by Kevin Cody
Numbers for the 64th Annual International Surf Festival include over 1,000 people for the Dwight Crum Pier to Pier Swim; nearly 1,000 for the Charlie Saikley Six Man, and Jr. Six Man Volleyball Tournaments; nearly 200 for the Dick Fitzgerald Two Mile Beach Run; over 100 for the Velzy/Stevens Pier to Pier and the Ocean 7s paddleboard races; and just under 100 for the surfboard and bodysurfing contests.
Those aren’t spectator numbers. They are competitor numbers.
The competitions take place over the first weekend in August, in conjunction with the Southern California Ocean Lifeguard Championships, which involves similar competitions, but with life saving applications.
The number of Surf Festival competitors is notable because swimming two miles in the open ocean, running two miles in the soft sand, surfing, paddling and beach volleyball all require months of conditioning, and years of practice.
The number of competitors is also notable because the events are all volunteer run, and financially self-sustaining, with the exception of the Six Man volleyball tournament and Two Mile beach run, which Manhattan’s and Torrance’s rec departments run, respectively. BeachSports, a marketing company run by former lifeguard Scott Hubble, contributes financially to the festival, but registration fees are its primary revenue source.
The festival is coordinated by a volunteer board composed of retired lifeguards Maria Bird, Gary Crum, Adam Sandler, Dave Storey and Chris Linkletter.
The South Bay Boardriders and Ocean’s Prone run the surfing and paddling competitions. Gillis Bodysurfing Association runs the body surfing contest. King Harbor Yacht Club runs the youth sailing competition. And the swim is run by retired lifeguards, and funds the lifeguard competitions.
And finally, the number of competitors is notable because win or lose, first place or last, when the competitors leave the beach wearing their event T-shirts, they all look happy, and ready to do it all again the next morning. ER
