The popular summer surfing season in Hawai'i will get under way this weekend at the Local Motion Surf Into Summer contest.

The three-day contest will begin tomorrow and continue through Monday at Sandy Beach. The contest was moved from Ala Moana Bowls this year because of concerns over water contamination in the area.

Around 300 amateur surfers of all ages are expected to participate.

The Surf Into Summer contest started in 1985, and is considered the largest amateur surfing contest in the state.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CONTEST BACK ON BOARD

After a one-year hiatus, the World Longboard Championships will return next month.

The event will be part of the 13th annual Rabbit Kekai International Surfing Classic. The contest is scheduled to run June 21 to 30 at Boca Barranca, Costa Rica.

Several divisions will be staged, and the winner of the men's professional division will be crowned the 2006 world champion of longboard surfing.

The World Longboard Championships was canceled last year because of a lack of sponsorship money. This year, a $50,000 prize purse will be offered.

Several Hawai'i surfers are expected to compete, including former world champion Bonga Perkins, Kekoa Uemura and Duane DeSoto.

The contest is named after Hawai'i surfing legend Rabbit Kekai, who is 85 and still competes in surfing contests.

WAHINE CLASSIC SET TO RUN NEXT WEEKEND

The Rip Curl Presents China Uemura's 10th annual Wahine Surfing Classic is scheduled to run June 2 to 4 at Queen's Surf, Waikiki.

More than 200 females are expected to compete, making it one of the largest female-only surfing contests in the world. There will be various age divisions for shortboard surfing, longboard surfing and bodyboarding.