The one and only world famous Venice Surf-A-Thon Surf Contest! come one come all get your surf and party on! The contest gentrification could not kill! The entry price is the same as it was $20 years ago! You get a limited edition T-shirt, entry into the contest, food, fellowship and fun.

The entry fee includes the award ceremony party at the Sidewalk Cafe! $ 20 pre-entry via Paypal at surfathon62@yahoo.com. $25 Beach entry.

Visit the 26th Annual Venice Surf-A-Thon Surf Contest Facebook Page for more info.

"As hard as it is to write this it’s come to our attention that Rip City Skates at 2709 Santa Monica Blvd. Is scheduled to be demolished sometime in the near future. It is our understanding that the store plans to relocate and not close but the purpose of this post is to raise awareness on this issue. This store is more than just a skate shop, Jim and Bill have created an environment that has fostered the skate community of Santa Monica for over 40 years. It's also Los Angeles’s oldest continuously operated skate shop. It’s upsetting to our community that the city of Santa Monica would overlook it’s cultural relevance to the city itself. Its significance in skateboard history is well known and respected worldwide. Today we are asking for you to sign this petition in our effort to have the city deem Rip City skates a historical landmark. Thank you for your time." - Rip City Locals

Click Here to sign the petition.

Los Angeles county beaches are under advisory after the rainfall starting Nov. 27, 2019

The Los Angeles County Public Health department issued beach water use advisories on Wednesday, Nov. 27, as rainfall hit the region.

The advisory at Los Angeles County beaches will remain in effect until 9:30 a.m. Saturday, according to the advisory. The Orange County warning states that elevated bacteria levels could continue for a period of at least three days, depending on the intensity of the rain and volume of runoff.

Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis is cautioning residents who are planning to visit Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing and playing in ocean waters around discharging storm drains, creeks and rivers.

“Bacteria, chemicals, debris, trash and other public health hazards from city streets and mountain areas are likely to contaminate ocean waters at and around these outlets after a rainfall,” the announcement states. “Individuals who enter the water in these areas could become ill.”

Areas of the beach apart from discharging storm drains, creeks and rivers are exempt from the advisory. The advisory may be extended depending on further rainfall.

“Swimmers should avoid coastal waters impacted by discharging storm drains, creeks and rivers and beach users should avoid contact with any runoff on the beach during dry or wet weather conditions,” it reads.

For information on beach conditions, call L.A. County’s beach closure hotline, 800-525-5662

The forecast for the Thanksgiving Holidays:

The West Coast will see a solid northwest swell for the holiday as a coastal low moves through the state. Winds and conditions are a bit dicey.

The average water temps as of November 25th.

The one and only world famous Venice Surf-A-Thon Surf Contest! come one come all get your surf and party on! The contest gentrification could not kill! The entry price is the same as it was $20 years ago! You get a limited edition T-shirt, entry into the contest, food, fellowship and fun.

The entry fee includes the award ceremony party at the Sidewalk Cafe! $ 20 pre-entry via Paypal at surfathon62@yahoo.com. $25 Beach entry.

Visit the 26th Annual Venice Surf-A-Thon Surf Contest Facebook Page for more info.

The average water temps as of November 14th.

Surfline just claimed: West Coast surfers have plenty to be thankful for this week with Southern Hemi swell and northwest swell providing plenty of opportunities to score. Obviously the crew at Surfline never watches their own cams.

And then as usual hyped up the forecast with: "Meanwhile, bigger and better things lie ahead." which means keep checking the website because clicks = money.

Nat Young is hitting the California coast in November to celebrate and sign copies of his latest book, ‘Church of the Open Sky’.

‘Church of the Open Sky' is Young’s seventh book. With a foreword by Pulitzer-winner William Finnegan, it features well-crafted, highly entertaining stories and anecdotes, including can’t-miss tales about traveling through Afghanistan and Nepal in 1972 with enfant terrible Miki Dora, how low rail, “edge boards” came to be, and how one day at San Onofre in 1983 with Tom Blake got him to reconsider how he perceives surfing. Date:
November 17

Location:
Val Surf
4810 Whitsett Ave.
Valley Village CA 91607

This Saturday. Ocean Goddess Surf is hosting another Goddess Group Lesson on Nov 17th. If you are in search of friendly, fun and girl powered beginner surf lessons, this is your chance! This will be at Malibu.

Lessons in LA can be expensive and it can be intimidating to try surfing alone. Join the Ocean Goddess Surf Coaches for a 1.5 hour lesson with up to 5 other women/girls of your skill level! Only $50 per person. All ages welcome. These are lessons for beginner surfers only.

Sign up via this link: Goddess Group Lessons

The 14th annual Santa Monica Film Festival returns to Santa Monica on Saturday November 30 to showcase and premiere current award winning independent films from local, national and international filmmakers. A moderated filmmaker discussion accompanies each film screening that gives the audience an opportunity to interact with the filmmakers. Films screenings are hosted by AMC Broadway 4 including the Santa Monica premiere of The Tony Alva Story.

62-years-old Alva, the oldest professional, skateboarder in the world, is considered by many to be the godfather of modern day skateboarding. Alva’s brand of aggression and bravado in the 70’s set the stage for the way skateboarding would be forever defined.

Vans’ The Tony Alva Story chronicles T.A.’s humble beginnings on the streets of Santa Monica to his rise to super stardom as part of the legendary Z-Boys, his inevitable drug-induced implosion and his ultimate rise from the ashes to accept his rightful place as a beacon of hope and inspiration for generations of skateboarders the world over.

