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Sports

International Surf Festival Comes to Town

Check our schedule of events for a weekend of fun, sun and competitive sport.

This weekend marks the return of the 49th Annual International Surf Festival. Numerous events will take place among the beach cities, highlighted Saturday by what has come to be known as the "party of the year," the renowned Charlie Saikley Six-Man Volleyball Tournament in Manhattan Beach.

The Surf Festival is brought to the South Bay by: Beachsport.org, the Chambers of Commerce and Cities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and Torrance, as well as the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.

The action begins 7 p.m. Friday at Avenue C in Redondo Beach with the L.A. County Lifeguard Championships. Founded in 1962, the three-day event is comprised of a two-mile beach run, a volleyball tournament, distance swimming, bodysurfing and surfing competitions, paddleboarding and sand soccer.

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Additionally, L.A. County lifeguards will hold rescue demonstrations for the public, while also finding time to compete in a six-person running relay and an intracrew medley relay.

At the heart of the festival is the controversial Six-Man tournament. Held at the Manhattan Pier, the event has grown to be one of the largest parties in the country. The tournament has expanded to accommodate 200 teams, with 36 teams playing in the main draw competition. Huge numbers of spectators caused attendance to swell to more than 60,000 during the Saturday portion of last year's event.

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In May, the Manhattan Beach City Council decided to implement drastic changes in an attempt to rein in the event's wild atmosphere. For this year's Six-Man, the
council voted to enforce a zero-tolerance policy on alcohol, increase perimeter fencing, ban all unsealed containers and large coolers and increase team entry fees.

In total, more than 3,000 athletes are expected to compete over the course of the weekend.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

Friday, July 30
7 p.m. — L.A. County Lifeguard Championships, Manhattan Beach Pier. U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter & L.A. County Lifeguard Rescue Demo, Six-Lifeguard Run Relay,
lifeguard events, Bud Stevenson Intracrew Medley Relay.

Saturday, July 31
6:45 a.m. — International Bodysurfing Championship, Manhattan Beach Pier. For information, call 310-545-4825. $25.00 by July 30, $35.00 on sand.
7 a.m. — Surfing Championships, Hermosa Beach Pier (south side). For information, call 310-614-9996.
8 a.m. — The Torrance Sand Soccer Association presents the 5th Annual Sand Soccer Challenge at Torrance.
8 a.m. — Dick Fitzgerald Two-Mile Beach Run, Hermosa Beach Pier. $20, with T-shirt guaranteed if registered by July 20.
9 a.m. — Charlie Saikley Six-Man Volleyball Tournament, Manhattan Beach Pier. For information, call 310-802-5413.
7 p.m. — Southern California Lifeguard Championships Events, Manhattan Beach Pier. U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter & L.A. County Lifeguard Demo, lifeguard events / Junior Lifeguard Taplin / Lifeguard Beach Flags, Judge Taplin Three-Mile Lifeguard Medley Relay.

Sunday, August 1
7:30 a.m. — Velzy-Stevens Pier-to-Pier Paddleboard Championship, Manhattan Beach Pier (south side). For information, call 310-379-4751.
8 a.m. — Sand Soccer, Torrance Beach continues.
9 a.m. — Final rounds of Six-Man volleyball tournament, Manhattan Beach Pier.
9 a.m. — Dwight Crum Pier-To-Pier Swim, Hermosa Pier to Manhattan Pier. No race day entries; contestants must be pre-qualified. For information, call 310-372-7189.
9:30 a.m. — Lifeguard Dory Race, Hermosa Pier (8:30 a.m. check-in).
1 p.m. — South Bay Youth Swims and Paddles, Hermosa Beach Pier.

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