Surfers and Bodyboarders Converge on Hermosa Beach for Pro-Am Event

The Hermosa Beach pier will have its first professional surfing contest since the 1960s when the Freestyle U.S. Pro-Am is held there Friday through Sunday, the third stop on the Budweiser U.S. Pro Tour of Surfing and Bodyboarding.

The event carries a $4,500 purse for men’s surfing, $1,500 for women’s surfing and $1,500 for bodyboarding. Competitors also receive pro tour points, which are accumulated over the 10-month season. Competition begins Friday and Saturday at approximately 7 a.m. The finals are scheduled for about noon Sunday. The men’s field has 96 surfers, the women’s 36.

Among the local surfers are Steve Howe of Torrance and Todd Jacobs of Manhattan Beach. The top-rated surfer is Mike Cruickshank of Dana Point, who won the 1986 pro tour and leads in both points (1,400) and prize money ($2,000) after two events this season.

Several high school basketball tournaments will be in full swing this weekend and next week, including the Torrance Holiday Classic, which begins Monday at several sites and concludes Saturday at West Torrance. Teams involved are the four Torrance schools, Miraleste, Mira Costa, Banning, Hawthorne, Leuzinger, El Segundo and Redondo.

St. Bernard travels to Honolulu for the Iolani Tournament, running today through Monday. South Bay teams are also involved in the Tournament of Champions at Cal Poly Pomona. It concludes Saturday. Hawthorne competes in the Kern County Tournament today through Saturday at Bakersfield. Mary Star of the Sea plays in the Bel-Air Prep Tournament today through Saturday.

The Cal State Dominguez Hills women’s basketball team will entertain Southern Utah on Friday and Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday in a seven-game home stand. Both games are at 7:30 p.m. The women are 3-4. The men’s team is off through Christmas.