A surfer on Huntington Beach

Surf’s up! Surfing aficionados already know about this, but everyone else might not — a fantastic surfing festival takes place every year in Huntington Beach, CA. The US Open of Surfing is the largest competition in the world and the festival draws tens of thousands of people every year. If you plan to be in the LA area around July 30-August 7, definitely check it out. It’s one thing to watch surfing on TV, but it’s an entirely different experience to watch it live. Some of the world’s best surfers attend this competition, and they’re truly amazing to watch. You can even admire how some of the younger surfers handle the waves in the junior competitions. It’s all a lot harder than it looks!

Why Huntington Beach? As blogger Barbara Weibel points out, Huntington Beach has been named the Surf Capitol of the USA, and for good reason – there are a variety of waves to attempt, from softly rounded baby ones good for beginners to the double breaking waves usually only surfed by the pros. Surfing a wave is a life-changing experience for many; the feeling of the water’s energy beneath your board is magical and addictive.

After a long weekend of absorbing some surfing culture, you could even learn how to construct some sand castles on the beach — Dig It! is a company that specializes in instructing people how to build sand castles – pretty neat, right?

Surf's up in Huntington Beach

Photos: karindalziel, karindalziel