History
The Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps was started in the winter of 1990 in Camden County, New Jersey by a group of area school band directors, led by Bob Jacobs, who wanted more performance opportunities for their students than halftime shows during football season. [2] When an organizational meeting was held at Edgewood High School, more than fifty prospective members arrived from the southern New Jersey area, as well as from Pennsylvania and Delaware. The organization was chartered as Explorer Post 333 and began holding rehearsals at the Berlin Community School, moving to Berlin Park when warm weather arrived. The corps made its public debut on June 29, 1991, playing the National Anthem at the Independence Classic drum corps show at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. The corps wore rented high school band uniforms. [3] [4]
When the Surf entered competition in 1992, it had one hundred two members. The corps was undefeated in the Garden State Circuit. They also competed in three Drum Corps East (DCE) shows, and, in its first-ever DCI show, the Jersey Surf finished fourth of seven Division II and III corps at the DCI East Regional prelims. The corps, now based at Edgewood Junior High School in Atco, New Jersey purchased the corps' first equipment truck and two blue school buses. The corps made its debut at the DCI World Championships at the Division II prelims in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1994, finishing in fifteenth place among eighteen corps. In 1995 the corps added championship-caliber staff members and bought a semi-trailer equipment truck. [3] [4]
The 1996 Surf bought diesel buses, and after winter rehearsals at Fort Dix, was ready for the season and made its first Finals at DCE. Bus problems almost scuttled the tour to DCI in Orlando, Florida, but they arrived and finished seventh of thirteen Division II corps with their program "Cool Tunes from the Back of the Bus" that enhanced their growing reputation as a crowd-pleasing corps. In 1997 and '98, the corps expanded its touring and returned to DCI in Orlando, finishing in sixth both years and just missing the five corps Division II Finals. The 1998 corps was voted "Most Improved Division II Corps" by the Division II corps directors. The 1999, Surf was again Garden State Circuit Champions. They toured into Canada for the first time on the way to DCI World Championships in Madison, Wisconsin. At Camp Randall Stadium, the corps got the first of three standing ovations for their warm-up tune, "On, Wisconsin!" Finishing in fifth place of the twelve corps in prelims, the Jersey Surf made their first DCI Division II Finals. The 2000 season found the Surf riding the crest of the wave. They won three contests, including the DCI Atlantic championship, on their way to a return visit to Division II Finals. At College Park, Maryland, they were fifth of fourteen corps in prelims. Their fourth-place finish in Division II Finals earned them a berth in the Division I Quarterfinals, where they finished twenty-first. [3] [4]
Over the next six seasons, the Jersey Surf would be a consistent finalist within Division II, but would not truly challenge for the title until 2007. In 2004, the corps moved from Berlin to Mount Holly, although they continue to have facilities in both Berlin and New Brunswick and have camps in Sicklerville. The 2007 corps toured the West Coast, winning shows in Washington, Oregon, and California en route to DCI Championships in Pasadena. The Jersey Surf was in first place after DCI's Division II Quarterfinals, but was passed by the Spartans in Semifinals and took second place in Finals. In 2008, the Surf was undefeated until meeting the Blue Devils B in Ohio. Then, they were third in Open Class Quarterfinals in Michigan City, Indiana, a position they held through Semifinals and Finals in Bloomington, Indiana. [3] [4]
When the DCI Board of Directors approved the new, two-division competition format beginning in 2008, only World Class corps were guaranteed being paid for their performances. In light of this, following the 2008 season, the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps elected to leave Open Class and compete in World Class. After being evaluated by the DCI Board as to the organization's competitive and fiscal stability, the corps became a DCI World Class corps in 2009. [5]
In 2015, Janina Gavankar filmed the music video "Don't Look Down" with Jersey Surf. [6] [7]
The corps song is Pure Imagination. [8]
Jersey Surf’s 2024 "Surfadelic" used soul and funk music. [9] Tuition and tour fees are $6,000. [10]
