The Santa Cruz Longboard Union hosts the annual Memorial Day contest at Steamer's Lane. It is a great surfing community event with great people and often challenging conditions. The kelp, rocks, and sometimes huge surf make for interesting heats. There are many age divisions which give everyone a chance to surf with/against their peers. I'm in the women's 20-34 age division (for one last year!) and can't wait to surf "The Lane" with only a handful of ladies in the water. If you're in the area, stop by the Lane to check it out! The event entry fees and raffle tickets raise money for the Ride A Wave organization, which is a volunteer group takes kids with special needs surfing.
Here is a link to the heat sheets and contest schedule.