Wet ‘n Wild with Rockin’ Fig

Rick Fignetti

This last week has been nice with the sunny days and the clear

skies, which is pretty great in February. Unfortunately, storms are where

we get our swells from and the high pressure has been blocking them out.

And that’s part of the reason for the BIG flat spell. So flat, they

had to call off the O.P. T-3 tag team tournament last Friday at the pier.

I went down to check it out myself and there were barely any 6-inch waves

breakin’.

So, eight teams were left in the semis: Quicksilver, Prime Source

Mortgage with local standouts J.D., Jeff Deffenbaugh and Ryan Simmons on

it; Body Glove; Dr. G; O’Neill with its team rider, Archie, pulling, did

I hear, a 10 on one ride; No Fear, which by the way had Surf City’s Jason

Haughey on it and he was shredding the small surf apart; Volcom, and O.P.

So, equal first or eighth, depending on how you wanna call it. The

purse of $20,000 was split, so with eight teams of four, it ended up as

$625 apiece. Not bad.

The media part of the tag team was won by, you got it, Huntington

Beach. Independent team of Fig, Tony Dodero, S.J. Cahn, and Sean Hiller.

Or that’s equal first with Surfing, Surfer, Trans World Surf and

Automatic magazines. Wait till next year boys, we’ll get ya. That’s 365

days to practice!

About a week and a half ago our local mountains picked up anywhere

from eight to 12 inches of snow. That set up for some killer conditions,

soft and shreddable, and most resorts are about 100% open. And that’s the

good news, cause it was hard pack before that.

It’s just in time for the H2O Winter Classic, which has a surf contest

at the beach this Saturday in Huntington Beach, and a snowboard contest

up in the mountains on Sunday at Mountain High.

Total points will be calculated -- best surfer, best boarder, combo,

overall winner and bragging rights.

The United States Surfing Federation held its seventh championship

tour event last weekend at Seaside Reef.

The surf action zone was the inside shore break, with occasional sets

out the back.

Huntington Beach’s Jeff Combs picked up a few trophies on Super Bowl

Sunday. He won the miniseries bodyboarding, finished second on the

championship tour in bodyboarding, placed fourth in the seniors final and

fifth in the open men.

Speaking of men, transplant from Japan, Satoshi Nakamura, placed third

in that final. James Webb finished equal fifth in seniors.

While in the grandmasters, Figster with the win, former Surf City

resident and U.S. champ Steve Weaver was second, Pat Schlick pulled into

third position and former Bud Surf Tour head judge Midget Smith was in

fourth.

Also Huntington’s Jay Boldt scored a second in longboarding, equal

fifth in grandmasters, and Margo Hamrock ripped to third in the women’s

longboard.

Next up is the Huntington Beach Pier March 3, with five-star points up

for grabs. Keep your fingers and toes crossed that maybe the surf’ll pick

up.

* 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.