Each year, just as the last spark fizzles out from Ocean Beach’s annual fireworks show, a friendly battle is waged on the beach surrounding the OB Pier, with marshmallows serving as ammunition for locals. Following OB’s epic Independence Day combat, a battlefield of landmines in the form of sticky, gooey leftover marshmallows littered the streets and beaches. “It is certainly the talk of the town, and it seems like people had a lot of fun acting like kids,” said Denny Knox, executive director of the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association. “Since the damage doesn’t seem to be permanent and it eventually wears away, we haven’t gotten overly grumpy about the cleanup. Also, with so many people jumping in to help clean up — especially the perpetrators — the marshmallow fight is more fun than not.” More than 100 trash bag-wielding volunteers turned out for San Diego Surfrider’s “Morning After the Mess” beach cleanup at the OB Pier, picking up more than 2,000 pounds of trash, according to Surfrider’s chapter coordinator Haley Haggerstone. “We had a number of volunteers who participated in the marshmallow fight also come out to assist with the clean-up this morning, which speaks volumes about the community of Ocean Beach and their commitment to keeping their beaches clean,” she said. District 2 Councilman Kevin Faulconer also attended the cleanup, lending a hand to restore the streets and beaches back to their original shine. “I believe in protecting San Diego’s beaches and bays,” he said. “I was proud to partner with the Surfrider Foundation to clean up the beach following the Fourth of July celebrations. I will continue to collaborate with the community on solutions to keep San Diego beaches clean, and I am open to a unified message from the neighborhood regarding any new ideas.”