On a Fin and a Prayer

As many as 400 bodysurfers and 40,000 attendees will converge on Oceanside Pier for the 37th Annual World Bodysurfing Championships, held August 17–18 by host Beachsport.org. Competitors age 12 and up can register by August 12 to compete in their age brackets, with one man and one woman from the total pool each named Grand Champion. To win, a competitor needs “length of ride, functional tricks, and style,” says organizer Scott Hubbell, although he adds, bottom line, “It’s about having fun and riding waves with just a pair of fins!” The surf is typically 3 to 5 feet, but “10- to 12-foot faces are not uncommon with good luck.” Watch the action, in 15-minute heats, from the beach or the pier. worldbodysurfing.org.

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