The article recounts the Santa Cruz City Council's decision to approve a 3-day surfing contest to be held in January and sponsored by O'Neill's. This will be the first surf contest in the area since the 1960s. It is expected to bring a few thousand spectators. One city official notes the event could yield thousands of dollars in hotel tax revenue. Some local residents are concerned about having so many visitors in their neighborhood and the traffic that will be caused by the termporary closure of West Cliff Drive during the event. O'Neill's has plans to mitigate those issues, and the City Council ultimately approved the contest.