Join us at the Rose Room in Venice Beach for an unforgettable comedy show on Thursday, November 14th! Backdoor Comedy brings you the ultimate comedy party, promising laughter and a fantastic time. Don't miss out—get your tickets now!

Join us for the Venice Surfing Association Silent Auction Night on Thursday, November 7th, from 6 pm to 10 pm. The event will take place at the Rose Room, featuring legendary local artists with proceeds benefiting the Marine Mammal Care Center. Enjoy art, surfboards, music, and more in a fun, free event open to the public!

We are thrilled to announce our Second Annual Silent Auction and Art Show on Thursday, November 7th, from 6-10PM at the Rose Room. Join us for an exciting evening of art, music, and community. Bidding for items is now open and will close at 10PM on the night of the event. The event is free and open to the public, so please invite your friends and family. We can’t wait to see everyone there! 

Jen Gordon
Auction Chair and the VSA Board

Team VSA is thrilled to announce our second annual auction, set for Thursday, November 7th, at the Rose Room. We invite everyone to begin early bidding on auction items through the link provided: https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/auctionhome.action?vhost=ti8rO. This is a wonderful chance to preview and start bidding on available items.

We also seek volunteers to assist with guest check-ins on the night of the auction. Interested individuals can reach out to Jen Gordon at jen@vsa.la. 

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone supporting us. Your participation means the world to us and the community.

Thank you,
Jen Gordon and the VSA Board
Auction Chair

November Update

Looks like wetsuit weather is here, and with it come winter swells.

We have a few updates before our silent auction on Thursday, November 7th at the Rose Room. We need volunteers for setting up the event, checking people in, helping them set up a bidding account, and cleanup. If you can help, please reach out to Jen Gordon at jen@vsa.la.

The online auction link will be live on Friday, November 1st. Stay tuned for updates on our social media and website.

Additionally, the Santa Monica Airport will be converted to a "great park" after December 2028. The City of Santa Monica is conducting a survey to gather community input. One of the proposed ideas is a wave pool. If you're interested, please visit the city’s project website and complete the Phase 2 survey, ranking the wave pool as a high priority.

We hope this information is helpful. See you at the auction or at the beach.

Guy Okazaki and VSA Board
President VSA

Hello VSA Members,

Big thanks to everyone who participated in the Breakwater Open. It was a huge success overall. We appreciate your feedback and concerns about the judging.

We want to assure you that there is no favoritism from the judges; they see only jersey colors, not names. However, we acknowledge a judging error in one division and are taking steps to rectify it.

Several factors can lead to human error including glare, jersey color assignments, and multiple age group participants. We are committed to improving our systems, and we invite those skeptical of the judging process to observe a heat from the judges' perspective in future events.

These contests are meant to be enjoyable, and we strive to address any inconsistencies brought to our attention. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we grow and improve.

Warmest Regards,
Gary Adler, VSA Contest Director
Guy Okazaki, VSA President

Mark your calendars! On Thursday November 7th, we will be hosting our second annual VSA Silent Auction/Art Show at the Rose Room from 6-10PM. We will be featuring some incredible work from legendary local artists including Josh “Bagel” Klassman, Jayme Burtis, Jeff Ho, Steve Shelp, Ginger Drinkwater, and many more. A portion of the proceeds will also go to our friends at the Marine Mammal Care Center. Bidding on the items will open on November 1st. Hope to see everyone there!

Please reach out to jen@vsa.la with any questions.

Wave Warriors Grom Session Photos are now available! Check out the awesome photos taken by Bobby Rivero and explore more on our site.

We have a great movie night opportunity for our VSA members.

Patagonia has generously decided to host the VSA at Patagonia Santa Monica on Thursday October 10th for a screening of The Yin and Yang of Gerry Lopez.  The film, directed by Stacy Peralta- follows one of the most influential surfers of all times as he brings surfing to new frontiers while pursuing the stillness of body and mind.

There will be drinks and snacks available as well as a chance to win drawing where you could win some new Patagonia gear.

Doors open at 630pm, screening begins at 7pm.

RSVP please at linik below.  If sign ups are full please click the add to waitlist button, and/or reach out the VSA Board for any questions.

https://theyinandyangofsurfingscreenin.splashthat.com/

Thank you and look forward to seeing you all on Thursday.

If not-see you on the beach or at the Breakwater Open on October 19th.

