Surfers rode the waves off Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach, Saturday, for the 32nd annual OMBAC Surf Classic. They were only allowed to compete with vintage long boards designed before 1970. The event reached full capacity with 50 surfers registered ranging from college-aged to ‘old school’ men and women with decades of experience. The late-summer swells gave competitors a chance to enjoy the experience that has kept them coming back to the ocean. “It’s kind of just like this surreal feeling of awesomeness, you know, washing your day off and gliding on the water,” said surfer Waylen Chanzer, a 17-year old freshman at San Diego State University. Trevor Holloway rides a wave, Saturday, during a 15 minute competition heat off Crystal Pier, September 12, 2026. The annual Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (OMBAC) fundraiser benefits the Prevent Drowning Foundation of San Diego, whose mission includes teaching lifesaving strategies to people getting in the water. “Each competitors entry fee today will cover about 10 swim lessons for a child who otherwise could not afford it,” Ronan Gray, the foundation’s president told NBC 7. The foundation reports that drowning remains the leading cause of death for children under age 5. “…and that’s such a tragedy because it’s preventable. It’s not just the ocean and the bays, but backyard pools are another place where tragedies happen,” Gray said. The Surf Classic combines the fundraising event with a celebration of California’s Golden Age of surfing history. It was a time where boards could be taller than the people riding them and surfers didn’t use leashes. “There’s just something about knowing the history that informs the present. It’s paying homage to the originators pre-1970s. This contest is all early boards,” old-school surfer Marc Whitney Mehran said. Surfers prepare to compete, Saturday, making their way out to the surf, September 12, 2026. Event chairman, Chad Baker, has been surfing for 40 years and said, “Old Mission Beach Athletic Club supports youth events and charitable causes that help people who need it.” For surfers like Trevor Holloway, another San Diego State freshman, riding the waves and enjoying the ocean is a life style. “I don’t ever really remember not being able to swim at any point, honestly,” Holloway said. “It’s a fundamental life skill as essential as walking or running.” This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less