Santa Monica Premiere Date Saturday November 30 ​

Special Guests Scheduled To Appear
Tony Alva
Ray Flores

Screening Time
@ 3:30P ​

Venue
AMC Broadway 4
1441 3rd Street Promenade
Santa Monica CA 90401 ​

Tickets
$20 General Admission includes VANS t-shirt while supplies last. Note that these $20 tickets are just for the Tony Alva Story showing, the tickets for the full Film Festival admission are separate, be sure to select the proper tickets when buying. ​

Santa Monica Film Festival Tickets

At Approx. 11:30 AM Sunday, Lifeguards found a large amount of medical supplies along the shoreline South of the Venice Pier. The the area has been cordoned off. Discarded needles, tubes and similar items - possible biohazard.

The source is unknown and under investigation. LA County Lifeguards will continue to patrol the area by land and sea to monitor for any further materials.

Witnesses from this morning stated that "needles fell from a ship and were floating ashore near the 3400 block of Ocean Front Walk."

I AM TORQUATO presents :

A L.A. SURF STORY

On Sunday, November 24th, at Civic Center Studios in Downtown Los Angeles, renowned Artist and Surfer Michael Torquato deNicola will present ‘A L.A. Surf Story.’ A multi-media presentation of paintings, on canvas and repurposed boards, as well as TV and film work, taking you along with him on his life of travel, adventure and very personal interactions with his environment over the past 25 years. The exhibition will be presented as a conversation with the Artist, highlighting his process, successes, failures and gratitude for the lessons learned along his truly unique journey.



‘A L.A. Surf Story’ multi-media presentation will include the following :
Reef Paintings project
Sun Spots series
Recycled Surfboard project
Selected murals around Los Angeles
Documentary film ‘The Westsiders’
Feature film ‘Chapter and Verse’
Red Bull ‘5X’ games

Michael states, “The goal of this presentation is in part to showcase a summary of these works but more importantly to speak to the purpose and intention behind each of them. I want to share the lessons I’ve learned along the way and ultimately to express my gratitude for these opportunities. We are living in intense and radically changing times where truth seems more and more subjective, our attention spans are diminishing, and real connection seems harder to find. This show is an opportunity for me to share some of my experiences with the hopes they will help others to connect with themselves and each other more and empower them to help create the future they want to see.”

‘A L.A. Surf Story’ is an hour-long presentation. It will be recorded and broadcast live via social media. A Q & A will follow and beverages will be served.

Join us, following the presentation, for a first look at a series of museum-quality fine art, hand embellished, limited edition prints that uphold the integrity of each original artwork by artist Michael Torquato deNicola, published by Moby Arts.

RSVP is required. Click here for RSVP Page

Date and Time
Sun, November 24, 2019
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM PST

Location
Civic Center Studios
207 South Broadway
Suite One
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Mollusk Surf Shop is hosting the LA screening of the new feature length film “Zone Frequency” by Jack Coleman on Thursday November 14th at the Los Feliz Theatre. Doors at 7:30, film starts at 8 and tickets are $10

Date and Time
Thu, November 14, 2019
7:30 PM – 10:30 PM PST

Los Feliz Theater
1822 North Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Click Here for Tickets

One person was killed early Friday when a sedan and sport utility vehicle collided on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. The crash was reported at about 6 a.m. near Tuna Canyon Road. Both vehicles sustained heavy front-end damage. Debris was scattered across several lanes.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office has identified a 17-year-old girl as the driver who died after a crash on the Pacific Highway Coast Highway in the Malibu area Friday morning. Dulce Maria Ramiro Sanchez of Los Angeles was killed when her car collided with another vehicle just after 6 a.m. near Topanga Canyon Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The other driver was transported to a hospital in unknown condition, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department said. No other occupants were in either car.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The fatal collision prompted CHP to issue a SigAlert for both sides of the highway from Tuna Canyon Road to Topanga Canyon Road. PCH was closed for several hours before fully reopening shortly before noon.

The average water temps as of November 7th.

Surflies reports:

New, west-northwest swell and steep south swell move in the second half of the week to offer up fun-size surf. Beachbreaks should be fairly peaky off the swell combo -- and winds look favorable for the mornings.

Join Ocean Goddess Surf this Sunday, November 10th at 9am for their next FREE ladies surf meetup! Meet Ocean Goddess Surf at Topanga State Beach. They'll be set up at the picnic table. Look for the white Ocean Goddess Surf sign. Parking is free on the street. There is also a lot you can park in. Paddling out just after 9:30 all together! Please leave your valuables in your cars or at home as there won’t be anyone to watch them at this meetup.

All levels and all ages are welcome but there will not lessons given.
If you are looking to learn how to surf, check out their Level 1 (beginner) Surf Skills Clinic on Nov 17th, taught for women, by women.

If you are not comfortable surfing but want to hang out please come! There will be ladies of all levels and ages showing up and it is such a fun community! See you Sunday!

The average water temps as of November 4th.

Come over to the The Waterfront Venice on Wednesday November 13th for Girls on Film - An evening of women’s surf and skate films.

Films featuring Elissa Steamer , Kassia Meador , Leah Dawson , Lola Mignot , Brooke Carlson, Nora Vasconcellos , Laura Enever , Jaleesa Vincent, Isabella Nichols, and more!

The Waterfront Venice
205 Ocean Front Walk,
Venice, CA 90291
(424) 309-5331