Wet and Wild with Rockin’ Fig

Rick Fignetti

Professionals just kicked off their first event of the 2002 World

Championship Tour in Oz. The land down under, Australia, started the

big-time surf season with the opening event, the $250,000 Quicksilver

Pro.

The contest was on wheels, starting at Burleigh and going back and

forth to Snapper Rocks where the final was eventually held in 3- to

5-foot surf with good conditions.

On fire the whole contest was the hot, upcoming 20-year-old Aussie

champion tour shredder, “Parko”, Joel Parkinson.

Parkinson took command early in the 35-minute final against U.S.

shred-master Corey Lopez to win $30,000.

Lopez battled back, but midway through Parko picked up a steep

right-hander, got a killer barrel and pulled a 9.5 score from the judges.

Lopez had some big moves too, but ended up losing a close one, 25.35

to 23.10 and managed to pocket $16,000 for second. Not a bad way to start

out the new season though, No. 1 and No. 2 in the standings.

Equal fifths went to the U.S.’s Shea Lopez, who lost out to Parko too,

and former world champ “Occy” Mark Occhilupo, who lost out to Corey Lopez

in the semis.

Other notables were Kelly Slater, who lost to Parkinson as well, and

finished equal ninth, along with Californian Pat O’Connell, who had some

great heats. Taylor Knox placed equal 17th, as did World Champ C.J.

Hobgood, who lost out to Slates in the third round. Hawaiian Sunny Garcia

came in equal 32nd.

Next up is the Easter Classic at Bells Beach, for the Rip Curl Pro,

March 26 through April 7. It’s one of the longest-running contests in

surf history, and that break can be anywhere from 2-foot to 15-foot,

depending on the swell conditions.

After that, there’s a bit of a break until the May Billabong Pro at

Teahupoo, which is known for those gnarly suck-out lefts over the reef.

It’s the most dangerous spot on the champion tour for sure, could kill ya

in a second if you ate it in the wrong spot.

So the boys are back in action, traveling the world circuit, trying to

rack up the big points and bucks.

It’s good to hear local surf pioneer Chuck Linnen is getting back out

in the water after having hip replacement surgery go over so well. He

says it’s feeling good and it’s time to get wet. Chuck’s gonna have more

time to surf too, after recently retiring from teaching after more than

31 years in the local school district. Many of us also remember him as

being one of the top respected judges along the coast when pro surfing

was making its debut. He’s got lots of stories of the early days, like

back in the mid-50s when most of us were in diapers or not even born yet,

not to mention stories of all the big days at the pier when he was always

chargin’.

See ya in the lineup.

* 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

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.