Surfers shred Pismo Beach during 7th-annual Still Frothy surf contest

Surfers of all ages and skill levels invaded Pismo Beach on Saturday for the seventh-annual Still Frothy Surf Festival.

“It’s been an amazing day,” event organizer Walt Cerny said Saturday. “We have been pretty blessed with the waves and the weather conditions.”

About 150 surfers are expected to compete during the two-day event. Saturday events kicked off at 8 a.m. on the north side of the Pismo Beach Pier with the quarterfinals of the junior and boys events, which includes surfers ranging in age from 11 to 17 years old. Those events were followed up by a Tow at Air event and a non-profit team challenge, a heat that raised money for six local non-profits.

Hundreds looked on from the pier and beach.

“He brings this awesome competition, and it’s a blast every single year,” local surfer and competitor Aaron Terrasus said.

Terrasus, 17, has competed in the event the last four years.

“It just keeps getting better and better each time,” Terrasus said.

The main event is set for Sunday with the Pro-Am portion of the festival beginning at 8 a.m. and wrapping up with the final heat of the day at 5 p.m. Finals for the other divisions begin at 4 p.m.

“I think there is supposed to be less wind and a little bit smaller, but it might be cleaner,” Cerny said of Sunday’s surf forecast.

All the surfers will compete for a purse of $10,000 with payouts to the winners of each event.

Under Cerny, Still Frothy evolved from an annual contest to a nonprofit that has helped raise money for young community members in need of medical care and other causes.

This story was originally published September 24, 2016 at 6:16 PM with the headline "Surfers shred Pismo Beach during 7th-annual Still Frothy surf contest."