San Clemente Times

July 16-17, 2011

Ocean Festival

e d i u G t n e Ev Celebrating 35 years 35 Years of Sun, Surf and Everything in Between Mermaid parades, contests and free demos, oh my!

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t’s time for the 35th Annual San Clemente Ocean Festival, and we’re gearing up for a weekend of fun in the sun. Saturday morning, cheer on your favorite athletes in the biathlon, dashfor-cash, or stand-up paddle surf relay, grom surf competitions or Dolphin Dash beach run. There will be a children’s fishing clinic and derby on the Pier, and anyone can participate in the free body surfing clinics, to learn about water safety and how to catch a wave. You can start each day with a hot pancake breakfast, served up by our own San Clemente Lifeguards, then head out to enjoy the woody cars displayed on the Pier with 15 different cars each day. There will be free body boarding demos, just past the Children’s Pavilion. Remember to stop by the Ocean Art Show in the park above the beach, and the sponsor booths that will have information, activities and free raffles. Saturday evening, as you relax and watch the sun set over Dana Point, enjoy dinner on the beach and the free concert featuring “A Bunch of Guys.” OCEAN FESTIVAL TRIVIA Sunday, come on back to the Pier for the all-ages fishing Who was known derby and sand sculpting competitions. The Southern Califoras “Mother” of the nia Body Surfing Championships will start off the day’s athletic Ocean Festival? events, followed by the SUP Surfing Championships, as well as the 5K Beach Run, one mile swim and new Aloha Challenge, where Hawaii’s best ocean athletes will compete against Southern California’s top watermen and waterwomen. There will be activities-a-plenty for the younger crowd with crafts and entertainment in the Children’s Pavilion, south of the Pier. A mermaid parade with King Neptune, interactive activities with Gymboree, performances by Hula Connection, Mad Science, Guillobel Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Broadway Bound, San Clemente Dance and Performing Arts and band Magic Mercury round out the kid fun. Sponsor a duck and try your luck at winning one of the great prizes in the Great Rubber Duck Race that takes place on Sunday afternoon at about 4 p.m. Prizes include a weekend getaway, certificates for fishing trips and dinners, a surfboard and more. Don’t forget, you can park at San Clemente High School, and take the free shuttle to the beach. We thank our incredible sponsors, dedicated city and state lifeguards, 200plus extraordinary volunteers and the City of San Clemente for their support for the event. We hope you can join us this weekend at “The Greatest Show on Surf!” A: Dorothy Fuller

Peggy Vance EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAN CLEMENTE OCEAN FESTIVAL Photos courtesy of Ocean Festival Event Staff