Wet and Wild with Rockin Fig -- Rick Fignetti

Rick Fignetti

Last weekend Stormin’ Norman hit the west coast lashing the beaches

with wind and pelting them with rain. It was coming down by the bucket

fulls at times. A bit of a northwest swell filled in as the storm blew

by, but not with the cleanest shape. It over powered that freak southwest

swell that hit.

In the higher elevations, the local mountains picked up a few inches

of snow to help their cause. Mammoth Mountain is claiming a nine-foot

base and over a foot of new, from the last storm. So winter rolls on.

Burr.

The National Scholastic Surfing Assn. braved the stormy conditions,

and held its Explorer season event seven at Ponto Beach, south Carlsbad.

Variable conditions were in store for all. Carlsbad saw 2 to 3-foot

storm surf varying from choppy to glassy ocean water surfaces.

Contestants and spectators sometimes had to huddle together under the

tents on the beach when some of the heavy downfalls of rain were coming

down. And at other times the sun broke through the cloud layers and it

was quite nice.

Huntington Beach’s Dan Finnel couldn’t be stopped rain or shine and

took first place honors in the hotly contested men’s division. In

juniors, the ratings points leader Brett Simpson got fourth. Boys’, saw

Bert Farley get third and Seal Beach’s Chris Waring finishing it up

fourth. The menehunes were ripping, the surf was like, head high to

them, as Huntington Beach’s Tommy Steury slashed his way to fourth and

Newport’s, Ford Archibald placed sixth. The legendary, Matt Archibald,

was seen checking out the action in his foul weather gear. The master

blasters, Seal Beach’s Chad “the lad” Wells, third, and Chas Wickwire

fourth. Seniors’ division saw a fired up Wickwire come back to take it,

first, while coming out of retirement, making a final, Mike Morgan

shralping to fourth, and edging out buddy, Phill Lockman, in a closely

fought decision, who got fifth. In Super Seniors former surf city

resident John Silver who now resides in Carlsbad, came up big with the

win, the local knowledge was a key factor, as hesurfs the spot on a

regular basis and knew the tricky lineupout there. The longboarders had

some of the longest waves of the event, being able to connect outside to

inside, as Huntington’s Dodger Kremmel came in second and Justin Hugron

sixth. Also Ericka Hosseini of Newport was sixth in the women’s final.

The college team season was held on Monday at Ponto, in cleaner

conditions. Mira Costa, I heard was on fire and couldn’t be stopped,

coming up with the victory. Second was UC Santa Barbara, from up north,

who had a few in the finals. While coming in third, was, Saddleback, who

rode the great placing of Mike Losness, who won it. Losness was a former

member ofthe San Clemente high squad that won a National title. And Cal

State Long Beach rounded out the top four, for an action packed

Presidents Day.

* 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.