Jersey Surf History

The Jersey Surf was founded in the winter of 1990 by a group of area band instructors who wanted to provide a year-’round activity for band members who wanted to do more after the traditional marching band season had ended. The first organizational meeting of the corps was held in the cafeteria at Edgewood High School and was attended by more than fifty interested students from throughout Southern New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. The corps was chartered as Explorer Post 333 and held its first rehearsals at the Berlin Community School. Warmer weather and the end of the school year moved the corps’ rehearsals to the Berlin Park near the Farmers’ Market. The Corps’ debut performance was at the 1991 Independence Classic Drum and Bugle Corps competition at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field. The corps performed the Star Spangled Banner in band uniforms that were rented from a local high school. The response to the performance resulted in a large number of new applicants.

1992

The Surf fielded its first competitive corps in the summer of 1992, with 102 members. The corps performed arrangements of classics by Harry Connick, Jr. and Doc Sevrenson, entering contests in the Garden State Circuit and Drum Corps East. The corps also performed for the first time at the DCI Eastern Regional Championship at Allentown, Pa. The corps finished the season undefeated in Garden State Circuit competition, capturing the championship in Bayonne, NJ that August. Overnight camps were held for the first time, and operation was based at Edgewood Jr. High School in Atco, NJ. Highlights included purchasing the corps’ first equipment truck, a 1976 Ford U-Haul, which became known as “The Cow,” and two blue school buses.

1993

In 1993, camps were now a monthly proposition. The repertoire for the season was one continuous 11 minute piece from the soundtrack of “A League of Their Own.” The guard was costumed in baseball uniforms, and utilized balls, gloves and bats in the show. The corps’ “touring” debut was made at the DCE Championships, rolling into Nashua, New Hampshire on three chartered buses and performing on a baseball field for its championship performance.

1994

In 1994 the corps performed the music of Barbara Streisand and the program continued to expand. The corps purchased its third school bus and fourth bus engine. Operations moved from Edgewood to the Camden County Vo-Tech. The corps performed a full schedule of weekend DCE shows, competed in the DCE Championships in Connecticut and made its debut at the DCI Championships at Foxboro, MA.

1995

1995 marked several key turning points in the history of the organization. New staff members were added, many of whom had world class instructional and performance experience, with several world championships between them. The corps purchased a tractor-trailer which was a symbol of growth for the organization and a tremendous source of pride for corps members. Traveling increased to include a mini-tour during the 4th of July weekend, and an 11 day tour which led to the corps’ second performance at the DCI World Championships, held in Buffalo, NY. The corps finished 8th in DCI Division II competition, with the percussion section finishing third, and brass finishing fifth.

1996

After a chilly November camp at the Pine Hill Scout Reservation, the 1996 corps continued to develop its crowd-pleasing reputation; with an extremely strong winter at the Ft. Dix military installation and having all of its drill completed by Memorial Day! The corps added three diesel buses to its fleet, including the infamous “SEPTA” staff bus. The repertoire, “Cool Tunes from the Back of the Bus,” featured music of Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder and Tower of Power. The corps attained finalist status for the first time at the DCE Championships, held in Allentown PA. As a finalist, the corps captured high percussion honors and completed the DCE tour undefeated in percussion. After achieving finalist status at the North American Open in Nashville, TN, the corps experienced bus problems which were nearly catastrophic, but the corps proceeded to complete the tour to the World Championships in Orlando, FL. The corps finished the season ranked 7th in Div. II.

1997

The 1997 season featured “More Cool Tunes.” The corps continued to expand its touring radius, adding “mini-tours” to the far reaches of Western Pennsylvania and New York. A highlight of the corps’ season was a special parade performance through Manhattan as a part of the World Premiere of Walt Disney’s Hercules. The corps was treated a huge live audience of more than 2 million lining the route along NY City’s famed 42nd street. At the DCI World Championships in Orlando, the corps finished in 6th place. Highlights of championship week included a one-night stay in the grand ballroom at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, which had only been opened for eight days prior to the corps’ arrival; and an all-day rehearsal session on the perfectly manicured fields of Walt Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. The corps staff was recognized at the World Championships as DCI’s “Volunteers of the Year.”

1998

The 1998 Surf made its way back to the Florida Citrus Bowl for its third Orlando appearance at the DCI World Championships, again finishing in a disappointing sixth place, again just out of a finalist berth. With a “blast from the drum corps past” opening selection of the classic drum corps tune “Pictures of Spain,” the corps received rousing standing ovations at their performances in West Chester University, Giants Stadium, and at the World Championship Prelims. The corps was selected the 1998 “Most Improved Division II Corps of the Year” by the directors of the Division II corps at their annual meeting in October.

1999

The 1999 Season ended with the corps’ first performance ever at the World Championship Finals. Before a record II/III finals night audience in excess of 10,000 fans, the corps took the field at the legendary Camp Randall Stadium at the University of Wisconsin and performed it’s repertoire of “It Ain’t Necessarily Summertime” featuring several non-traditional treatments from Gershwin’s classic “Porgy and Bess.” Prior to the performance, the corps performed a field warm-up arrangement of “On Wisconsin!” earning its first of three standing ovations for the evening.Its largest tour to date, lasted some sixteen days, and extended to Canada for the first time. The Surf achieved finalist status at the Garden State, Canadian and North American Open contests, and was again crowned the Garden State Circuit Champions.

