WET AND WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG -- Rick Fignetti
Get ready -- the biggy is coming to town.
The $240,000, six-star U.S. Open of Surfing is less than two weeks
away. America’s largest professional surf contest hits the shores of
Huntington Beach on July 30 and runs until Aug. 5.
The contest will start with two days of trials up at Golden West
Street on Saturday and Sunday. Then it will move to the Huntington Beach
Pier’s south side from Monday through Sunday.
More than 600 competitors will be coming from all parts of the globe
-- Australia, Japan, England France -- and all over the U.S., including
Hawaii, to try to capture the prestigious title.
The U.S. Open is sanctioned by Surfing America and the Assn. of
Surfing Professionals and will play a critical role in determining who’s
on the World Championship Tour next year with 2,500 points being given
away, the maximum for a World Qualifying Series event.
At the end of the season, the top 28 will be back on the W.C.T., and
the top 16 from the W.Q.S. will be joining them for the next season to
form the new top 44. So, as you can see, a win here could be a major
factor, and as far as our local surfers from the United States, this is
it for a great performance on home turf. We don’t have many big point
W.Q.S.’s this season here on the mainland.
In the men’s shortboard contest, as of writing this article, 35 of the
top 44 have confirmed they’ll be here. Like last year’s World Champ, the
fly’n Hawaiian Sunny Garcia, and defending Open champ C.J. Hobgood, who’s
No. 1 in the current world standings. Plus the explosive Taylor Knox,
Ventura rippers Keith Malloy and the air man Tim Curran, both of the new
school generation.
Other’s include crowd-favorite Pat O’Connell, star of the movie
Endless Summer II, plus three-time former World Champ Tom Curren, who’s
been a W.Q.S. terror this year. And then there’s former winners of the
Open: San Clemente’s Shane Beschen, Floridian Shea Lopez, Hawaiian Andy
Irons, Aussie Beau Emerton and Cardiff’s Rob Machado. Wow what a stacked
deck.
The local contingency of Ryan Simmons, just off the win at the
Professional Surfing Tour of America at San Clemente Pier, and Jeff
Deffenbaugh, just off the win at the Huntington Beach Surf Series, are
two power-packed guys who should do some big damage in the event. Plus
there’s the “Larsonator” Jay Larson and Wyatt Simmons, as well as
upcoming hotties Timmy Reyes, Ryan Turner, Brandon Tipton, Danny Nichols,
Mike Hoisington and Andy Hobson, to name a few who’ve been ripping the
Huntington Beach surf. Many just got back from Indo.
The U.S. Open of Women’s will be competing for a purse of $5,000. I’ve
already seen some of the gals around: hot pros include a couple of
Australians, former World Champ Pauline Menczer and runner-up in the
world standings a few times Serena Brooke, and Hawaii’s fearless Keala
Kennelly. Plus there’s a hot crop of Californians: Julia Christian,
number one on the P.S.T.A.; Holly Beck, just off a win at the National
Scholastic Surfing Assn. National’s and ready to turn pro at the U.S.
Open; and local standout Jodie Nelson, who’s been ripping too.
The contest isn’t just shortboard men and women, but longboarding and
juniors, too: Former longboarding World Champ Colin McPhillips and the
style-master and numerous time U.S. Open Longboard Champ Joel Tudor are
in it. Hot Juniors to watch include: the U.S.’s Bobby Martinez, Roy
Powers from Hanalei Bay, Hawaiian shredder Joel Centeio, San Clemente’s
Mike Lossness and Huntington Beach rippers Micah Byrne and Timmy Reyes.
There’s more than just surfing. B.M.X. is going large too, with hot
shot Dave Mirra and Rick Thorne coming to town. I thought I heard there’s
something like $25,000 in the best trick contest in the Norelco Contour
Park and, in the inline skating, it’s worth another $25,000. Plus in the
regular skateboarding, at the World War III street park and Soul Bowl,
the grand prize is worth an amazing $50,000.
So big bucks at stake and stuff to check out for every kind of extreme
sport out there. Not to mention a couple concerts too, with Ozomatli and
Common Sense. Be there or be square is what I say.
* 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.
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