South Bay Legends 5th Annual Memorial Free Surf Contest 2026
About this event
The South Bay Legends 5th Annual Memorial Free Surf Contest returns Sunday, September 27, 2026, at El Porto near 42nd Street in Manhattan Beach. This is a free, all-ages, all-boards community contest and beach gathering held in memory of local friends who died too young; the organizer emphasizes there is no entry fee and no prize money, and 2026 proceeds go toward sending people to treatment for addiction, alcoholism and trauma. The organizer’s September 25 “Heats Are Up” announcement confirms the full running order across two contest areas, with every heat 15 minutes long. In Contest Area 1, Open Shortboard Round 1 starts at 8:00 AM, Juniors Round 1 at 10:00 AM, a community Memorial Paddle-Out at 12:00 PM, Open Quarterfinals at 12:30 PM and Juniors Quarterfinals at 1:30 PM, followed by semifinals at 2:30 PM (Super Grom), 3:00 PM (Grom), 3:30 PM (Juniors) and 4:00 PM (Open), and finals at 4:30 PM (Super Grom), 4:45 PM (Grom), 5:00 PM (Juniors) and 5:15 PM (Open Shortboard). In Contest Area 2, Funboard/Foamie/Longboard Quarterfinals begin at 11:00 AM, Funboard Semifinals at 12:30 PM, the Funboard Final at 1:30 PM and the Push-In Final at 1:45 PM. Volunteers begin setup at 6:45 AM. Free registration for the six contest divisions, a free surf lesson and volunteer roles closed September 26, 2026 at 11:59 PM PDT; the organizer has not announced same-day on-site entry, so any arriving competitor should confirm at beach check-in and listen for announcements on the sand. Spectators do not need a ticket—the organizer invites families to bring a chair and spend the day at the beach. El Porto is an exposed ocean venue staffed by Los Angeles County lifeguards, with restrooms, showers, a bike path and a large metered parking lot entered from 45th Street; arrive early and follow organizer and lifeguard directions. This is a core Los Angeles inventory event in Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles County.
At a glance
The organizer says all ages, all boards and everybody are welcome. Contest divisions cover Push-In ages 1-8, Super Grom 10 and under, Grom 13 and under, Juniors 17 and under, Open Shortboard all ages, and a combined Funboards/Foamies/Longboards division. No residency, membership, qualification or invitation requirement is published.
closed
El Porto Beach - 42nd Street
In person
Event links
Official free registration and division inventory (SurfSignup)
South Bay Legends official site
Official Sep 25 heat schedule (“Heats Are Up”)
Official Sep 26 event reminder post
Official Sep 11 event announcement and poster
Los Angeles County Beaches: Manhattan Beach and El Porto access
City of Manhattan Beach beach parking information
City of Manhattan Beach maps and transit options
El Porto 42nd Street map
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