2000

The 2000 Season was one of great surprises and tremendous growth for the corps once again. Performing its repertoire of reworked Georges Bizet Opera, “Re-inCARMEN-ation” earned the corps not only its second appearance in the DCI Division II Finals, but a DCI Open Class Quarterfinalist spot as well. The Championship week festivities, held in College Park, MD, provided a incredible backdrop for the corps first ever tour video, and saw the Surf’s colorguard earn top honors during the final week of competition. Earlier in the season, the corps was crowned DCI Atlantic Division Champions at a memorable “coming out party” at the University of Pennsylvania’s fabled Franklin FieldS1?4 the site of the corps debut some ten years earlier. The corps repeated as finalists at the Garden State Open and North American Open contests as well.

2001

The corps continued to provide a creative outlet for its members and staff in 2001, featuring a repertoire of Pat Metheny jazz tunes designed with unique twists. The corps narrowly missed a finalist slot at the DCI Championships which returned to Buffalo, but maintained its crown as the DCI Altantic Division II Champion. The Surf was a finalist at the Garden State Open and the North American Open, and won its home show in Blackwood, NJ before a sell-out audience.

2002

2002 saw the corps take a sharp “turn” in its appearance, with the traditional “Dress White” corps uniform being used only during early season competitive shows, as well as parades and retreat performances. Performing a show entitled “Our Side of the Story: A Celebration of the Spirit of Youth,” corps members appeared in denim “costumes,” with the colorguard changing costumes several times during the show, including one scene with brightly colored wigs and ballerina tutus. After a slow start with an incomplete show, the corps worked hard to quickly gain momentum on its competitors, and regained finalist status at the World Championships in Madison, WI. Adding “On Wisconsin!” to the field show for finals week, the corps received three standing ovations, and had one of the most-talked-about performances of DCI’s 30th Anniversary season

2003

The 2003 Season found the Jersey Surf traveling “Down the Shore” with a creative production incorporating another costume, consisting of authentic surf gear, specially designed shirts, visors and surfer shoes. Featuring selections ranging from Beach Boys classics to excerpts from Bernstein’ “On the Waterfront,” the corps was a big hit wherever it appeared, from the friendly confines of Surf City, NJ through the Summer Music Games tour return visit to Orlando, FL. Highlights of the 2003 season included the corps recognition by the Walt Disney Company which awarded the “Down the Shore” production the coveted “Spirit of Disney Award” for creative, educational and performance excellence and innovation. Housing snafus in Orlando forced the corps to seek shelter in a Super8 Motel in downtown Orlando, just a few miles from the performance stadium. Corps members were delighted to have access to beds, hot showers, air conditioning, a swimming pool and the ability to order takeout pizza from establishments located near the motel.The Surf was again a finalist at the Division II and III Championships, which were held on Saturday morning for the first time in DCI history.

2004

In 2004, the corps continued its experiment with non-traditional costuming, donning leisure suits for the first half of its “Lounging Around with the Fabulous Jersey Surf” production. Covering the “wonderfully cheezy lounge sound” on the football field was no easy feat… but the corps transformed each stadium into a full scale lounge scene, complete with members of the brass section changing costumes and turning into quite possibly the largest marching Elvis ensemble ever mounted for the second half of the production. With tremendous audience response wherever it went on it longest tour ever through Tennessee, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, the corps again finished the season at the World Championships — this time in Denver, CO — by achieving finalist status and capturing it’s second consecutive “Spirit of Disney” honor: a feat never before accomplished by a Division II drum corps. A special “grand finale” was added to the corps’ performance for the Saturday morning of Grand Finals, where a carnival wheel was mounted to the drum major’s podium, giving the corps the option of ending the show or instructing it to Take the Penalty by ending the show over the front boundary and merely inches from the front row of the audience. Much to the delight of everyone in attendance, the corps took the penalty; winning the hearts of their fans and their place in drum corps folklore.

2005

The 2005 season brought about another set of milestones, with the corps celebrating its fifteenth anniversary by embarking on two different “tours,”and performing in an expanded schedule of shows and events…all while fielding the largest corps in its history, breaking the “60-horn”mark for the first time. Performing a repertoire of popular classics under the theme of “The Jersey Surf Enjoys an Evening at The Pops,”the corps again drew upon its own talent to energize audiences throughout the eastern seaboard, leading into another finalist berth at the DCI World Championships in Brockton,Mass.,and capturing its third consecutive “Spirit of Disney” honor; a feat never before achieved in DCI history. The field show’s finale featured foam-rubber “fireworks” rockets fired from slingshots behind the front percussion ensemble, as the color guard maneuvered 22-foot-tall “feather flags” which combined to create a stunning backdrop reminiscent of the American flag. This season also debuted a new, darker uniform but maintained elements from the past as well.

2006

The 2006 season featured a repertoire based on music from the popular motion picture “Moulin Rouge,” complete with authentic “Can-Can” costumes for the finale. The corps achieved DCI Division II Finalist status for the seventh time. Behind the scenes, the corps celebrated the arrival of its first-ever mobile kitchen truck, which was a huge boost for the corps already famous food service program. The corps helped to bring drum and bugle corps action back to the fabled Maxwell Field in Wildwood, New Jersey, hosting its home show there before an enthusiastic “bring your own chair” audience, made necessary due to delays in constructing new grandstands at the site. The evening was capped off by a memorable and emotional joint performance with the famous Bayonne Bridgemen, playing their classic “Battle Hymn.”