Strike a pose or catch a set

Michael Sciacca

Brad Ettinger is being pulled in several different directions, but his

head isn’t turned by the glitz and glamour that some of these

opportunities present him.

Ettinger, a senior at Huntington Beach High, is in the midst of his

final surf season at the school. He is captain of the Oilers surf team

and is considered a great young surfer by his head coach. But in this,

his third year competing on varsity, Ettinger is gaining a lot of

notoriety in another world: the world of modeling.

Ettinger began modeling about a year ago when a friend from his church

who models mentioned that he should look into modeling. He was

eventually signed by her agency, but is now represented by an agency in

San Diego.

His fledgling career has found flight.

Just last month Ettinger was booked on four major print jobs, the

latest of which was for the Spring 2002 edition of the very popular

Abercrombie & Fitch clothing catalog. He has been photographed on three

occasions by famed American photographer Bruce Weber, who has shot

numerous celebrities, released a few coffee table books and shot Janet

Jackson’s black and white music video, “Love Will Never Do,” which

featured model/actor Antonio Sabato Jr.

Ettinger’s modeling assignments have taken him on the road to New

York, San Francisco and Savannah, GA.

On average, he is out on two bookings per month.

While the whirlwind of this newfound world might seduce the typical

youngster, Ettinger has not been ruffled by the attention -- nor does he

take any of it seriously.

“It’s a job, and it’s money -- good money,” he laughed. “Seriously,

what modeling basically comes down to for me is the travel and the people

that I meet. The money is extra, just icing on the cake. And I always

think of my priorities. School comes first, bottom line.”

At barely 17 he is having to make adult decisions at an early age and

is trying to balance his modeling career with his duties as team captain.

Sometimes it isn’t easy, but so far he has missed just one National

Scholastic Surfing Assn. event.

“Brad has been straight-up honest with me regarding his modeling,”

said Huntington Beach High surf coach Andy Verdone said. “He’s our team

leader and I know he faces a dilemma when he has a modeling assignment

that might conflict with a surfing event. But surfing is all about good

sponsorship and Brad’s clothing sponsor went out of business. He can make

some very good contacts in modeling.”

Ettinger says he wouldn’t have given modeling a try if it weren’t for

the support of his family. His parents, David and Becky Ettinger, handle

his casting calls and bookings. Becky Ettinger also coaches the girls’

surf team at Huntington Beach High. David Ettinger said that whatever

trepidation he or his wife had with the modeling business subsided when

they saw how their son has handled the situation.

“This has all been very exciting but what makes it special is that

Brad really does have his head on straight about what is happening to

him,” said David Ettinger, a tug boat captain who has surfed for nearly

40 years. “He is very active in his church youth group and is grounded in

so many ways. We’re very proud of him and what he has accomplished.”

Ettinger has used the money that he has made from modeling to fund

surf trips to South Africa and Ireland that he has made with the Oiler

surf team. He finished second in the overall Juniors Division standings

of the 2001 Huntington Beach Pro/Am Surf Series. This past summer he

entered for the time and said he was stoked when he reached the round of

32 in the U.S. Open of Surfing Junior Pro Division competition held at

the pier.

He is currently ranked 10th in the National Scholastic Surfers Assn.

Explorer men’s rankings.

This weekend, Ettinger, who is looking to land a new clothing sponsor,

will compete in San Clemente in the National Scholastic Surfing Assn.

men’s competition. Later this month, he could be on a photo shoot for

Teen Vogue as the magazine is scheduled to do a photo spread on teen

surfers.

Who knows where the road may lead?

“I certainly don’t, but I’m having fun while it’s happening,” he

added.

* MIKE SCIACCA is the education and sports reporter. He can be reached

at (714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.