HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. — The basics of the Hermosa Beach Ironman are simple: Run a mile, grab a surfboard and paddle a mile in the ocean, then chug a six-pack of beer — but if you spew the beer all over the beach, you're disqualified.

It may be a triathlon, but you won't be finding it in the Tokyo Olympics.

For more than 40 years, the Hermosa Ironman, which is absolutely not affiliated with that other triathlon series, has been an Independence Day tradition in Hermosa, kicking off the rest of the day's festivities.


What You Need To Know

  • The Hermosa Beach Ironman, an outlaw beach race in which participants run a mile, paddle a mile with a surfboard and chug a six-pack of beer, is returning for 2021

  • The return of the Ironman comes as Hermosa Beach officials promise increased enforcement for quality-of-life laws like public drunkenness and unruly parties

  • The Ironman, a Hermosa Beach staple for more than 40 years, runs with the tacit approval of city officials, who are said to look the other way so long as it's cleaned up by 10 a.m.

  • July 4 has a "riotous" history in Hermosa, although locals — and police statistics — indicate that reputation has softened

One longtime competitor called the Ironman a local tradition that can't be found anywhere else in the world, comparing it to Pamplona's Running of the Bulls. But it's also an outlaw event that runs in defiance of city ordinances, in large part because of its local legacy.

"It's interesting how this event is the pinnacle of Hermosa Beach culture but is also the antithesis of what people are trying to bring to our community," said Shelby Benz, daughter of longtime Ironman figurehead Bob "Bergie" Benz.

"In many ways, it's actually just this spirited event that surmounts all of these legal barriers, all of these social barriers, for people to come together and party and have a great time on the Fourth of July — and to raise money for local families in need," Benz said.

The "local" part is important. Unlike most beaches in Los Angeles County, Hermosa Beach controls its shore, is responsible for law enforcement and can permit its own events. But the Ironman is un-permitted and explicitly violates the city's public drinking laws.

It also happens, by tradition, on July 4 — a weekend in which Hermosa Beach annually seeks to crack down on public lawlessness.

According to a letter to residents dated June 21, the city is planning to take extra steps toward enforcement of its public drinking laws and other similar quality-of-life laws regarding parties, underage drinking and drunk driving over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

"HBPD personnel will be assigned throughout the city to address the annual influx of people celebrating the holiday weekend in Hermosa Beach. In past years, our efforts have reduced incidents of disturbing the peace within our community, ensuring safe and memorable Independence Day celebrations in Hermosa Beach," said the letter signed by City Manager Suja Lowenthal and Police Chief Paul LeBaron. "Officers will strictly enforce laws banning public intoxication, driving under the influence, underage drinking and drinking on the beach. Violators will be subject to arrest or citation."

Like most summer months, July is often busy for Hermosa Beach police. Crime statistics from 2017 through 2019 indicate that the city often sees some month-to-month increases in crime reporting. On average, from 2017 to 2019, calls for service to police increased by about 19% from June to July. Arrests from June to July rose by 36% over the same period.

Chris Brown, a longtime competitor in the Ironman, believes that the city is doing its part to "try and keep mayhem from ensuing in the city." But he believes that the city has matured over the years.

"It makes me chuckle these days when you hear people talking about a Fourth of July being out of hand, or crazy," Brown said. "Honestly, they have no idea what it used to be back in the '70s and '80s…the Fourth was like a riot."

Hermosa Beach Mayor Justin Massey noted that, a few years before he joined the city council in 2015, Hermosa Beach "cracked down hard" on July 4 lawlessness, coordinating with LA County Sheriffs and neighboring police departments.

"They really did a show of force to deter the kind of out-of-hand public drunkenness, violence, all of the other junk that was going on that was pissing Hermosans off," Massey said. "Since that time, every July 4, we coordinate with our neighboring cities and make sure we're at full deployment."

Questioning the differences between law enforcement for the Ironman and elsewhere in the city is a fair question, Massey said. But Hermosa's stricter enforcement is largely meant to push back on the lawlessness, fistfights, and overconsumption of alcohol that takes place at the city's Pier Plaza bars.

"My sense is that Ironman is benign in the same way that Sunday night concerts are. Sure, they're drinking at the beach, it's technically against the law, but our police are there to make sure that everyone's safe," Massey said.

The Ironman, and some local, neighborhood-level volleyball tournaments, get that leeway, owing to local history. New events, Massey admitted, wouldn't get the same leash. "There are some legacy events where we exercise enforcement discretion," he said. "But we have the right amount of them now. It's not a license for others to copycat."

What results is a handshake-style agreement between the loose confederation of Ironman organizers and city officials: so long as they finish up by 10 a.m. and clean up their messes, the cops won't step in.

"We make sure we meet that deadline to ensure that we're following rules — everything goes back to normal…we don't take that responsibility lightly because our environment is our home."

Benz reiterated that entry fees associated with the Ironman go toward helping the community. Last year, instead of a race, the Ironman hosted a "socially distanced" fundraiser, which she said collected more than $12,000. That money went to restaurant workers who were laid off amid the pandemic, given gift cards and certificates from the city's local grocery stores.

Benz thought for a moment when asked about comparing the outlaw history of the Ironman and Hermosa's increasingly gentrified image.

"It's hard to reconcile those two truths. But Hermosa is fundamentally a surfer, punk, beach town. And as much as we evolve, we have this history of the Ironman and partying, and this bon ami culture," Benz said.

"That's the beauty of the Ironman. Everything's local, but we try to create an inclusive community. Everyone is welcome, and we have the spirit of Hermosa with us."