WET AND WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG -- RICK FIGNETTI

The National Scholastic Surfing Championships were held a little over

a week ago down at Lower Trestles. The surf was pretty good at times and

the weather was hot as was the surfing action. Surfers from all around

the United States ripped it up.

Some of our Huntington Beach residents tore it up there, starting with

John Silver, who surfed quick and precise in the Super Seniors and was

awarded a national title. Silver edged out former Huntington Beach

resident Steve Weaver who had a couple of nice lefts. Pat Schlick was

awarded third in the 20-minute final. In the Seniors’ division, Seal

Beach’s Chas Wickwire won with some solid moves. Another Seal Beacher,

Chad Wells, took the Masters with a couple straight ups on a pretty good

size set wave. Huntington’s Barry Deffenbaugh, the surfer/shaper, rode

one of his shapes to second and was on fire all week long.

In a tough Mens’ final, slashing to second was another former

Huntington Beach resident, Jeff Hurley, who’s moved down south while

going to school. And in the Mini Groms -- that’s 10 and under -- the

little guys with the big moves, Kyle Kennelly finished fourth. In the

Middle School division, Dwyer placed third overall behind the spectacular

surfing performance of Ian Eckberg who placed second in the Middle School

final. Huntington Beach High School placed fourth overall in the hotly

contested High School division.

Huntington Beach’s Brandon Guillmet was second in the Air Show final

and earned a spot in the World Air Show finals in Cabo later this year.

So congratulations go out to all who made the really big show.

This week is also the United States Surfing Championships in

Oceanside, which started Monday and runs until Sunday. The U.S. will be

held at the North Jetty, by the boat harbor. It’s an area that can pick

up a wide angle of swells, which should be a combo of southwest ground

swells and northwest wind swells over the time period.

Some Huntington Beach notables will be on hand: Richard Eldridge, and

Schlick in the Grand Masters; Rick Fignetti and Jeff Combs in the Seniors

and Cyrus Sutton, who’s also on the U.S. team, in the Longboard, just to

name a few.

The Rip Curl Grom search is coming to town 7 a.m. Friday at Ninth

Street. It’s a surf clinic and contest for the groms, 15 and under.

Prizes, food, T-shirts and an all-around good time will be happening. The

Morganator will be on the mike directing the festivities, so check it

out, it should be fun.

Finally, a quick check on the World Championship Tour, which just

finished up the Rio Surf International in Brazil. It was an all-Aussie

final with Trent Munro beating Mark Occhilupo pretty solidly. Munro is

one of the first W.C.T. rookies to grab a victory in only his third

contest. Occy took out the United States’ C.J. Hobgood in the semis, but

the big news is that the equal-third position has moved Hobgood into the

No. 1 spot in the overall standings. Former top-16 standout and

three-time World Champ Tom Curren received a wild card slot into the

event. Curren, who’s been on a roll and won a few World Qualifying Series

events, was looking to do well on a C.T., but had his momentum slowed

down a bit when he was taken out by the current World Champ Sunny Garcia

in the event.

Well, that’s it for now.

* RICK FIGNETTI is a six-time West Coast champion, has announced the

U.S. Open of Surfing the last seven years and has been the KROQ-FM

surfologist for the last 15 years where he’s done morning surf reports.

He owns a surf shop on Main Street. You can reach him at (714) 536-1058.