Ocean Festival mixes competition and fun in San Clemente

The sand and surf are San Clemente’s seaside playground – but this weekend, it also transforms into a competitive arena.

The famed Ocean Festival set around the beach town’s wooden pier brought out families, friends and fierce competitors for its first day of the action-packed events on Saturday, dubbed the “Greatest Show On Surf.”

Saturday’s lineup featured lifeguards from around the state, but also some coming to Southern California from as far as Australia, to compete in various events, including the popular dory boat races where lifeguards brave the waves in old-school rescue boats.

“These lifeguard competitors, male and female, are all absolutely elite athletes,” said athletic director Barrett Tester.

“It’s a great showcase of lifeguard skills,” Tester said. “Here, we have the cream of the crop come and compete against each other, it’s super exciting to watch them do the different disciplines of surf lifesaving.”

New this year was a land line rescue relay, a team event where a rescue swimmer has a belt with a rope attached. The rescuer swims through surf to pick up the victim out in the ocean, with two lifeguards on the beach pulling the duo to shore. It’s a tactic once used in the early era of lifesaving, before personal watercrafts and rescue boats came onto the scene.

This year’s total competitors were expected to top last year’s with an anticipated 700 sign ups, Tester said.

The Ocean Festival, which continues Sunday, started in 1976 when Sheridan Byerly, a Marine Safety Captain for San Clemente Lifeguards, wanted to increase participation in the Orange County Beach Games, which was only drawing area lifeguards.

Byerly wanted to include involvement in the games for the community and families in fun activities on the beach.

Publicist Dorothy Fuller, often called the “Mother of the Ocean Festival,” changed the name and developed the slogan, “The Greatest Show on Surf” in 1981.

The event had a tough time rebounding from the pandemic, with volunteers dropping off in the following years, one year causing the event to be scaled down to just the lifeguard contests.

But the Ocean Festival once again has a swell of support, with a new board and executive director, Summer Strauch, at the helm.

“She has a great pedigree of event experience, and a deep understanding of the surf culture, and the culture of San Clemente,” Tester said. “We’re excited to have her be part of the event.”

Sunday’s events are more of the “recreational” competition, but there will still be serious athletes battling it out in the mile ocean swim, the run-swim-run and other ocean events. It’s also the day for the sand castle contest, the “Groms Rule” surf contest and a rubber duck drop from the pier.

King Neptune and mermaids will be lingering alongside the crowd. On the pier, classic Woodie cars drew a crowd Saturday and, new this year, will be VW buses for Sunday. There is also an art show and entertainment.

Attendees can take the Metrolink or Amtrak to the San Clemente Pier, or take a shuttle from San Clemente High School to watch the action.

For more information: oceanfestival.org