Surf City Days returned with a splash for Huntington Beach residents

The eighth annual Surf City Days made a splashy return on Saturday with a schedule jam-packed with surf competitions and other events up and down Main Street.

In Huntington Beach, where vast beaches are usually inundated with summer tourists, locals and visitors from nearby cities came out to have some fun of their own. Huntington Beach Downtown Business Improvement District executive director Jaime Strong said the turnout and weather this weekend were great.

The Rockin’ Fig Vintage Surf Festival, which honors Huntington Beach local and surfing legend Rick “Rockin’ Fig” Fignetti, who died in 2021, was just one of the activities. Additionally, the city’s annual surf contest ran both days of the weekend.

“The city is fortunate to have such great community partners in Huntington Surf & Sport and Duke’s, which has allowed us to maintain this longstanding surf contest. In its 51st year, the annual Huntington Beach Surf Contest provides those in Huntington Beach, and our surrounding cities, with an opportunity to compete against locals and have a lot of fun doing it,” said city spokeswoman Jennifer Carey. “We look forward to continuing to host this great event for years to come.”

Hank H. Hitchcock enjoys his 1970 VW bus “Tiki” with Jimmy Buffett music playing in the background.

(Spencer Grant)

Thehe Kowabunga Van Klan VW Bus Show, which shut down Main Street on Saturday, also took place, along with a demo day at Huntington Surf and Sport.

The event is inspired by the Duke Kahanamoku Ocean Festival on Oahu and the Ocean Festival in San Clemente. It started in 2012 with current Huntington Beach Downtown Business Improvement District president Brett Barnes, who said he wanted to host an event around the city’s annual surf contest for locals.

“We had a great turnout at the CBVA Volleyball Tournament, the city surf contest. The He’e Nalu Aloha Pier Festival was a hit, especially with the fire dancing at night. Main Street was full of activity, and we had people enjoying the volkswagon buses ... people were trying out surfboards, wetsuits,” Strong said. “Overall, it was just a really fun couple of days in downtown [Huntington Beach].”

Michael Fernandez poses at the exhibit for the Rockin’ Fig Surf Surf Shop.

(Spencer Grant)