The complimentary sports of surfing and paddling are central to the South Bay lifestyle
South Bay Boardriders/Spyder Surf Contest
Manhattan Beach Pier
Sat., May 14
The 7th and final contest of the SBBC South Bay Surf Series contest is open to the public as well as club members. Professional judges, and an electronic scoreboard put these contests on a professional level, with local and visiting pros often competing. But the contests are still fun for all ages, from assisted groms pushed into waves by their parents to Super Legends (60) and over.
The South Bay Paddleboard Club has over 200 family members. In addition to contests, it offers a range of ocean related activities throughout the year, including the Introduction to Ocean Fun Series (scuba diving at Dive N’ Surf, outrigger canoe paddling with the Lanakila Outrigger Canoe Club, sailing with the King Harbor Sailing Youth Foundation, and deep sea fishing with captains Matt Meistell and Dave Schaefer).
Contest registration and other information at SouthBayBoardriders.com
Peer to Peer Talks
Zoom
Thurs., May 19
The South Bay Boardriders Club, the Beach Cities Health District and the Jimmy Miller Foundation hosts talks on mental health issues, led by Jimmy Miller Foundation ocean therapist Kevin Sousa. Previous guests have included professional surfers, whose profession grapples frequently with addiction. Attendees may participate anonymously. Guest expert to be announced.
To register visit SouthBayBoardriders.com
South Bay Paddle
Hermosa Beach Pier
Saturday, June 4
The South Bay Paddleboard Race is a 15-mile, scenic, generally smooth water race for prone paddlers only. The race starts at the Hermosa Beach Pier at 7:30 a.m., goes south to Torrance Beach, then out to the R10 Buoy, and back to the pier.
Three divisions: stock (12-foot and under), 14-foot, and unlimited. Awards are presented at a post-race party at Waterman’s, on Pier Plaza, to the top three men and women finishers in their respective divisions.
Following the start of the 15 mile race, at 8 a.m., is a three mile race from the Hermosa pier, south to the Redondo Breakwall, out half a mile to the second sail race buoy, and back to the Hermosa Pier.
Awards in the three mile race are presented to the top three finishers in the stock, 14-foot and unlimited divisions. Entry fee: $100/15-mile, $60/3-mile. Includes paddleboard raffle. Under 18 paddlers require parental consent. The South Bay Paddle was founded in 2018 by Race
directors Scott Rusher and Matt Walls. It is a qualifier for the 32-mile Catalina Classic, on Sunday, August 28.
Register at Paddleguru.com/races/TheSouthBayPaddle2022
Rock2Rock Paddleboard Race
Two Harbors Catalina Island
Sunday, June 26
Rock 2 Rock is a challenging, (generally) downwind, 22-mile, Catalina Channel crossing, from Two Harbors on Catalina Island to Cabrillo State Beach in San Pedro. The race attracts over 100 prone, stand-up, and surf ski paddlers, and is popular with relay teams. This is a Molo2Oahu, and Catalina Classic qualifier and benefits the Sarcoma Alliance and those fighting cancer.
South Bay Dozen Competition
Torrance Beach
Sunday, July 10
The South Bay Dozen is a premier event in ocean racing, drawing competitors from all over California, the East Coast, and overseas. The event features elite men and women, but also supports junior athletes by including members of the United States Surf Lifesaving Association’s High Performance Team, and the Los Angeles County Junior Lifeguard Surf Racing Team. The South Bay Dozen was founded in 2006 by Los Angeles County Lifeguards Mike and Brian Murphy, and benefits the Jimmy Miller Foundation. Events include paddleboard, surf ski, swim and running races. Points are accumulated for each event participated in, making for a full day of water sports. The first place award is a Jose Barahona longboard.
SouthBayDozen.com
Round the R10 Paddleboard Race
International Surf Festival
Torrance Beach
Saturday, Aug. 6
The 24th Annual Round the R10 Paddleboard starts at Torrance Beach, runs offshore four miles to the R10, and back to the start. Tradition calls for first timers to jump from the top of the R10 Buoy, which is approximately 15 feet high. Buoy sea lions are intimidating, but generally make way for paddlers climbing the buoy. Prone and stand-up paddlers. Shorter races for kids and recreational paddlers. The race was founded by former Riviera Mexican owner Danny Williams and son-in-law Kyle Daniels. Proceeds benefit the Harbor Interfaith Services homeless programs.
Surffestival.org
Velzy/Stevens Paddleboard Race
International Surf Festival
Manhattan Beach pier
Sunday, August 7
This race is named after pioneer board builder Dale Velzy, who built boards under the Manhattan Beach pier in the late 1940s, and Terry Stevens, who won the Catalina Classic stock division on a Velzy paddleboard in 1982, the year the Catalina Classic resumed, after a two-decade hiatus. The race starts at 7:30 a.m., off the end of the Manhattan Beach pier and ends on the south side of the Hermosa Beach Pier, a distance of 1.6 miles. Paddlers of all ages, on all kinds of boards, from parents and kids paddling tandem on soft tops, to elite paddlers training for the upcoming Catalina Classic. The race is sponsored by the South Bay Boardriders Club, whose members assist paddlers entering and exiting the water.
Surffestival.org
Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race
Two Harbors, Catalina Island
Sunday August 28
The Catalina Classic is the oldest (established 1955) and longest (32 miles) organized paddleboard race in the world. Legendary watermen Greg Noll, George Downing, Rick Gregg and Tom Zahn were among the 13 paddlers who competed in the first race. It continues to be the most prestigious prone paddleboard race in the world, attracting paddlers from all over the world. The race starts at the Catalina Isthmus and finishes at the Manhattan Beach pier. The race benefits ocean related programs. Past recipients include the L.A. County Jr. Lifeguard Scholarship Fund, The Manhattan Beach Roundhouse Aquarium and the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation.
CatalinaClassicPaddleboardRace.org.
International Body Surfing Championships
International Surf Festival
Manhattan Beach pier, north side
Saturday, August 6
The Gillis Beach Bodysurfing Association hosts this contest, whose competitors range from novices to world champions. Men and women age divisions are determined on race day, based on the ages of the competitors. Swim fins only.
SurfFestival.org
Surfing Championships
International Surf Festival
Manhattan Beach pier, south side
The ISF Surfing Championships was an original event in the inaugural International Surf Festival in 1962, and has a storied history of great South Bay surfers. Divisions include groms (12 and under), Juniors (13-17), open, and longboard divisions. Longboards must be 9 feet, or three feet overhead.
For information contact race director John Joseph at (310) 614-9996, or johnpjoseph45@gmail.com. Registration at SurfFestival.org
U.S. Outrigger Championships
September 10,11
Newport, Catalina Island
The Annual Catalina Channel Crossing/U.S. Outrigger Championships is the longest Polynesian canoe race in the continental U.S. The women’s race begins in Newport and finishes 26 miles later, in Avalon. The men’s race departs Avalon the following morning for Newport. The South Bay is represented by Lanakila Outrigger Canoe Club in King Harbor (Lanakila.com.)
CatalinaCrossing.org.
Throughout summer
Scuba diving
Dive N’ Surf, the nation’s oldest dive shop, offers scuba lessons for individuals 10 and older in its new indoor pool. Upon completion of an ocean certification dive, divers will have earned PADI Recreational Diver certification, entitling them to Dive N Surf Dive Team membership and excursions. A PADI scuba certification qualifies divers to rent SCUBA equipment from PADI certified dive centers, worldwide.
504 Pier Avenue. DiveNSurf.com
