Wonderful® Pistachios and Major League Eating Bring Top-Ranked Eaters to Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier to Get Crackin’ on World Pistachio Day, February 26, 2023

Major League Eating and Wonderful® Pistachios have teamed up to host the “Wonderful Pistachios Get Crackin’ Eating Championship” on World Pistachio Day, February 26, 2023. World Champion Competitive Eater Joey Chestnut and other top-ranked Major League Eating athletes will vie for a world record for pistachio-eating at the inaugural event taking place at 10:00 A.M. at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif.

Wonderful® Pistachios, America’s #1 Nut®, will Get Crackin’ like never before. Competitors will have eight minutes to crack open and eat as many Wonderful® Pistachios as possible in a battle for the championship title and $10,000 in cash prizes. The pistachio-eating championship, featuring shell cracking, is unlike any Major League Eating contest ever held.

Chestnut will face fierce competition from other top-ranked eaters in attendance, including:
● Number-two-ranked competitive eater, Geoffrey Esper from Oxford, Mass.
● Number-three-ranked competitive eater, Miki Sudo from Tampa, Fla.
● Number-four-ranked competitive eater, Nick Wehry from Tampa, Fla.
● Number-seven-ranked competitive eater, Gideon Oji from Morrow, Ga.

“This contest will reveal who is a tougher nut: Joey Chestnut or a Wonderful Pistachio,” said Sam Barclay, emcee at Major League Eating. “In order to make World Pistachio Day history, Chestnut must perfect his pistachio-crackin’ technique while also outperforming his fellow competitors with his eating skills.”

“What better way to celebrate our favorite holiday, World Pistachio Day, than to crown the world champion of pistachio-eating amongst the iconic backdrop of the Santa Monica Pier?” said Diana Salsa, associate vice president of marketing, Wonderful Pistachios. “If Joey Chestnut wins, maybe he’ll even consider changing his name to Joey Pistachio!”

In addition to viewing the competition, spectators and attendees can enjoy complimentary giveaway items including branded merchandise, and, of course, bags of Wonderful® Pistachios.

Sunday, February 26
10 AM

Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier

For more info, Click Here.

The Sea Dragon is retiring and Pacific Park is throwing it a retirement party from February 27 to March 8!

After delighting guests for more than 27 years at the Santa Monica Pier, the bright green Sea Dragon will retire to make way for an all-new Sea Dragon ride.

The Sea Dragon on the Santa Monica Pier is retiring and Pacific Park is throwing it a retirement party in the upper Pier parking lot adjacent to the east entrance of the Park from February 27 to March 8, daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Sea Dragon swinging amusement park ride opened with Pacific Park on May 26, 1996.

“We look forward to sharing the public’s memories of the Sea Dragon with our guests and team members as we celebrate the retirement of the original Sea Dragon ride,” said Nathan Smithson, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier. “The Sea Dragon is an iconic piece of the amusement park ride experience for everyone including the film and music industries and numerous celebrities.”



The Sea Dragon has appeared in several Hollywood films including “Iron Man” with Robert Downey, Jr., and “Her” with Joaquin Phoenix, among many others. The Sea Dragon also shared the spotlight with the Regional Mexican music artists “La Séptima Banda” and was the subject for “Stella Rose and the Sea Dragon” book with authors Stella Harris and James Harris, along with illustrator Michael Bailey; the book launch was held in front of the Sea Dragon.

Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier will host a very special high-flying retirement send-off for the original Sea Dragon on Thursday, March 9 at 8:30 a.m. The all-new Sea Dragon will also be making its debut at that time.

The Sea Dragon is a swinging ship ride with two lifelike dragon heads making passengers feel as if they’re caught in the turbulent waters. The ship moves back and forth in a 180-degree arc, giving riders a series of 40 feet drops and thrilling launches. The Sea Dragon ride car weighs 6,000 pounds, is 26 feet in length, is 3 feet in width, and is accentuated with 12 feet tall Sea Dragons heads on each end

Mike, aka German in Venice, vlogs about daily life in Venice Beach, and the nearby communities.

"Today was a big art show at the Santa Monica Airport. It’s called Frieze Los Angeles. They had it in three different buildings right at the airport. Seems like it was a popular art show, it was sold out on Sunday. Luckily, I could get a ticket to explore the artwork inside those huge tents and hangers. Since I am an artist myself, I enjoyed walking around, looking at art and looking at people. I had a great time."

If you would like to support German in Venice with some gas money or you want to buy him a coffee, you are welcome to donate to his paypal account: https://paypal.me/germaninvenice

On February 16, 2023, at about 7:00 PM, Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) Officers were dispatched to the beach Parking Lot 1 North (1550 PCH) regarding an armed carjacking.

