Long Beach welcomes surfing competition

The world's best surfers lined the Long Beach shore Monday, bringing thousands of spectators to the beach and boardwalk.

But just a few blocks north, in the heart of the city's business district, it was mostly business as usual on opening day of the 11-day event.

"Most of the kids who surf, they walk," Stu Klar said about why he and other Beech Street taxi drivers waiting outside the Long Island Rail Road station hadn't seen a boost in business from the Quiksilver Pro New York surfing competition.

Early Monday, Jennifer Aly was excited about what the event could bring her weekly Arts in the Plaza fair near City Hall. The president of West End Arts hoped to see bigger crowds at the gathering of fine arts vendors, but by midday, it looked like any other summer weekend.

"But this [the surfing competition] allows people to see what Long Beach has to offer," Aly said.

On Park Boulevard, restaurants and coffee shops saw steady streams of customers -- some barefoot and carrying surf boards -- in numbers like those expected for the last beach weekend of the summer, residents said.

But by the time the tournament ends on Sept. 15, Long Beach City Manager Charles Theofan predicted, merchants would see the benefit from increased visitors during the historically quiet post-Labor Day week.

"What a boost this will be for them," he said.

The international competition -- the first held on the East Coast -- had been planned to be 15 days, but was reduced to 11 after Tropical Storm Irene.

Still, Klar, 71, and other Long Beach residents, viewed the competition as positive.

"It's not a crowd that's interfering in any way," said Rosemarie Engle, a city resident of 46 years, as she sat with friends outside the Park Boulevard Starbucks. "Actually, I find it just amazing that they picked Long Beach."

Theofan walked by the group, having just completed a quick assessment of the boardwalk.

He called the event "phenomenal," downplaying complaints about the concert cancellations made necessary when infrastructure couldn't be reassembled after Irene came through, and police officers ticketing drivers who parked in temporary resident-only zones.

"We wanted it to be the least amount of inconvenience for residents," Theofan said.

Lem and Eva Zaragoza weren't bothered by the event bringing thousands of tourists into their city. They've lived six blocks from the water for more than 30 years and value Long Beach's small-town feel.

"Man, get over it," Lem Zaragoza said of anyone complaining about the crowds. "It's only a couple of weeks."

His wife, standing next to him on the packed beach, added: "We're proud of the city. This is exciting for us."