Celebrating Surf and Sun at the South Bay Beaches

The beaches in the South Bay will be livelier than usual this weekend as the International Surf Festival celebrates the good life with volleyball tournaments, swimming, rescuing and dory competitions that pit Australian lifeguards against some of this country’s’ finest.

Children will have a chance to build castles in the sand and all swimmers may join in a two-mile, pier-to-pier swim. The key to a fun day is to pick the beach that has the activities that interest you, and to arrive early.

Today’s events begin with the volleyball tournament preliminaries starting at 9 a.m. at Manhattan Beach. The finals begin Sunday morning at the same time; spectators are encouraged to gather on the sand to cheer for their favorite teams.

Lifeguards from all over Southern California will compete in tonight’s championships, which begin at 7:30 at Manhattan Beach. Highlights include rescue contests and a three-mile relay with paddles and dories.

The big event for children, the sand castle building contest, begins at 9 a.m. Sunday on the south side of Manhattan Beach Municipal Pier. Participants need to sign up between 8 and 9 a.m.

Also at 9 a.m. Sunday, the Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier Swim begins at Hermosa Beach Municipal Pier as more than 500 swimmers race into the ocean and head for Manhattan Beach Municipal Pier, two miles away. Sand castle architects may want to take a break from their complex constructions to cheer the swimmers over the finish line.

Torrance Beach will host swimming contests for children 10 to 17 beginning Sunday at 1 p.m. Swimmers should arrive early to sign up.

Information: (213) 545-4506.