Photos: South Bay Rides Waves in Surf Series

A record turnout of competitors were paired with morning surf and a cold snap at the South Bay Boardriders Club’s first contest of the season in neighboring Manhattan Beach on Sunday.

"Our we thought was our biggest contest for entries, our championships," said Mike Balzer, surf photographer and one of the founding members of the club. "We had 156 entries—we were on the beach for 14 hours that day. It turns out for this event...we have 200 entries.

"One of the most exciting things is that the reason we wanted this was for the young kids," Balzer said. "And those divisions have grown."

The demand for entry into the contest, which kicked off , was big enough to warrant two heats running simultaneously during the event.

"I love the camaraderie—if you lose it's great, if you win it's better," said Derrick Compas of Hermosa Beach, who placed fourth in the first event of the inaugural season. He was surfing in the juniors division.

Derrick also offered some suggestions on how to improve the contest—such as requiring contestants to trade boards with each other.

"You're unfamiliar with what you're surfing on," Derrick explained. "That would be really fun."

Derrick's father, Steve Compas, said that he would like to see stand-up paddleboarding included in the series.

"We have had a huge amount of people asking for stand-up paddle," Balzer said, but time is an issue. "The days will get longer, then we can possibly add something."

But so far, the surf series has stood out as an opportunity to showcase longboarding skills in the area.

Candice Appleby, a professional ocean athlete who competed on her longboard Sunday, said "there's not really much going for longboarding anymore, so I figure: go and do the open division, surf with 'the boys,' and get some practice."

Here are full results from the contest: