"The Jimmy" - one of Manhattan Beach's most iconic surf events - is coming up on Saturday, October 11, promising a day of family fun. 

Officially known as the Jimmy Surf Fiesta, the event is a unique team surfing contest that takes place the second Saturday in October each year in El Porto. Now in its 20th year, the open-to-all event is designed to foster camaraderie and aloha in the water and bring the community together for friendly competition. 

Although the event often sells out, registration is currently open. The all-day event costs $60 per surfer and includes breakfast and lunch as well as a Jimmy Surf Fiesta T-shirt. Prizes are also awarded at the end of the day for a variety of categories sponsored by local businesses. (This year's special awards include Best Beach Lounger, Pure Surfing Award and Best Wipeout.)

At the event, teams consisting of beginners to pros are encouraged to help each other catch waves. Five members of a team are in the water at the same time and compete against another team of five surfers. Each team member’s highest scoring wave counts towards the team total. The team with the highest cumulative team score advances to the next round. 

The contest directors assemble teams with various levels of ability to try to make the competition fair. Even if you get knocked out in Round One, you can put your name on an alternate list and try to join another team if someone has to leave. 

"The goal is to have everyone on your team catch one good wave," said Nancy Miller, board member of the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation and mother to Jimmy.

A featured guest at the event will be Manhattan Beach resident Boyd Jeffery, who had been an avid surfer before suffering a hemorrhagic stroke four years ago. After not having been in the water for four years, he came to a JMMF ocean therapy session, which happened to be a session with health care workers from Providence Little Company of Mary, the hospital that he credits with saving his life. 

"He got up on the surfboard for the first time with the healthcare workers and there was not a dry eye on the beach," said Miller. "Fast forward one month and he has surfed with us, and wanted to share his story." 

Jeffery will be broadcasting from a podcast booth at the event in conjunction with I Heart Radio, He will interview participants and spectators at the JIMMY, as well as surf on one of the teams. 

The foundation's namesake, Jimmy Miller, was a Manhattan Beach surf teacher and global surfing adventurer who spent his life sharing his joy of the ocean with others. In Manhattan Beach, he founded what is now Camp Surf, where he was dedicated to sharing his philosophy and the method he developed for teaching surfing. After Miller tragically took his own life in 2004, his family created the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation to preserve his memory and share his love for the ocean with others.

Since then, the JMMF pioneered and formalized the concept of ocean therapy programs through surfing and therapy sessions led by licensed therapists who guide pre- and post- surfing "talking circles."  

JMMF is currently the largest provider of ocean and surf therapy programming in the world. It has continued to introduce new populations that have suffered from some form of mental and/or physical trauma to the healing power of the ocean.