Dear VSA Members,

This is a recap of the information I conveyed at the club meeting at Rider Shack with a few updates from a WCBR email received this morning. 

Immediately following the Breakwater Open, we will curate our WCBR team for the season. Our team selection will consider participation in club contests and rankings. We aim to balance having fun with showcasing the best surfing talent from our area. There will be a group of mentors, board members, head judges, and outside consultants formulating the team, ensuring opportunities for alternates and all club members to participate.

We are new to this and will appreciate your patience. Here are the WCBR divisions:

• Men: 14U, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50& up
• Women: Any Age 
  Surfers must surf their age division. Women can choose their age group or the Women's heat but only one heat per event.

Regions and tentative schedule for the N Central Region (Northern LA, Venice, South Bay, Seal Beach, and Huntington) are as follows:

1. HB Pier - Nov 30th, 2024 (confirmed)
2. South Bay - Feb

Team VSA invites all members to join us for a club meeting/mixer on Sunday, September 15th, from 2pm - 4pm at Rider Shack. Enjoy light snacks and refreshments, and a special 20% discount on non-surfboard items. This is a great chance to ask questions, learn about our recent membership with the West Coast Boardriders, and get details on our Coastal Clean Up Day event on September 21 at Ballona Creek, in collaboration with Oceanic Global. RSVP through the provided Eventbrite link. We look forward to spending time with you and hearing from our members. See you on Sunday!

Guy Okazaki and the VSA Board

Hope that everyone is keeping as cool as possible and enjoying the warm water.

First and foremost, we would like to give a big shout out to Gavin Dogan, Noah Hill, Kolohe Andino, Dooma Fahrenfort, Bobby Rivero, and The Waterfront.

We have so many exciting events coming up this Fall:

• September 15th: Club meeting at Rider Shack, 2pm - 4pm.
• September 21st: Coastal Clean Up Day at Ballona Creek with Oceanic Global and Corona's initiative, 8:00am to 10:30am.
• October 10th: Movie screening at Patagonia (details coming shortly).
• October 19th: The Breakwater Open returns.
• November 7th: Silent Auction at the Rose Room, our annual fundraiser. Reach out to the board at board@vsa.la for donations.
• December 8th: VSA Holiday Party.

Keep an eye out for new VSA merch; we will be launching a pre-order in the next few weeks. 

Update for San O: A lease agreement has been signed between California State Parks and San O. Many of our members signed the Surfrider petition

Team VSA,

We hope you are enjoying the warmer water and the last days of summer.

We are excited to announce a special event on Thursday, August 29th from 4pm to 7pm at the Venice Pier. Our Wave Warriors will have pro surfer Kolohe Andino joining the groms, thanks to Venice's own Noah Hill. Following the surf session, Kolohe's latest film, "Hijinx," will be screened at The Waterfront at 8pm.

If you know a child interested in participating, please reach out to us. Note, this is a grom event only.

Looking forward to seeing everyone next week.

Guy Okazaki and the VSA Board

Westside Classic Update

Good morning Venice Surfing Association!

Here’s an update on everything Westside Classic:

The contest is on, but we’ll make the final call on Wednesday from the event location. Follow our Instagram for updates. We thank the VSA Board, volunteers, community leaders, sponsors, members, and the City of Santa Monica for supporting our 9th contest.

Registration ends on Wednesday at midnight at www.vsa.la or liveheats.com/events/260285.

Conditions:

• Waves: 2-3 feet, fair until noon with expected onshore wind.
• Weather: High of 76. UTU sunscreen available onsite.
• Water Temp: 68, suitable for boardies, 2mm, or 3/2 wetsuit.

The first round of heats will post online on Thursday and at the check-in tent on the contest day.

Check-In: Sign the release of liability and pick up your entry gift bag and contest tee-shirt at the check-in table. Return jerseys after heats.

Live Heats: Use [liveheats.com/events/260285](https://liveheats.com/events

Team VSA,

Hope everyone is enjoying the Summer and the warmer water. A huge thank you to everyone who supported our profile Pop Ups event featuring our talented community of artists in Venice. Follow them on Instagram @profilepopups for upcoming events.

