Get ready to rip

Deepa Bharath

WEST NEWPORT -- If you dream of riding the waves alongside the pros,

well, it could become a reality this weekend off 56th Street.

The world’s top professional surfers will battle each other for a

$40,000 winner’s purse at the first-ever Rip Curl Pro, the fourth stop on

the 2001 Professional Surfing Tour of America season.

The event, which will begin today, will also feature an Airshow in

which surfers will show off their acrobatic skills above the waves. There

will be a women’s contest, plus events for amateur surfers, as well as

recreational events in which aspiring locals will get a chance to hobnob

with the international competitors.

But it is the men’s contest -- a four-star World Qualifying Series

event that could help propel winners on the Assn. of Surfing

Professionals tour -- that will be the main draw.

The event has been a fixture in the city for 22 years, but this is the

first time it is taking place as part of the pro tour, said Darin

Loughrey, the city’s recreation manager.

“The professional element has elevated the contest from a regular

surfing contest to one of the premier events in the West Coast,” he said.

About 192 pros will participate in the men’s event, 32 in the women’s

event and 64 in the Airshow.

The contest creates an opportunity for local surfers to experience an

event of this magnitude, Loughrey said.

“It’s definitely a benefit to the community,” he said. “They’ll get a

chance to ask these professionals questions and interact with them. It

brings the community together in a positive manner.”

Rip Curl, a manufacturer of surfboards and wetsuits, chose Newport

Beach because it is a “trend-setting area as far as surfing goes,” said

James Sampson, vice president of marketing.

“It’s a cool city,” he said. “And we were looking at doing something

in the West Coast. Newport is a good surf spot in the West Coast for

these type of events”

Sampson said pro events are few and far between in the United States

because of a lack of infrastructure and sponsorship.

“Most events are around the world and, as a company supporting these

guys, you never see them in this country because they are chasing the

tour overseas most of the time,” he said.

Rip Curl is based in Australia, but its headquarters in the United

States is in Carlsbad.

The surf is expected to get better close to the weekend, Sampson said.

“It has been an atrocious summer here for surfers,” he said. “But we

expect a southern swell around Thursday or Friday. It should be good for

the finals.”

* Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 deepa.bharath@latimes.comf7 .

FYI

* What: Rip Curl Pro surfing championships

* Where: 56th Street, Newport Beach

* When: Today through Sunday, qualifiers start at 7 a.m.

* Call: Gary Taylor, (760) 801-5965, or Rip Curl, (760) 603-6700