This weekend, July 20-21, is one of the highlight weekends of the summer-long Long Beach Sea Festival.
It starts Saturday with the Catalina Ski Race, the annual water ski race from Long Beach to Avalon and back. This is accomplished in just one hour, as top world male and female skiers tackle this challenge. It's been going on for more than 60 years.
Spectators can watch from the host Mayan Hotel, from Shoreline Village, the stern of the Queen Mary (entrance fees apply) or even from aboard one of the many spectator boats which gather at the finish line.
The race starts at 9 a.m., and all the competitors are finished by 10:30. Then they celebrate at the Mayan Hotel.
Also on Saturday, there's the Kahakai Outrigger Canoe Club Sprints. This free event to the public features outrigger clubs from Southern California and Arizona, in 9-man sprint races.
This is unique in that it involves of a sprint race with race changes, which involves three paddlers jumping out of the canoe and three paddlers waiting in the water climb in the canoe to replace the ones jumping out of the canoe. Talk about entertaining!
This is happening all day at Marine Stadium and there's food for sale provided by Legend's and vendor booths.
On Sunday, those offshore power boats are back in the water for the USBA Offshore National Championships. The top racers in the world do what the skiers did the previous day – go from Long Beach to Catalina and back. Except this time they are not towing skiers.
Start time is 9 a.m., with boats finishing by 10:30. Watch from Shoreline Village, the Queen Mary stern or, if you have a boat (or know a friend with a boat), be part of the spectator fleet.