Surf 'The Chuck' at Old Man's on May 10

San Onofre Surfing Club recently announced its first event of the year: a surf contest called “The Chuck.” 

It will be a good, old-fashioned surf contest, with surfing, food and trophies, and is scheduled for Old Man’s surf break on Saturday, May 10, at 7 a.m.

The goal of San Onofre Surfing Club is “to preserve and maintain the iconic San Onofre Surfing Beach surf culture and its easy-access, family-friendly environment,” which has been an integral part of surfing history for almost a century.

The SanO club consists of a diverse array of surfers “from beach lovers to the world’s best nose riders,” and it collaborates with the California Department of Parks and Recreation to “foster responsible use and operations and help ensure this historic beach and its surf breaks remain in their natural state for generations to come.” 

The club is also responsible for small but vital aspects of SanO we may not know about, but always appreciate, such as repairing the well-loved palm frond shacks at Old Man’s and Dog Patch. 

For this contest, all surfers are required to be members of the San Onofre Surfing Club to enter. For children under 18, the entry fee is $20. For adults, the entry fee is $30. Breakfast and lunch will be served to all members who attend. 

The club puts on a variety of events, and the upcoming 2025 calendar includes a horseshoes contest, Aloha Family Day, volleyball tournaments, and a club contest this fall. This is its only surf contest in the next few months, though, so if you are looking to compete against other members of San Onofre Surfing Club (which, let’s face it, is probably the least-crowded time you will ever surf Old Man’s for the rest of the summer), signups are available through the entry forms on the club’s website: sanonofresurfingclub.org/ten-buck-chuck-surf-contest.