South Bay International Surf Festival

During the Surf Festival weak, the bars and restaurants in Manhattan, Redondo, and Hermosa are perpetually packed, and it’s one of the best weeks of the year for a non-stop party down by the beach. The 52nd annual event kicked off today with the two-day Charlie Saikley 6-man beach volleyball tournament in Manhattan Beach. Spyder and Rusher Air Bacchus are the defending men’s and women’s championship teams, respectively. The L.A. County Lifeguard Championships take place Friday at the Manhattan Beach Pier and will feature U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter & L.A. County Lifeguard Rescue Demo, 6-Lifeguard Run Relay, Lifeguard Events and the Bud Stevenson Intracrew Medley Relay featuring Venice as defending champion. Saturday’s action begins at 7:30 a.m. with the Surfing Championship at the Manhattan Beach Pier. Shortly thereafter, Hermosa Beach hosts the Dick Fitzgerald 2-mile run at 8 a.m. and the first of two days of competition in the California Beach Volleyball Association (CBVA) tournament that begins at 9 a.m. The Southern California Lifeguard Championships will be held Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Manhattan Beach Pier. On Sunday, a sand castle design contest and the Velzy-Stevens Paddleboard Championships begin at the Manhattan Beach Pier at 7:30 a.m. The top paddlers are expected to finish between 16 and 17 minutes at the Hermosa Beach Pier. Participants range in age from 8 years old to the late 80’s. Other great events include a surfing contest, bodysurfing contest, beach run, sand soccer, paddleboard race, dory race, and youth events. The festival has hosted numerous international lifeguard teams including a team this year from Victoria, Australia.