The Easts Coast Surfing Championship is forced to take a day off because of Hurricane Erin

(A photograph taken by Tony Pellino shows crews dismantling the judges tower at the East Coast Surfing Championships – Thanks Tony)

If you head to the Oceanfront Thursday to watch the East Coast Surfing Championships during some wild surf brought on by Hurricane Erin, try not to be disappointed.

City Emergency Management officials ordered organizers after a meeting with the event’s staff to clear the beach for Thursday because of dangerous surf and potentially high storm surge.

Crews were hustling this afternoon to take down the judges tower, tents – even the large main stage – in preparation of Erin’s pass to the east.

“The main concern was the storm surge,” organizer Tony Pellino said around 7 Wednesday evening. “Everything had to come down and be removed from the beach.

“They’ve given us the green light to build it back on Friday, so we’ll be at it bright and early.”

That could depend on how much Erin was still churning the coast.

The National Hurricane Center is calling for conditions to lighten on Friday, but said waves and rip currents would still be “extremely” dangerous into Friday night.

As of its 5 p.m. update Wednesday, Erin was moving to the north at 14 mph but was expected to make a turn to the northeast.

It’s wind field continued to spread, which was helping the storm create the bad conditions.

The cyclone remained a Cat 2 system and had winds of 110 mph. It was over the warm waters of the Gulf Stream and there was only a slight chance of minor strengthening.

Waves had already breeched the sand dunes along Hatteras Island and water was flooding many streets.