The 26th Annual Venice Surf-A-Thon was held on Saturday, December 14th, once again taking place at the Venice Pier. The contest is a grassroots local tradition that has evolved from a mentorship gathering for youth beset by gang violence to an inter-generational celebration of community. The contest has been a labor of love for it's founder Ger-I Lewis.

Ger-I founded the Venice Surf-A-Thon in 1993 after returning home from military service.

"I wished to do something for the children , young adults and the community in general that is fun and has a positive influence on everyone." says Ger-I. "For sure back in the day the contest was edgy as so was I! Instead of handing out trophies at the beach like most contests, I incorporated the awards party to give everyone a chance to shine. Inviting local talent as well the bikini contest was also a strategy to enhance and create a Venice culture showcase. Well times have changed and folks have mellowed, the bikini contest is no longer a part of the event as many of the original contestants are grandfathers now! The event has a generational community expectation and Surf-A-thon has taken on a family atmosphere. Many world class surfers, celebrities, have supported and donated to The Venice Surf-A-Thon including Mimi Miyagi, Peter Destafino, Perry Farrell, C.R. Stecyk, Danny Trejo, Robert Trujillo (of Metallica), Noah Budroe, Chris Ward, Tonan, Tina Cheri, DJ Muggs, Kid Frost, and Beowülf. Moreover the contest has provided a an opportunity for surfers to get a start in competition surfing."

These contest photos were shot by Six12 Media.






















Custom trophies created by Brock Mayeux were passed out to all the winners later Saturday night at the Awards Show.




So who won what? Not having attended the awards show, it was hard to track down the official results from anyone. But here's what info we did gather: Stephanie Wise got 1st for the Women with Nicole Lynchie getting 2nd, Ricksen Massie got 1st for the Groms, one of the Packham kids get 2nd. Ricksens's pops Rickie got 3rd in body Surfing. Eric Wise won 1st in something, so did Cole Sweeney (since we can tell from theese screen shots grabbed from Elisabeth Fried's Instagram Stories.

You can find 100 more surf contest photos, all full size and in high-resolution, in this photo gallery:

Venice Surf-A-Thon Photo Gallery

Female body discovered in the water near the bridge at Malibu Lagoon. Body appears to be African American, 20-30 years old. Rigor mortis has set in. Body was found nude, no clothing. This photo is from griffin_churchill

The average water temps as of December 16th.

More North Pacific Swells On The Way

Surflines says: "Northwest swell stays up all week, with overlapping pulses moving in. Plenty of surf, but look to spots north of Pt. Conception for the largest waves overall. Winds and conditions play the wildcard role once again."

Here are a couple of surf photos from Monday at Topanga by Brian Asher Photography. The link to his complete album of more photos is down below.





You can find more photos from this session in Brian's Facebook photo album:

Topanga - Monday 12-16-2019 Photo Album

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

Brian Asher Photography

Santa Monica's ZJ Boarding House celebrates 31 years today!

"Ever since our humble beginnings as a hole-in-the-wall surf shop back in 1988, ZJ Boarding House has been sharing its passion for Surfing and Skateboarding with the local Santa Monica community and beyond. As the store grew both physically and in inventory, the same levels of knowledge and passion were applied to Skateboarding and Surfing. Our passion for boards, customer service, and product knowledge continues to grow as we are entering our 30th year of business. We pass on our stoke and knowledge to our customers and strive to assist them in making the best decisions for new gear based on their budget and skill levels. We have a wide selection and cater to the whole family. Our selection for Ladies and Grommets is the best in the area.

We carry all kinds of gear, clothing and accessories from best brand names the industry has to offer. Surfboards, Skateboards, Bodyboards and Softboards line the walls of our store. Our Billabong and RVCA sister stores next door carry all the latest gear from those brands and have a huge selection of the finest apparel.

ZJ Boarding House is located just a block and a half from the beach in Santa Monica, proving grounds for Southern California’s Surf & Skate culture. We Surf and Skate everyday and share the stoke of our experiences with all that visit ZJ Boarding House.

We are looking forward to seeing you here!"



ZJ Boarding House
2619 Main St. Santa Monica, CA
(310) • 392 • 5646
Store Hours:
Mon - Sat 10am - 7pm
Sun 10am - 6pm

Here's some of the photos from South Side of the Venice Pier on Saturday. This set was shot by Six12 Media.

These are just a few of the 100 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:

Venice Pier South Side - Saturday 12-14-2019 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?
Click Surf Spot Galleries and look for the spot and then the date.

Here's some of the photos from Saturday ashot on the North Side of the Venice Pier. This set was shot by Six12 Media.

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:

Venice Pier North Side - Saturday 12-14-2019 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?
Click Surf Spot Galleries and look for the spot and then the date.

A High Surf Advisory has been issued for LA County:

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
527 PM PST Fri Dec 13 2019

Ventura County Coast- Los Angeles County Coast including Downtown Los Angeles-
Catalina and Santa Barbara Islands-
527 PM PST Fri Dec 13 2019

...HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST SUNDAY...

* WHAT...Large waves of 6 to 10 feet and dangerous rip currents, peaking tonight into Saturday morning. Minor beach flooding.

* WHERE...Ventura County Coast, Los Angeles County Coast and Catalina Island. Highest surf across exposed west facing beaches.

* WHEN...Through noon PST Sunday, peaking tonight through Saturday morning.

* IMPACTS...There is an increased risk for ocean drowning. Rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea. Large breaking waves can cause injury, wash people off beaches and rocks, and capsize small boats near shore. Minor flooding of sea water over beaches, around the time of high tide Thursday and Friday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...West swell direction. Largest High tides near 6.6 feet (MLLW) around 9 AM today, lowering slightly on Saturday with high tide around 940 AM.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A High Surf Advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area...producing localized beach erosion and dangerous swimming conditions. Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don`t swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help.