On the surf front, we had a fantastic San O beach day on July 18th with great surf conditions. [View the photos here](http://url3868.vsa.la/ls/click?upn=u001.TS9dYlFA-2FBy7pElb-2BOvowg8-2BALK07m2KzQ0aIqkOQDWlixaD73wJ1CQcLcwyoa451iy-2BeDe5n-2FS3PVoruD1QBA-3D-3DbMz1_G0wjCy5MquFgznYWBHDsg8OSQrXULh2DNh-2BZopQkaJwjR4DspCUuAwW4vytgOuh8zfCftHvpi09mMdQyxmzkYGZW8U2go7A0yjNu9CAG7L2RI990KK

Team VSA,

Hope that everyone is enjoying the Summer and the warmer water.

A huge thank you to everyone who came out to support at profile Pop Ups to support our super talented community of artists in Venice.  It was a great event with extraordinary art.  For those who missed this, please give them a follow on Instagram @profilepopups to learn more about upcoming events.

On the surf front, we had another great San O beach day on July 18th and we actually had pumping surf.  You can view the photos from the day here. Special thanks to member Aimee Nelson for taking photos!

August 15th

We are super excited to be hosting a screening with We Are Venice at The Waterfront.  We will be screening the story of legendary Venice local Allen Sarlo and the story of Seven Adams son of Jay Adams.  Doors open at 6:30pm.  And check out @wearevenicebeach for more information on the different Venice stories.

August 17th

THE WESTSIDE CLASSIC - It's finally here. Our Summer series contest at Bay Street.  Registration is open on our website www.vsa.la through August 15th.  We have some great local brands supporting us for this contest.  We have great prizes from Mollusk Surf Shop, Bay Street Surfboards, Rider Shack, Osea, Utu Sunsreen, Sister Betsy Surf Wax, Livon Labs and Golden Era Collective.  Look forward to seeing everyone there, either on the beach or in the water.

August 29th

Venice Wave Warriors -  Keep your eye out on upcoming newsletters where we will share a special guest pro surfer who is coming out to spend the afternoon with the groms.  This will only be posted through our newsletter.

Last Thursday Venice Summer Contest Series

Come out to the lawn at Ocean Front Walk and Dudley from 6:30 to Sunset for music and good vibes.  Post show there will be a TBA screening at the waterfront.

October 19th

Save the date for the return of the Breakwater Open.  Details coming soon.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR OUR MEMBERS

Sunshine is still here and we are so grateful to have the support of Utu sunscreen.  For those of you who need sunscreen please use the code "VSALove" and get a sunscreen stick and two refills for $59.  This sunscreen is reef safe, chemical free, and supports green packaging.

Hope that everyone is enjoying lazy Summer days, the sunshine, and warmer water.

Some news and updates

July 4th 9pm-  Marina del Rey Fireworks-  Enjoy the fireworks on Independence Day.

July 13th-  Swirl Fest.  We are stoked to be hosting the paddle out with Grlswirl’s 3rd annual Sumer festival.  For additional information and tickets please go to surfskatefest.com

July 18th-  San O Beach Day-  Join us for another day of surfing down at San O.  Snacks and beverages provided.  Let’s hope for a repeat of the great conditions we had for our last beach day.

July 20th-  Venice Beach Run-  For the runners out there, anyone interested in a 5k run, this will be a pier to Muscle beach round trip run.  For more information check out: (https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/Venice/ConquerThePieratVeniceBeach)

July 25th - Last Thursdays Venice Summer Concert Series.  Live music from 6:30 to sunset on the grass at Rose Avenue and Ocean Front Walk.  Additional artists will be playing at The Rose Room, The Fig Tree, The Waterfront, and Venice Beach Bar after the sun sets.

August 17th - Summer VSA Surf Contest-  Stay tuned for more details but we are planning the Westside Classic contest to be held in Santa Monica.

Local Business and partner updates-

Marine Mammal Care-  For those of you interested in the health of our beloved pinnipeds, and some of the work that this incredible organization does, please check out their impact report. https://marinemammalcare.org/impact-report/

SI Mon Restaurant-  Si Mon restaurant has started a new Sunday brunch concept from 11am to 5pm featuring an entirely new menu.  The California/Panamanian cuisine is worth checking out.   Located at 60 North Venice Boulevard.

Reflect Love Project-  Member Veronica Velasquez has started a new graphic design project that reimagines how we see ourselves every time we stand in front of the mirror.  Veronica is a super talented artist, who has created the art for our Women’s Day paddle outs.  Check out her work on IG at @reflectloveproject

Sandborn Swim-  Summer is swimsuit season.  If you are looking for a new bikini, locals Sandi and Stephanie Wise design and make the best bikinis.  The Wise Family are great surfers and always contribute to the VSA.  Check them out on IG @sandbornswim

We are still adding to our calendar, so follow us on IG for the most up to date information.  In the works are more movie screenings, a clean up in September, our Silent Auction in the Fall, and a potential BBQ at the home of none other than VSA president and vice president Guy Okazaki and Alix.

