Ben Marcus remembers his hometown of Santa Cruz when it was Surf City – heaven for a teen with a board and a need for winter waves.

When skies turned gray and temperatures dropped, a solid swell started rolling in, as regular as the bell at the end of the school day.

No matter how cold the water, the waves proved irresistible.

"I still get the twinge now, in the fall," said Marcus, former editor of Surfer magazine and a lifelong boarder.

"Growing up in Santa Cruz in the '70s, surfing made you feel so much better in winter. Seven hours in cold water and you'd be flying for weeks. It's real addictive. You just don't feel right until you're back on a wave."

Northern California's major surf season hits the beach this week with the 21st annual O'Neill Cold Water Classic, a four-star pro event for aspiring surfers throughout the country.

It makes Marcus nostalgic. An accomplished author (including his latest, "Extreme Surf, " see below), he now surfs Malibu every day.

"Santa Cruz is a winter surfing mecca," he said. "When I started at Surfer magazine, my goal was to put Santa Cruz on the map."

He succeeded: His hometown's epic reputation has grown to global proportions.

This contest also has global consequences, at least in the world of pro surfing. The season finale in the World Qualifying Series, the Classic is the last chance this year for some surfers to climb up the ladder of professional ranks into the ultra-elite Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour, the sport's aquatic big league.

The action takes place in Steamer Lane. With an $80,000 purse, this contest also culminates the Macy's California Trifecta, a trio of surf events along the coast aimed at supporting and developing local talent. The Trifecta kicks in another $25,000 in bonuses.

O'Neill – the Santa Cruz company that gave birth to the wetsuit – has been a part of NorCal surfing since 1952, when pioneer Jack O'Neill opened his first surf shop. Macy's caught this wave in 2005 in hopes of riding the sport's popularity. It's cool, say the surfers, and a sign of more mainstream success.

"It is great to see a company like Macy's embrace surfing and core brands like O'Neill," said Santa Cruz's Kieran Horn, a past winner who finished second in last year's Classic. "Usually, surfers on the Qualfiying series have to spend a lot of time and money traveling to make decent money, so any time American surfers don't have to leave the States to make some money, it is an added bonus."

More than 200 surfers will compete in the six-day event, which started Tuesday. Elimination rounds continue, starting at 8 a.m. today through Saturday. With quarterfinals starting at 8 a.m.; men's finals are set for 1:55 p.m Sunday.

This event also serves as the ASP North America Championship for the junior circuit. Out of a field of 48, four teen surfers will advance to the worlds.

Now, all they need is waves. A progressive series of gales in the Gulf of Alaska was expected to generate a steady Santa Cruz swell. You can check conditions and even see a sort of surf cam at www.coldwaterclassic.net.

"We expect a full-on swell with overhead surf," said ASP's Bobby Shadley." We expect good, contestable conditions for the entire event with high-quality waves. Everybody is real excited."

Call the Bee's Debbie Arrington, (916) 321-1075. If you go What: 21st O'Neill Cold Water Classic Where: Steamer Lane, Lighthouse State Beach, Santa Cruz When: Today-Sunday. Heats start at 8 a.m. each day. Finals start 1:55 p.m. Sunday. Admission: Free Details: www.coldwaterclassic.net