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World's top surfers begin competition Thursday. Surfing continues thru Sunday
The Freshwater Pro, what organizers are calling “summer’s surfing showdown," runs Thursday (Sept. 19) through Saturday (Sept. 21) and will feature some of the best surfing superstars in the world.
Visit Freshwater Pro website for information
The NAS Lemoore Central Valley Air Show is free, but visitors may want to arrive early as thousands are expected for the two-day show featuring the Navy’s top attraction, the Blue Angels. Exclusive seating – Flight Line Club and other venues – are available at a cost.
The Blue Angels are expected to perform at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets are also available for surfing enthusiasts. General admission tickets, good for Saturday, Sept. 21 are $55 per person. A single-day VIP ticket is $299, but it offers unlimited access to a VIP Deck, access to The Raconteurs concert, and more including a free shuttle to and from the Tachi Palace parking lot.
There is also a two-day VIP pass giving access on Friday involving an “intimate” experience open to athletes, their teams, and two-da VIP ticket holders. It also gets surf enthusiasts into Saturday night’s concert featuring the Raconteurs. Concert-only tickets are not available.
Children 10 and under are free to the Freshwater pro.
Onsite parking is available to those who purchased parking passes in advance. VIP and general admission parking passes are available the day of the event at the Palace Hotel & Casino Box Office. There is a Tachi Palace Shuttle to and from the event which runs every 15 to 20 minutes between Friday and Saturday.
This weekend’s event at Surf Ranch may be a tune-up for next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo where surfing will join the pantheon of athletic events. Surf Ranch’s founder, Kelly Slater, arguably one of the best U.S. surfers of all time, is expected to try out for the American team.
This week's contest is the second championship event held at Surf Ranch. A year ago, the facility entered the list of championship venues for the World Surfing League (WSL).
