Event organizer Rich Kimball decided on a Wednesday for two reasons: One of his favorite surf movies is “Big Wednesday” and picking a day in the middle of the week meant smaller crowds at the famous surf break. The Volkswagen bus evokes emotions of nostalgia, memories of surf trips to remote lands while living for days out of the camper. For others, it brings back memories of the hippie days, hitchhiking along the coast during a time when peace signs were the slogan for the carefree counterculture.

While the buses decades ago were the cheap version of the first minivan, these days they can cost big bucks. Buses more than half a century old and in need of plenty of repair can demand $10,000, and even more for the rare editions. A few years ago, a 1962 deluxe 23-window bus sold for $200,000 at an auction in Costa Mesa.

Not much of a crowd in the lineup on this particular day of the year. The road is lined from the Point all the way to DogPatch with classic VWs in which proud owners put their vehicles on display.

The Big Wednesday Surf Contest had no age divisions- first come, first serve! 

All around great fun, classic automobiles and inviting waves make for an amazing day with positive energy.