Surf Festival Begins Tonight

The International Surf Festival once again will descend upon the beach cities this coming weekend, this time for its 50th incarnation. 

The surf fest has been described as Christmas in July by more than one South Bay resident, and with good reason—the three-day event features numerous sports on land and sea, and provides heaps of entertainment for spectators and participants. 

The festival, courtesy of sponsors BEACHSPORT.org, along with the chambers of commerce and cities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, and Los Angeles County's Fire Department and Department of Beaches and Harbors, is spread across the sand and sea from Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach, and kicks off tonight with the L.A. County Lifeguard Championships in Hermosa Beach beginning at 7 p.m.

The weekend begins by showcasing the county’s strongest lifeguard teams going head-to-head in competition in an effort to prove who is the best of the beach. Events include a U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter & L.A. County Lifeguard Rescue Demo, 6-Lifeguard Run Relay, shallow-water swim relay and the Bud Stevenson Intracrew Medley Relay.

Last year, Venice took home the Intracrew Medley Relay title, the main event Friday night, for the fourth year in a row. 

The action continues bright and early Saturday morning when the International Bodysurfing Championships begin alongside the Manhattan Beach Pier at 6:45 a.m.

Surfers will take to the waves on the southside of the Hermosa Beach Pier at 7:30 a.m. in the festival’s surfing championships. Local pro and former Mira Costa surf team standout Kelly Zaun captured the junior men’s shortboard title in last year's contest. 

Also in Hermosa Beach, the Dick Fitzgerald two-mile sand run will begin at 8 a.m.

Just north, back at the Manhattan Beach Pier, the epicenter of the festival, the Charlie Saikley 6-man Volleyball Tournament is slated to serve up the action starting at 9 a.m. The 6-man is celebrating its 50^th year of world-class 6-on-6 beach volleyball, having survived near cancellation due to a nearly $100,000 funding shortfall, a tab that the Manhattan Beach City Council picked up.

Up to an estimated 60,000 spectators have packed the beach during past 6-man tournaments, drawing the ire of local residents due to the raucous partying that has become as much a part of the action as the volleyball itself. In 2010, for the first time, Manhattan Beach deployed its full police force during the two-day event, which increased the event's cost, along with other public safety measures put into place.

6-Man registration fees were increased to cover the increased costs, however, fewer teams participated in 2010, and even fewer are participating this year, still leaving a deficit.

Men’s open division winners Team Magnum [registered as Team Smack] will look to defend their title for the fourth year in a row, after making history with last year’s 3-peat. 

Saturday night at 7 p.m., area lifeguards will reignite the competition with the Southern California Lifeguard Championships back at the Hermosa Beach Pier.  The Judge Taplin three-mile lifeguard relay race highlights the event. 

Come Sunday, the festival’s final day, the entertainment shows no signs of slowing down. 

The Velzy-Stevens Paddleboard championships begin at 7:30 a.m. on the north side of the Manhattan Beach Pier. Kyle Daniels of Rancho Palos Verdes looks to defend his win in last year’s race. 

The finals rounds of the 6-man tournament will start at 9 a.m. with teams playing another full day of volleyball in their quest to win the coveted championship. 

The Dwight Crum pier-to-pier swim will also begin at 9 a.m. at the Hermosa Beach Pier. Athletes will attempt the 2.1-mile Pacific Ocean swim in an effort to be as fast as possible.