WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH - A highway marker was unveiled, recognizing the island as the birthplace of surfing in North Carolina.
Burke Haywood Bridgers brought the sport to Wrightsville Beach in 1909, founding the earliest known surfing movement in the state.
Today the island hosts major surfing events and has been named one of the top surfing destinations in the world by National Geographic.
"This just provides credibility that surfing is a sport,” John Sideris of Wrightsville Beach Museum said. “It provides an outlet for people and helps young people as well as older people learn about sportsmanship, having fun, and it’s the best exercise in the world."
The highway marker will highlight Wrightsville Beach as the "pioneer in east coast surfing" and will stand at the intersection of Waynick Boulevard and Bridgers Street.