Alamitos Bay Yacht Club hosts its annual Classic Car Show during Father’s Day — with hot rods, high-end exotics and other automobiles taking center stage instead of ships.
“ABYC’s Classic Car Show on Father’s Day had plenty of dad bods and hot rods,” said ABYC’s Lori Van Skyhook. “Members got to show off their high-end exotics, antiques, classics and hot rods on a perfect summer Sunday.”
Tuna Club member John Lavaries presents a trophy to a youngster during a previous iteration of the club’s “Kids Fishing Rodeo.” (Courtesy of the Southern California Tuna Club)
A young boy fishes off the Belmont pier during a previous iteration of the Southern California Tuna Club’s “Kids Fishing Rodeo.” (Courtesy of the Southern California Tuna Club)
A new immersive experience, “Life of a Sailor,” opened aboard the Battleship Iowa during LA Fleet Week over Memorial Day weekend. (Courtesy photo by Rick Stipa)
Alamitos Bay Yacht Club hosts its annual Classic Car Show during Father’s Day on Sunday, June 21. Organizer Michael Oliver stands in front of one of the cars. (Courtesy photo by David Murray)
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Tuna Club member John Lavaries presents a trophy to a youngster during a previous iteration of the club’s “Kids Fishing Rodeo.” (Courtesy of the Southern California Tuna Club)
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Kids Fishing Rodeo
The Southern California Tuna Club will welcome young people 15 years old and under to its 70th Annual “Kids Fishing Rodeo” at the Belmont Veteran’s Memorial Pier from 8 a.m. to noon Aug. 1.
The young anglers will compete for prizes and raffle items, including trophies, bicycles, and fishing rods and reels. The event is sponsored by Tuna Club members and is free to attend.
I recall attending this event as a child and kudos to the Tuna Club for continuing this tradition — and welcoming the next generation into the hobby. The club wants to make the day a great experience for everyone.
Jesel Ortoff will provide hot dogs, chips and bottled water for the young anglers. Brian Young and his Department of Fish and Wildlife team will provide loaner fishing poles for participants without gear and distribute educational materials.
Cal State Long Beach’s Shark Lab will also bring its “Shark Shack,” where kids can learn about sharks and rays, pick up a beach safety comic book, view preserved local specimens, and discover how researchers track and study these animals.
For more information, go to socaltunaclub.org.
Sailor’s life
After years of designing and building, the Battleship Iowa has opened the doors to the National Museum of the Surface Navy and its “Life of a Sailor” experience.
“Life of a Sailor” is an interactive exhibit where those touring the battleship can better understand what it is like to be in the United States Navy.
Constructed entirely within the Battleship IOWA, the display includes everything from a 60-foot video sculpture about the development of ships to a drill instructor yelling at a recruit in bootcamp to a large-scale cutaway of an actual working vessel
In a press release, IOWA CEO Jonathan Williams addressed how the retired ship is evolving into more than a floating museum.
“There’s a story bigger than a museum here,” he said. “This experience represents the first major immersive experience in our transformation into a national destination focused on the people of the Surface Navy.”
The interactive experience represents a $3.5 million investment. “Life of a Sailor” is included in general admission to the ship.
To plan your visit to Battleship Iowa, go to pacificbattleship.com.
Lone Sailor
The exhibit on board the Iowa reminded me of our Long Beach Lone Sailor, the 7.5-foot-tall bronze statue located on Bluff Park since 2004. The statue honors all personnel of the U.S. Navy, symbolizing their service, sacrifice and dedication.
The Navy Memorial’s Statue City Program, launched in 1997, has placed 19 Lone Sailor statues worldwide, including in San Francisco; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and Normandy, France.
Long Beach’s local Lone Sailor Memorial Committee included Navy veterans, civic leaders, Partners of Parks and Fleet Reserve Association Branch 43. It took two years of fundraising, including a commemorative brick campaign, to build the plaza. There was also major support from Long Beach to secure the site at Bluff Park, which overlooks the Pacific.
Each of the 19 statues worldwide represents the men and women who have served, are serving or will serve in the United States Navy.
During my travels, I visited five of the various statues — and our Long Beach sailor is the only one that faces the ocean. I recall visiting the statue in Esplanade Park, along the New River in Fort Lauderdale, and feeling sad — the statue looked out on a small channel with limited small craft traffic.
The view from the Long Beach statue, meanwhile, includes massive ships entering the Port of Long Beach, sailboats racing and Catalina Island.