place was packed and the stoke was simmering—it was finals day for The Florida Cup presented by Fat Tire.
A culmination of the 2025 club circuit for the Florida Board Riders, the Murf x Sebastian Inlet Championship on March 22 brought the best of Florida team surfing down south to battle for Sunshine-State bragging rights at a wave that’s bred more world champs than any other.
With the top two clubs from the north and south divisions qualified (plus the high third overall), it was the Space Coast, Jacksonville, New Smyrna, Flagler, and Daytona Beach clubs who had earned their shot at The Cup.
Dick "Mez" Meseroll
Fun conditions, core community, and healthy competition—plus a chance to qualify for the 2026 World Club Challenge in Australia—what more could you ask for from a Board Riders state championship?
“We’ve been doing this since 2020, and this has got to be the pinnacle of all events so far,” says Florida Board Riders Executive Director Dane Jefferys. “Everybody bought in this year. There were full rosters, full squads—the whole community came together. It was five years of work, and we can see that it paid off.”
Legends help Space Coast soar to victory
With the sun low on the horizon and water temps still warmer than the crisp morning air, Space Coast’s David Speir eyed a corner during the third-heat 50’s division and stalled into a small cover-up.
When he cleared out from the thin curtain, the 2024 East Coast Hall of Fame inductee and Sebastian legend finished the wave with a few wrapping turns before fixing his eyes on the shore to find Space Coast’s coach, CT, scrambling a signal. Speir knew what to do, tossing his hands over his head to claim a double whammy and turn his already excellent 9.17 into a crushing 18.34.
That score not only landed Speir the BlueBird Hard Water Wave of the Day (worth one hundred big ones), but it also launched the Space Coast into orbit and onto an eventual victory at The Florida Cup.
“For us, this is one of those wins that’s an accumulation of five years of work,” Says Mason Sapp, Space Coast President. “All the divisions really worked out for us. We took a big win at home here, and yeah, it’s our history. These guys—the 50-year-olds who were part of this process and made it happen—they’re the ones who clearly propelled us into that spot today where we were feeling comfortable.”
Dick "Mez" Meseroll
Sealing the deal
Last year, after a strong start, Space Coast let The Cup slip away to Jax under home-break advantage in Duval. But this year, their veterans, like Speir, exploited their own connection with a wave they grew up on by kickstarting the club toward an almost cruise-control victory.
“This is David’s wave. He’s cut his teeth out here. He’s been on the cover of Surfing ...