SMPD Officers met with the victim who stated two male suspects approached her and demanded the keys to her vehicle while one brandished a handgun. The victim complied and the suspects fled in her vehicle, a gray Ford Focus. The vehicle description was broadcast to all assisting units. Officers located the stolen Ford Focus on the eastbound I10 Freeway. Officers witnessed the passenger jump out the vehicle before it continued east on the freeway. As the driver began to exit at Robertson, he collided into other vehicles.

The driver, Jonathan Manuel Perez a 22-year-old from Los Angeles, was located in the Ford and taken into custody. A replica firearm was found in the vehicle. Perez was transported to the SantaMonica Police Jail where he was booked for Carjacking and other Vehicle Code sections. Officers also discovered Perez was on active parole for a prior Armed Carjacking.

Although a perimeter was set for the outstanding suspect with LAPD assisting via helicopter, this second suspect was not located. He remains outstanding and is described as a Hispanic male,unknown age, wearing a black jacket, black pants, and a dark facemask over the mouth.

Anyone with any additional information pertaining to the outstanding suspect or incident is strongly encouraged to contact SMPD Detective Ismael Tavera at 310-458-2256 or the Watch Commander( 24 hours) at 310-458-8426.

Here's surfing photos from Saturday, February 11th at Ocean Park.

This set of surf photos was shot by Six12 Media and brought to you by Ocean Park 26.

These are just a few of the photos from this session. If you were out there, you probably got some surfing shots, probably multiple photos, they will be in the complete photo gallery for this day, check them out, the link to the complete gallery is down below.













You can find 100+ more photos from this session, all full size and in high-resolution, in this photo gallery:

Ocean Park - Saturday 2-11-2023 Photo Gallery


If you were out there, we probably got some cool surfing shots of you, go check them out!

Wanna see photos from previous days at this and other local surf spots from this photographer?
Click Surf Spot Galleries and look for the spot and then the date.

And be sure to check out all the hats, tees, and more from Ocean Park 26.

From Santa Monica Close Up:

"Santa Monica Cruisin' Classics, with other neighboring car clubs, meetup at Santa Monica Beach on Friday, February 10, 2023. The car clubs meet every Friday night at Santa Monica Beach."

Santa Monica Close Up is a photo blog by Santa Monica based Photojournalist/Press photographer Fabian Lewkowicz. Fabian is the former staff photographer for the Santa Monica Daily Observer Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Corsair.

Support Santa Monica Closeup/Fabian Lewkowicz with Venmo or PayPal to help earn money to make these videos:

https://venmo.com/u/santamonicacloseup

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fabianlewkowicz

From Santa Monica Close Up:

"City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works sanitation workers in white hazardous materials suits, clean out a home-made hot tub at a homeless encampments at Venice Beach on Friday, February 10, 2023. The man filled the hot tub with pots of water. He heated the hot tub with a pot filled with burning charcoal which he lowered into the water."

Santa Monica Close Up is a photo blog by Santa Monica based Photojournalist/Press photographer Fabian Lewkowicz. Fabian is the former staff photographer for the Santa Monica Daily Observer Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Corsair.

Support Santa Monica Closeup/Fabian Lewkowicz with Venmo or PayPal to help earn money to make these videos:

https://venmo.com/u/santamonicacloseup

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fabianlewkowicz

From Santa Monica Close Up:

"Snowboard instructor Reina Storm builds a snowman at Santa Monica Beach on Friday, February 10, 2023. She brought the snow down from June Lake in the back of her pick-up truck."

Santa Monica Close Up is a photo blog by Santa Monica based Photojournalist/Press photographer Fabian Lewkowicz. Fabian is the former staff photographer for the Santa Monica Daily Observer Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Corsair.

Support Santa Monica Closeup/Fabian Lewkowicz with Venmo or PayPal to help earn money to make these videos:

https://venmo.com/u/santamonicacloseup

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fabianlewkowicz

Join Surfrider LA on February 22nd for a special private screening event from 6:30PM-8:30PM of Wade in the Water at Patagonia Santa Monica highlighting Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture.

Event Details:
- Wednesday, 2/22/23 from 6:30PM-8:30PM (Film starts at 7:00 SHARP)
- DJ, Screening, and Q&A Panel
- Light Snacks and Drinks Provided
- Seats are first come first served; more standing room available

Film Description:
Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture (2023) reclaims the 1,000-year-old tradition of Black surfing. Braiding historical accounts with modern-day testimonials, the film dismantles the racial barriers of conventional surf culture, delves into the overlooked history of Black surfing's legacy, and honors its current movement—inspiring the next generation of Black surfers. Purpose

Screening a documentary and hosting a Q+A panel that reclaims the 1,000-year-old tradition of Black surfing and aquatic culture—inspiring the next generation of Black surfers.