Happy 4th and see you all at the beach.

Team VSA,

With so much going on in the Venice Community, we want to take this opportunity to welcome you to the Venice Surfing Association newsletter. We aim for a monthly newsletter and hope that our community will also reach out to us with events, information, and personal interest stories that we can share with them.

True to form, June has definitely been gloomy, but we are starting to see signs that the water is warming up, and the gloom will dissipate soon.  The dog days of Summer are almost here. To celebrate June 20th, which is the start of Summer, we have a club surfing day planned at San Onofre.

June 12th
We are excited to be screening Out in the Line Up at the Waterfront to celebrate Pride Month.  Our very own Glen Walsh is the music supervisor on the film.  We also have a panel conversation following the film.  Check out our IG to see the panelists.

June 18th
Our friends at Nalu Vida will be hosting a grand opening party.  Let's give them a big Venice welcome.  They are a great addition to the square and definitely community minded.

June 20th
We're heading to San Onofre for a community beach day. San Onofre is a true gem of Southern California, one of the last proper surf beaches where you can pull up, park, set up shop, and hit the waves. It's an all-day affair, so bring your gear and good vibes. Parking is limited, so arrive by 7-7:30 AM to avoid a long wait. Look for our tent and join us for a fun day in the sun.

July 1st
Blueys Mar Vista will now serve dinner in addition to the yummy breakfasts and lunch.

July 4th
Independence Day! Typically, it is one of the biggest weekends in Venice.  Watch for events from our friends at The Waterfront, Mercedes, and The Rose Room.

July 13th
The Grl Swirl team will be hosting its 3rd Annual Swirl Fest.  Celebrate surf/skate in Venice Beach.  Live music, skating, surfing, prizes, and community.  The Venice Surfing Association is thrilled that Grl Swirl has asked us to be a community partner, and we will be joining them at the morning surf paddle.  RSVP is required.  For more information about the event, please check out www.surfskatefest.com

August 17th
Please save the date for our next contest at Pacific Ocean Park.  More details are coming soon, but we have wanted to do a Santa Monica contest for quite some time, and now is the time.  For anyone interested in helping out with this contest, please reach out to our contest chair Gary Adler at gary@vsa.la.

Finally, we say this a lot, but we really mean it.  We do what we do for you, our fantastic community.  We are continually humbled by your support and participation at all of our events.  As mentioned in previous letters, we are now part of the bigger West Coast Boardriders organization and will have more updates about what this means for our club and surfers.  We hope this newsletter will start becoming more interactive, and we look forward to receiving stories, photos, and contributions from our community for future newsletters.

See you all at the beach!

Dear VSA Members,

Thanks for your ongoing support of the club. We wanted to update you on our contest schedule. Due to restrictions that no events can take place in Venice between Memorial Day and Labor Day, we've moved the June 15th contest to mid-August, likely at Ocean Park Tower 28. This is a great opportunity to bring the whole community together, and we have the City of Santa Monica Beaches' support.

We apologize for any inconvenience. Once finalized, we'll send a detailed update and call for volunteers and competitors.

We'll return to Venice for the Breakwater Open in October. Also, look out for more information on our San O beach day on June 20th and our "Out in the Lineup" movie screening on June 12th at the Waterfront.

Warmest regards and go surfing!

Team VSA,

A big shout out to everyone who came out for the Magic Mind Classic last weekend and a huge thanks to all our sponsors and volunteers. Though the waves were smaller, the vibe on the beach was amazing. Congrats to all our finalists!

We’re celebrating the VSA’s second anniversary this Sunday, May 19th, from 5pm to 10pm at Pat Solomon’s house, with a taco truck and food from chef Josiah Citrin, Charcoal, Lunetta, and Bonne Bouffe. DJ Mason Beranek will be spinning tunes. Join us at 919 Harding Ave.

Upcoming Events:

• Thursday, June 13th: Screening of Out in the Lineup at the Waterfront with a Q&A panel.
• Thursday, June 20th: Member’s surf session/hangout at San Onofre State Beach. More details soon.

Mark your calendars. We look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday to kick off an amazing summer!

Alix Gucovsky and the VSA Board
Event Chair