Wet and Wild with Rockin Fig -- Rick Fignetti
Rick Fignetti
There hasn’t been a drought for waves, as the last swell hung around
Surf City for days. Many of those were way overhead, the cliffs were even
bigger and I heard Box Cars, that big outside peak by the cliffs, was
breakin’ with a few brave hearts out. The windless days with the hazy sun
and warm air temps and fun surf were a great treat in January.
Right here in town last weekend the National Scholastic Surfing Assn.
took advantage of those conditions, to run its fifth Explorer season
contest. The site was on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier and
the action was hot. In the boys, Seal Beach’s Chris Waring was ripping it
up, even bustin’ some fins out maneuvers to pull into second place.
Huntington Beach’s Ian Ekberg had some nice ones too, finishing fourth.
In the overall standings at the half way point of the season, Ekberg’s in
second and Waring’s in third, battling to catch the No. 1 spot. In
juniors, Brett Simpson proved to be unbeatable in the home surf -- doing
some rad airs, taking first by pulling some nines and 10’s from the
judges. He’s also in control of the ratings points lead by more than 900
points. Willie Safreed pulled into the third position. Meanwhile in the
mens, Sean Taylor had the big moves to win it, but Safreed again made
another final and placed second this time, surfing a division up pretty
good. As the finals were being run a big fog bank rolled in, which made
it hard to see. And if ya can’t see ya can’t judge so the rest of the
finals had to be canceled. They will be run at the next event in
Oceanside Jan. 27 first thing in the morning, by the north side of the
pier.
Up north at C-Street, the United States Surfing Federation held the
Donnie Soloman Memorial contest. Huntington Beach’s James Webb pulled his
best showing yet, placing second in the peeling rights. Webb picked off
some good size sets, slashed some mean lips and worked them down the
line. Jeff Combs lost a close decision in the semis and placed equal
seventh in two divisions, open mens and seniors -- not to mention being
the iron man second in the bodyboarding too. In longboarding Laird
Schlick finished seventh and is in the lead in the overall standings. In
grand masters, Richard Eldridge and Jay Bolt were one and two
respectively, dominating the field. I thought I heard World Champion Tour
star, Pat O’Connell, one of Donnie’s bro’s, took the pro division.
Huntington’s danger woman, Kim Hamrock won a new board in the raffle.
Next up is Seaside Reef, Feb. 3.
Hawaii has been macking with big time surf and when it gets the
biggest at the Waimea Bay, they hold the “Quicksilver Eddie Aikau
Memorial Big Wave Classic.” The waves were anywhere from 25- to 35- with
40-foot sets. Former six time world champ Kelly Slater was the man who
rode some of the biggest mountains of water out there and came up on top.
Slate’s edged Aussie big wave extraordinaire Tony Ray, to claim the
prestigious title, in a close one. That’s it for now, see ya.
* RICK FIGNETTI is a six-time West Coast champion, has announced the
U.S. Open of Surfing the last eight years and has been the KROQ-FM
(106.7) 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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