Lyon Stahl 3-peats, Gummy Gainz wins women’s Six Man Manhattan Beach Volleyball Tournament
by Brianna Smith Lyon Stahl went from repeat to 3-peat champions by defeating 12th Street in the 50th Anniversary Charlie Saikley 6-Man Volleyball Tournament at the Manhattan pier on Saturday. The 12th Street team, which was celebrating its 31st appearance at 6-man, was the last team to win the tournament before Lyon Stahl went on […]
International Surf Festival Pier to Pier Swims
by Brianna Smith “Not fun,” is how one middle of the pack swimmer summed up the Dwight Crum Pier to Pier Swim Sunday morning. The sentiment was widely shared. The air was gray and cold. The water had dropped from a balmy 70 degrees a few days earlier to the low 60s. It was bumpy. […]
MIRA COSTA OLYMPIAN: Barbra Fontana remembers her unlikely path to the 1996 Olympics
by Brianna Smith Barbra Fontana made her way to Atlanta to compete in the Olympics in 1996 as a member of Team USA’s very first beach volleyball team. What made her journey particularly unlikely was that only a few years earlier she’d thought her competitive volleyball days were over. Fontana was a star player at […]
Juneteenth Celebrated at Bruce’s Beach Park: Remembering the past and looking to the future
by Brianna Smith The City of Manhattan Beach Wednesday morning held an official Juneteenth ceremony, for the first time, at Bruce’s Beach Park. Over 200 people showed up for the event including event organizers, families, and other community members. Police and traffic safety were present to ensure the event ran smoothly. The ceremony lasted an […]
Black Scholars Union: Mira Costa students helped Manhattan Beach embrace its first official Juneteenth celebration
by Brianna Smith Manhattan Beach is celebrating Juneteenth officially for the first time with celebrations on June 19 and 22. Juneteenth National Independence Day is a federal holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday falls on June 19, the same day the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation was […]
Queen of the South Bay displays growth in female surfing
by Brianna Smith Photos by Steve Gaffney (SteveGaffney.com) Nearly 200 women and young girls competed in the first annual Queen of the South Bay surf contest on Saturday, June 11 in El Porto. Among the competitors were U.S. National Team members, and novices who had never previously competed. The novices were seeded in their own […]
PREP SPORTS: Mira Costa badminton team wraps up historic season
by Brianna Smith The Mira Costa High School badminton team left their mark at the CIF Southern Section. Six standout players qualified for the tournament, reflecting both the teams’ hard work and the growing popularity the Costa team has helped foster locally for badminton. The Six players who qualified included two boys doubles teams and […]
Tour de Pier: riding for love, joy and a cure
by Brianna Smith photos by Steve Gaffney The 12th annual Tour de Pier took place Sunday, May 19 as a fundraiser for cancer research. Over 300 stationary bikes were located on the Strand in front of the Manhattan Beach Pier, and thousands of participants came to ride them. The event combines intensive workouts that cycling […]
Granny’s Grocery celebrates 100 years of community
by Brianna Smith Granny’s Grocery & Deli will celebrate its 100th anniversary on Saturday, June 1. Owners, Beth “Betty” and Voc Gregorian have been planning the celebration since they took over the business in January 2022. Live musicians will perform on the patio in front of the store and the first 100 people to arrive […]
Mira Costa badminton team plays CIFSS and reflects on whole season
by Brianna Smith The Mira Costa High School badminton team left their mark at the CIF Southern Section. Their hard work and popularity in recent years cannot go unnoticed as six standout players qualified for the individual tournament. Six players qualified, including two boys doubles teams and two boys individuals. The first team was team […]