Temperature Puts Chill on Beach Party : Ventura: Organizers said thousands showed up for start of two-day festival despite cool weather.

Ventura’s California Beach Party has always been blessed with blue skies and warm weather--until Saturday, when a chilly breeze from an approaching Pacific storm forced bikini-clad models and spectators in their Bermuda shorts to take cover from the cold.

Strong winds and scattered showers were expected for today, forecasters said, the last day of the weekend event.

Despite Saturday’s sometimes dreary weather, organizers said thousands of beach-goers showed up to kick off the festival. Last year’s party drew more than 25,600 during the weekend and the city hopes to top that this year.

The festival, which is in its ninth year, is Ventura’s biggest special event and a two-day celebration of the early days of surfing and 1950s beach culture.

“It would be nice to be wearing shorts and tank tops,” said Simi Valley resident Criona Bowman. At least, she added: “it’s not raining.”

Bowman and her two daughters, Lindsay and Melinda, were among about 500 Ventura County residents who rode the first of three Metrolink trains to the beach party Saturday morning.

This is the first year Metrolink has been available for transportation to the beach party. The train runs originate in Simi Valley and stop in Moorpark, Camarillo and Oxnard before the final stop at the county fairgrounds in Ventura.

“I’ll be thrilled if we get 1,500 (train passengers) for both days, particularly in light of the weather,” said Debbie Solomon, city supervisor of community services.

Ventura resident Reese Martin chose a flashier mode of transportation, cruising to the event in his 1955 Porsche Spyder.

Martin entered the gray convertible sports car in the classic-car show. Although it is not an original model but a “kit car,” the faux-Spyder was a magnet for car admirers.

“By car-show standards, it’s filthy,” Martin said, pointing to his dusty hot rod and the long line of polished vehicles near it. “These people who are serious don’t drive their cars. You can’t, they’re too valuable.”

In addition to the car show, the party includes a volleyball tournament, body-building championship and numerous bands and performers.

At the swimsuit fashion show, a team of shivering, bikini-clad women hurriedly walked across a temporary stage on the Ventura Pier.

“They were telling me, ‘You walked too fast,’ ” said 16-year-old swimsuit model Marcy Collins. “I was cold!”

The chilly temperature, which hovered near 60 along the coast, ruined business for Vicki Parker, whose shaved-ice drinks were not in high demand.

“We’re hoping they’ll pick up here real soon,” she said. “We’re optimistic.”

The beach party was started in 1984 during the Summer Olympics to show foreigners a slice of Southern California life as popularized in the beach-blanket movies of the 1950s and ‘60s.

“We anticipated great hordes of foreign visitors,” said Faye Campbell, the city’s special events coordinator. But of the 1,000 people who attended that year, only about 10 were from other countries, she said.

After putting the event on hiatus for awhile, city leaders decided to give the idea another try.

On Saturday, spectators could catch a glimpse of 1990s surf culture as well.

At the staging area for the Longboard Surfing Championships, 23-year-old Brady Mitchell waxed his surfboard while listening to the blaring rock music of Pearl Jam echoing from a nearby stereo.

“It’s really cool,” Mitchell said. This was the first time the Thousand Oaks native had surfed in the beach-party competition, held in choppy seas off Surfer’s Point.

Ventura resident Daniel Maligro, who was surfing in the men’s 40- to 49-year-old division, said Saturday’s ocean conditions were as rough as the competition.

“I’m happy if I get through my first heat,” said Maligro, who has surfed in the long board competition for four years.

“I get to meet a lot of nice people here,” he said. “I come out every year because it’s part of the city. It’s city pride.”

California Beach Party Events

The California Beach Party continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today on the beach promenade near downtown Ventura. Some sporting events start earlier. Admission is $5.50 for adults, $3.50 for senior citizens and free for children 12 and under. For information, call 444-5225. *

TODAY

8 a.m.: 5K, 10K, one-mile run-walk 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Long Board Surfing Championship 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Volleyball tournament 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Classic Car Show 10 a.m.: ‘50s music by Pink Cadillac

Boogie-woogie music by Rob Rio

Steel drum music by Trinidad Steel Drum Band 11 a.m.: Derek Laughran mimes

Yo Master performs yo-yo demonstration (also 1 p.m.) 11:30 a.m.: Swimwear Fashion Show

Upbeat kid rock by the Bumblebeez Noon to 4 p.m.: Finals for volleyball and surfing championships

World Beach Flying Disc International 1 p.m.: Jitterbug dance demonstration

Bob Mendelsohn juggles 1:15 p.m.: Step-team exhibition Total Woman

Do wop music by the Vocal Cords 1:30 p.m.: Lori Richards performs environmental songs for children 1:45 p.m.: Hot country fashion show 2 to 4:30 p.m.: World’s Longest Line Dance 2 p.m.: Surf music by the Hodads

Rock music by Beatlemania

Country music by the Platte River Crossing Band

‘50s and ‘60s music by Lil’ Elmo & the Cosmos 3 p.m.: Awards for Classic Car Show 5 p.m.: Last Metrolink train departs