Malibu primed for weekend surfing competition

Surfing is in the spotlight this week. There’s the Boost Mobile Pro contest at Lower Trestles in San Clemente and ASP World Tour event we mentioned in the Thursday blog.

And there’s the Malibu Surfing Assn.’s MSA Classic on Saturday and Sunday at Surfrider Beach. The 45th annual event will kick off tonight with a live concert by Common Sense at the Malibu Inn and a screening of  the documentary “Accidental Icon: The Real Gidget Story” at nearby Duke’s restaurant.

As for the contest, it features 300-plus amateur and pro surfers from clubs around the nation. Competition lasts all day both days.

Perhaps most intriguing will be the celebrity charity expression session on Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon. Among entrants: Jason Mraz, Flea, Noodles, Sal Masekela, Peter DiStefano, Chad Lowe, Richard Burgi, Brandon Cruz and David Chokachi.

For more information, check out the MSA website. As for the accompanying file photo, it is not representative of the weekend's competition. It was merely pulled to add some color to this item.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Al Seib/Los Angeles Times