Wed, Feb 22, 2023
6:30PM-8:30PM PST

For more info and to register, Click Here

From Santa Monica Close Up:

"According to Santa Monica Police Department Public Information Officer Lieutenant Flores. at approximately 1:17 PM on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, SMPD Officers responded to assist Los Angeles County Lifeguards regarding an attempted child abduction in the 2400 block of the beach. When officers arrived, they discover a female who attempted to grab and walk away with a 4 year old boy. The boy’s mother was able to regain control of him. Officers took custody of the suspect and transported her to the jail where she will be booked for attempted kidnapping and juvenile annoying. The boy suffered no physical injuries. "

Santa Monica Close Up is a photo blog by Santa Monica based Photojournalist/Press photographer Fabian Lewkowicz. Fabian is the former staff photographer for the Santa Monica Daily Observer Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Corsair.

Support Santa Monica Closeup/Fabian Lewkowicz with Venmo or PayPal to help earn money to make these videos:

https://venmo.com/u/santamonicacloseup

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fabianlewkowicz

Join us for our second public cleanup of the year at Tower 20, Santa Monica from 1pm-3pm! We will be keeping our coastlines clean with a team of committed volunteers just like you for an afternoon of fun and sun. Select OBX cast members are expected to be in attendance.

Sun, Feb 19, 2023
1:00PM-3:00PM PST

For more info and to register, Click Here

From Santa Monica Close Up:

"Highlights from the WestSide VolksWagen Club & Monthly VW Coffee Meet at Santa Monica Beach on February 5, 2023. WestSide VW Club & Monthly VW Coffee Meet meets the first Sunday of every month."

Santa Monica Close Up is a photo blog by Santa Monica based Photojournalist/Press photographer Fabian Lewkowicz. Fabian is the former staff photographer for the Santa Monica Daily Observer Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Corsair.

Support Santa Monica Closeup/Fabian Lewkowicz with Venmo or PayPal to help earn money to make these videos:

https://venmo.com/u/santamonicacloseup

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fabianlewkowicz

From Santa Monica Close Up:

"Santa Monica Code Enforcement Officers from the DART Team issue a citation to a street performer at the Santa Monica Pier on Sunday, February 5, 2023. The citation was for performing in an unauthorized area."

Santa Monica Close Up is a photo blog by Santa Monica based Photojournalist/Press photographer Fabian Lewkowicz. Fabian is the former staff photographer for the Santa Monica Daily Observer Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Corsair.

Support Santa Monica Closeup/Fabian Lewkowicz with Venmo or PayPal to help earn money to make these videos:

https://venmo.com/u/santamonicacloseup

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fabianlewkowicz

Project Save Our Surf returns to Tower 26 to clean the beach. Buckets, gloves and light snacks will be provided.

Come join Project Save Our Surf for a fun afternoon of music and refreshments cleaning the beach. Buckets and gloves will also be provided for the cleanup. Connect with others in Los Angeles working to support our environment.

Sat, February 11, 2023,
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM PST

Santa Monica Beach Tower 26
2559 Ocean Front Walk
Santa Monica, CA 90405

For more info and to register, Click Here

From Santa Monica Close Up:

" Professional Sand Castle Builder Greg Leon builds a NASCAR themed sand castle at Santa Monica Beach on Friday, February 3, 2023. The sand castle is a promotion for NASCAR’s season-opening Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum Race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday. "

Click Here for more Stories about Venice Healer Daisy

Santa Monica Close Up is a photo blog by Santa Monica based Photojournalist/Press photographer Fabian Lewkowicz. Fabian is the former staff photographer for the Santa Monica Daily Observer Press, Santa Monica Mirror, Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Corsair.

Support Santa Monica Closeup/Fabian Lewkowicz with Venmo or PayPal to help earn money to make these videos:

https://venmo.com/u/santamonicacloseup

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/fabianlewkowicz

Free admission to Santa Monica History Museum this Sunday, February 5th.

Surfing at Tower 26 in Ocean Park, Santa Monica on December 12th, 2022.

All clips come from our Instagram Stories of this session.

Polluted water sits in storm drain at Santa Monica Beach.

2 storm drains on the beach in Santa Monica after the storms on Christmas Day.

Join Surfrider LA on February 22nd for a special private screening event from 6:30PM-8:30PM of Wade in the Water at Patagonia Santa Monica highlighting Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture.

Event Details:
- Wednesday, 2/22/23 from 6:30PM-8:30PM (Film starts at 7:00 SHARP)
- DJ, Screening, and Q&A Panel
- Light Snacks and Drinks Provided
- Seats are first come first served; more standing room available

Film Description:
Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture (2023) reclaims the 1,000-year-old tradition of Black surfing. Braiding historical accounts with modern-day testimonials, the film dismantles the racial barriers of conventional surf culture, delves into the overlooked history of Black surfing's legacy, and honors its current movement—inspiring the next generation of Black surfers. Purpose

Screening a documentary and hosting a Q+A panel that reclaims the 1,000-year-old tradition of Black surfing and aquatic culture—inspiring the next generation of Black surfers.

Wed, Feb 22, 2023
6:30PM-8:30PM PST

For more info and to register, Click Here