Surf was up - sort of - for Arroyo Seco weekend-long surf contest

PLAYA GRANDE, Arroyo Seco, Jalisco, Mexico - The surf was relatively tame for today's surf contest in Arroyo Seco - at least from the shore. About 30 surfers (mas o menos) were involved in the La Huerta-sponsored contest, most of whom camped on the beach last night, no doubt to get a good night's sleep before today's tournament. Ok, maybe there's some doubt. A few of the contestants did look a little sleepy until they hit the water.

Scheduled to start sometime around 9 a.m., the contest part began closer to 11:30.

!Que sorpresa!


Surfer comes in from a practice run

But the later-than-expected start gave spectators and vendors - and there were plenty of both- time to get their chairs and tables and beer coolers set up to watch. The surfers all practiced for at least an hour  before the first whistle was blown and it was wild watching all those surfers fighting for space, close to the rocks on the north end of the beach.

There were no loudspeakers, so the spectators had to give a guess as to what was going on when the actual tournament started. But we witnessed some fancy board work.

Things ended by about 3 p.m.


Um, where's the surfer?

Sunday the contest continues and the organizers promise that it will start close to 9 a.m. - and it might. The tents and scoring booths and cameras are all in place and ready to go without set up. And the spectators? Well, most of our gear is in the back of our neighbor's pickup truck, ready for tomorrow's action.

In addition to local spectators, there were out-of-town vistors from La Manzanilla, Boca de Iguana, Melaque and even two polo players from Careyes who we met several weeks ago when we strayed from the shoreline to catch a few chukkers there.

Tomorrow, I understand that Guadalajara Reporter writer and La Manzanilla bon vivant Jane Gorby (aka Lois Lane) will be on hand to check things out.

We will have a chair and some shade reserved for her.


The sign tells it all