Oceanside, Calif. This summer, visitors to Oceanside don’t actually have to get wet to experience the thrill of the City’s surf vibe. From a premier surf event featuring top female pros to new exhibits at the iconic surf museum and a special evening with a legendary surf filmmaker, Oceanside’s surf-related fun goes way beyond the waves.
Nissan SuperGirl Pro Returns This Weekend
Visitors can catch the best female surfers in the world in action at the Nissan SuperGirl Pro held July 26-28 at Oceanside Pier. Surfing superstars including Bethany Hamilton and Carissa Moore are scheduled to compete in the event, which is the only women’s Association of Professional Surfing (ASP) qualifying event in North America. The event supports an eco-awareness platform that features a surf industry village with 40 vendor booths and a variety of activities including live music with headliner Natasha Bedingfield, an all-female DJ contest, a competitive video game tournament with the Super Girl Gamer Pro, and the Super Girl Skate Pro, featuring the world’s top 20 female skateboarders. www.supergirlpro.com
Celebrating the power of female surfing continues Aug. 10-11 with the 35thAnnual Oceanside Longboard Surf Contest and Beach Festival at Oceanside Pier. This year’s event will honor Women in Surfing and celebrate female surf pioneers as well as current day competitors. As part of the event, the California Surf Museum will have a pop-up exhibit featuring photos of female surfers in history. The 19thAnnual Guy Takayama Pro Am Noseriding Contest on Friday, Aug. 9 is also part of this fun surf weekend and features talented long boarders competing for a $5,000 purse.
Then, on Aug. 17-18, four hundred of the best bodysurfers from around the country compete at the World Bodysurfing Championships at Oceanside Pier. Visitors can watch the best in body surfing as they take off on killer waves and perform tricks to earn high scores from the judges.
Surf Spotlight at Oceanside International Film Festival
The ninth annual Oceanside International Film Festival (OIFF) returns to Oceanside’s historic Sunshine Brooks Theatre Aug.7-11 and offers two special events related to the surf and action sports lifestyle. On Saturday, Aug. 10, OIFF presents an “Evening with Taylor Steele.” Steele is a North County San Diego native and award-winning surf filmmaker who has produced and directed over forty best-selling surf films starring the world’s best surfers such as Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Jordy Smith and Taylor Knox. At the event, he’ll highlight stories and scenes from his several decades of filmmaking and there may even be some special guests. Also planned for August 10 is the San Diego Premiere of Vans’ The Tony Alva Story. Alva is considered by many to be the godfather of modern-day skateboarding and the film chronicles his humble beginnings on the streets of Santa Monica to his rise to superstardom as part of the legendary Z-Boys, his inevitable drug-induced implosion and his ultimate rise from the ashes. www.osidefilm.org
The Healing Power of Waves
Oceanside’s California Surf Museum is considered one of the premier surf museums in the country and has an updated lineup of exciting surf exhibits for visitors this summer. Museum-goers will discover a moving exhibit about the healing power of wave riding including how adaptive surfing has made a stratospheric leap both recreationally and competitively. There are also exhibits showcasing legendary surfers Kelly Slater, Eddie Aikau and Greg Noll. Always a big draw is the permanent exhibit, Courageous Inspiration, that features Bethany Hamilton’s journey after losing her arm to a shark at 13. www.surfmuseum.org
For more information on Oceanside and all of its events and attractions, visit www.visitoceanside.org.
About Oceanside
Perfectly situated between metropolitan San Diego and Los Angeles, Oceanside is a quintessential California coastal escape that includes wide sandy beaches, a quaint New England-style harbor, historic wooden pier and charming bungalow neighborhoods. O’side (as locals affectionately call it) is a destination of discovery where visitors can explore everything from California history at the “King of Missions” to surf culture at the California Surf Museum and awe-inspiring sea life through exciting ocean adventures. This playful and fun destination thrives on taking recreation to the next level and boasts world-class surfing, skateboarding, bike riding, boating and even skydiving. A flourishing farm-to-table food and craft beer scene reflects Oceanside’s creative and entrepreneurial spirit, as do exciting arts and culture programs that earned Oceanside one of just 14 California Cultural District designations in 2017. Classically charming, eclectic and always genuine, Oceanside is an ideal place to stay and a true O’riginal. www.visitoceanside.org
About Visit Oceanside
Visit Oceanside Conference and Visitors Bureau is the official tourism marketing organization in Oceanside, Calif; promoting travel to the city for both leisure and group visitors. The organization influences about one-third of the $351 million that is generated by visitor spending in Oceanside each year, which supports nearly 3,300 jobs. Visit Oceanside also operates one of the state’s official California Welcome Centers. With just one stop, visitors can find local, regional and state maps, purchase discount tickets to major Southern California attractions, make hotel reservations or shop for the perfect California keepsake. The Visit Oceanside CVB and California Welcome Center- Oceanside are conveniently located just off Interstate 5 at 928 North Coast Highway. For more information, please call (800) 350-7873 or visit www.visitoceanside.org
