I have been telling my girlfriend about the World Famous Pumpkin Races for almost 2 years now,…read moreyesterday (10-28-2012) our schedules were finally right and we were able to go together. If you know about the Pumpkin Races chances are you are a local and know where to park, so no matter the crowd you will be able to find a spot to park your Beach cruiser, skateboard or your car. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at the World famous Pumpkin Races and attempted to check-in and there was no World Famous Pumpkin Races on Yelp, THE INJUSTICE, and THE SHAME. What do you need to know about the Pumpkin Races is that it is all about the South Bay and the South Bay lifestyle. I will try and describe it for you. The Pumpkin Races take place on a Manhattan Beach Blvd a large hill that leads towards the Manhattan Beach Pier. There is a pumpkin festival where you can go and experience everything pumpkin. You can visit stands of the Surf rider Foundation, Ice Cream, Pumpkin this or Pumpkin that, you can enter a pumpkin to race same day, you can decorate your pumpkin instead a small village dedicated to sprucing up your pumpkin. The rules are very simple. You must build a pumpkin with wheels and the base of the pumpkin has to be natural and able to support the getup that you build, you can decorate your pumpkin in any fashion you want. You cannot weigh you pumpkin down so it will go straight or faster because if you are caught cheating you pumpkin will be moved to a body chalk outline and a referee with a Gallagher sized mallet will come out and smash you pumpkin into 1,000 pieces as the crowd cheers. If you get caught pushing off at the start of the race again your will pumpkin will be given a death sentence. The goal of the pumpkin races is to have your pumpkin go about 75 feet and hit the barrier first in order to move onto the next round. The barrier is protected by referees holding padding to prevent your pumpkin from hitting the barriers at top pumpkin speed. The referees are great who run this. They keep the crowd entertained and cheering prompting a sing along and dancing. The pumpkin races have an area for children to race and for adults to race, it is all about the fun, the pumpkin, racing and South Bay living. If you are in the area next year make sure you stop by and check it out and support local South Bay businesses.

Some people carve pumpkins…read more Some people build cannons and catapults and launch them as far as they can. And then some people mount them on wheels and roll them downhill like it's a soapbox racer or an entrant in Bring Your Own Big Wheel. The good folks of Manhattan Beach are of the latter school. The Pumpkin Races are fun, more family-oriented. I would say it's a novelty just for the kids, but it's more a city tradition, as silly as it seems to outsiders. The official rules state that you must create a vehicle using one pumpkin and individual axles, no Tonka trucks or other store-bought chassis, no engines, pyrotechnics, or explosives. The pumpkins are released down hill with gravity doing all the work. No pushing allowed. Cheater vehicles get smash by the referee using a giant wooden mallet. Some people cheat almost specifically to get smashed or just because it's funny to see a pumpkin suddenly pop out booster rockets and propel down hill. They know they're not going to win, so why not have fun and let the mob chant, "Smash it! Smash it! Smash it!"

Fantastic trail runs in Orange County - Casper Wilderness Park, Riley Wliderness Park, Irvine…read moreRegional Park, etc. I'm running in the upcoming El Moro Canyon 6K/10-mile, Crystal Cove State Park. Easy to register and pay online. Then show up for the race; park your car, and get ready to run, jog, hike, or walk to the finish line. Lots of course volunteers, friendly people, and all-around fun. Great way to enjoy the outdoors and meet like-minded people.

My friends and I joined the Southbay Cruiser's on 12/21 for their Holiday ride from the Hermosa…read moreBeach Pier to Candy Cane lane in Torrance. We showed up with our canned food and toy donations for the Richstone Family center and got a kick out of seeing the way the SBC's had gotten all decked out for the ride. There was a santa claus, a guy with Christmas lights on his tire spokes and a woman with a light up baby Christmas tree mounted on her head and others had decorated their bikes with tinsel. Before we knew it we were OFFFFFFFF heading south on the strand following John S. who was blaring a fun instrumental version of Wham's "Last Christmas I gave you my heart" on the boombox attached to this bike. We turned at 22nd St and rode down Hermosa Ave towards Redondo Beach and then cut on over to Torrance where we arrived at Candy Cane lane where we took a short Hot Chocolate and Water break as we enjoyed the festive lights and decorations of the neighborhoods. I was surprised by how nice everyone was and how much they all watched out for each other. When anyone would slow down and stragglers would fall behind one or two people would head back to check on them and at times the group even stopped to wait up. It was a wonderful holiday event for my girlfriends and I. We try to do something "Christmassy" every year. We enjoyed waving to people and wishing them a Merry Christmas. We encountered pedestrians, police officers, people on their balconies, honking cars... It was good clean FUN!

I've only been on one SBC ride. It was an AM ride on a cool and rainy morning…read more The cruisers are great people and John puts together a lot of rides for a good cause. I'll be sure to update when my fear of 'night riding' is conquered!

I have used Eileen's services for 20 years. From everything from coaching, bike fitting, to injury…read morerehabilitation. I have also used other coaches and bike fitters in that time as I moved away from the area, so I was able to realize just how good Eileen is. Her services are personal and second to none. If you want the same stock treatment and training plans everyone else gets then don't go here - this is personalized and thoughtful. Of all of the services I have used I would say that injury rehabilitation is the best (Eileen got me through broken shoulders and wrists) as well as bike fitting. Rather than use a rig for bike fitting Eileen actually digs her fingers into your muscles to make sure that they are firing. Forget the days of back and knee pain - she can fix all of that. Try her. You will come back.

Eileen is the BEST! if you want a perfect bike fit and or…read morecoach, contact her.

Ralph of Sup-postion in Huntington Beach is my "go to" guy for SUP in O.C…read more Boards, Paddles, Fins, Pro Rail Saver, traction pads and now HYDROFOILS. He drove 3 different boards down to the water and let me paddle each board to see what fit me best. Ironically I found Ralph on an international online stand up paddle forum that focused on Stand Up Paddle Hydrofoiling. Turn's out he is 10 minutes from my house.

Ralph, owner of Sup-position, helped me choose the right board for my needs. I wanted a board I…read morecould use for both cruising and surfing. Ralph told me to meet him at the Harbor and demo a few boards. He helped me understand the differences and I was able to get the perfect board for my needs. Since then, I have been interested in a newer and smaller paddleboard for surfing only. Ralph has met me down in the surf to try out some from his personal quiver. Great guy, fun to surf with, knows his boards, and is honest. I'd recommend Sup-position highly.

A fun way to spend some time with family on a nice peaceful stroll with the local community. Some…read morebooths and porta potties along the way. Kid stations and benches to rest. Parking available on Barranca and West Yale Loop

They will rip you off like they did to us, do not use them!!! Worst service agreement ever! I…read morewould recommend using another place... This guy will do anything to take your money.. Very unhappy coustomer

Great service all the way around. My representatives were Kim and Joe and they were superior in…read moretheir customer service. This is my second time using this company and I plan to continue with them. We rented a JetSki on the most recent trip. The rental process was well-laid out and the pick-up process was straightforward. Thorough directions were given regarding safe operation and all questions were answered. Drop-off was smooth as well. I have been very impressed with their professionalism overall. Thanks Kim and Joe...we had a great experience! Michael

Silver Spur Little League provides a great opportunity for kids to play baseball on the fields of…read moreErnie Howlett Park. I've had three boys go through SSLL and all three enjoyed their experiences. The fields are in great condition, the snack shack serves pretty good food, and many of the parents became good friends.