Locals ready to rock
By Michelle Gerst
Staff Writer

OCEANSIDE After more than a decade of playing up and down the California coast, a musician born and raised in Oceanside will perform for the first time to a hometown crowd during the nine-day Oceanfest 03 celebration,
Oceanfest 03 is a family style beach festival at the Oceanside Pier that runs from June 28 through July 6 and is headlined by the 43rd annual U.S. Surfing Championships.
To his family he is known as Henry, but in the world of music Chil G is his name.
Chil Gs music is described as an R&B street grove with a splash of reggae and rock.
On the Fourth of July, Chil G will show off his musical talents at 7 p.m., at the Oceanside Pier Amphitheater.
Im so excited to do this. I have always been performing someplace else and now I can give my heart and soul out to my hometown, Chil G said.
The event produced by Beach Festival Promotions in conjunction with the city of Oceanside will also include the Surfaris, who headline a four-day series of free concerts, Remedy Motel and many other contemporary beach bands. The Surfaris is the band that rocked California beaches with their 1963 chart topper Wipe Out.
The Surfaris are scheduled to perform their famous hit on the Fourth of July with a special tribute to military personnel that includes inviting three service members up on stage to perform the legendary Wipe Out drum solo with the band.
The Amphitheater at Oceanside Pier creates a coliseum-like atmosphere that makes it the perfect venue to showcase classic and contemporary surf style music, said festival promoter Paul West.
During the nine-day event, guests can be entertained by competitions on surfing, skating, sand castle building and art shows.
The event will be wonderful. It will be huge, said David Nydegger, chief executive officer at the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce.
Nydegger said Oceanfest 03 will be building on what is always a great Fourth of July celebration.
For the 10th year, the U.S. Surfing Championships will feature 650 surfers with ages ranging from 8 to 80. The surfers will compete for national titles in 24 divisions.
West said Oceanside has been chosen for the surfing championships because it has the most consistent breaks in the summer months in the world.
Having consistent breaks is critical for the contest, West said.
The event is expected to draw more than a half million people to the beach throughout the nine days.
We really enjoy the hospitality we receive from the city of Oceanside. We enjoy the relationship we have built with the city, West said.
A complete list of events and schedules can be found at www.beachfestivalpromotions.com. Information about the surfing championship can be found by clicking on www.ussurf.org.