There are no signs of summer slowing down, especially at the beach.
Several events coming up offer a good excuse to hit the sand and surf, a way to enjoy the last stretch of the season before the summer solstice on Sept. 20 and the fall season follows.
Here’s a few reasons to head to the coast before the weather turns and we start putting up Halloween decorations.
Welcome the paddlers
The Ben Did Go 8.0 is happening this weekend, a fundraiser in honor of fallen lifeguard Ben Carlson, who lost his life during a rescue in Newport Beach nine years ago.
The event was started by Newport Beach surfer Spencer Pirdy, who now sits on the board of advisors for the Ben Carlson Scholarship and Memorial Fund. The event has become an annual tradition, where paddlers travel 30 miles from Catalina Island to Newport Beach, greeted by the bronze statue of Carlson at the pier when they finish the grueling trek.
The paddlers will start before dawn on Saturday and should get in about 1 to 4 p.m., depending on the weather conditions, where supporters cheer them on as they reach the sand.
The group of about 100 prone paddlers and others have raised nearly $175,000, which will go toward water safety and lifeguarding programs for drowning prevention.
A Great Day in Stoke
The second annual A Great Day in Stoke will be held in Huntington Beach on Saturday, drawing hundreds of people to the sand and surf for an event to spotlight Black surfers and introduce others to the coastal community.
The goal of the mini festival on the sand is to foster the growth of Black competitive surfers, inspire the Black community to feel welcome in the water and offer attendees the chance to take their first surf lesson or partake in yoga.
The event last year drew an estimated 800 people to the south side of the pier.
Water competition
The world’s best skimboarders are getting ready to compete this weekend on the south side of the Balboa Pier and that means a chance to watch the up-close…
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