Wet and Wild with Rockin’ Fig -- Rick Fignetti

This last week in Surf City sure has been nice. The surf’s been up,

the weather has been warm and the beach’s have been starting to get more

filled up. Summer is just around the corner. I could take a few months of

this.

Well, its that time of year again, as the ballots have gone out for

the Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame. The surfers were nominated

based on their achievements within the surfing community during the last

10 years, with the exception of the surf pioneers who, to be nominated,

must have reached the age of 50 or be deceased. The top vote getters will

be getting stars on the Walk of Fame in front of Jacks Surf Shop, at

Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street this summer. The date on that is

Thursday, Aug. 1, so come on down and check it out. The first category is

Surfing Champions, which includes U.S. and West Coast Championships.

Already inducted are Sunset Beach’s Jack Haley the first U.S. Champ in

‘59, Corky Carroll a three time winner and the legendary David Nuuhiwa,

plus in the women Long Beach’s Jericho Poppler. World Championships for

the amateurs is part of the requirement, which Tom Curren won in 1982.

He’s already inducted, but another Huntington Beach guy, Scott Farnsworth

is on the ballot, he won in ’84.

In the women our own Huntington Beach shredder, Janice Aragon was

inducted last year for women of the year, she was the ’84 champ.

For Assn. of Surfing Professionals longboard championships we’ve got

the style master, Joey Hawkins, the 1992 world champ from Surf City on

it, along with notable legend Australian Nat Young already in.

In the IPS. and ASP. world titles, the ’76 champ Peter Townsend is in,

one of my neighbors and still a regular ripper of the Huntington Beach

pier’s North side.

Four-time world champ Mark Richards, three-time world champ Tom

Carroll, along with women shredders Frieda Zamba and Margo Oberg already

have stars on the the boulevard.

Then there’s Katin Team Challenge winners like two-time winner Tom

Curren and South Africa’s Shaun Tompson, who won the first one back in

1977. I remember that one -- it was at the Huntington Beach cliffs in

giant 8-foot surf.

Other Katin winners nominated include; Newport’s Richie Collins,

Californian, Joey Buran, and Hawaiian Mike Ho. OP. Pro winners TC.(Tom

Curren) again, a three time winner, Aussie two-time winner Mark Occhilupo

already in, and ASP. President Rabbit Bartholomew was the last year’s

inductee for the Surfing Champions. Surf Pioneers, all legends, to name a

few Hawaiians Ben Aipa, big wave rider Mark Foo, shaper Dick Brewer, plus

other pioneers: Mickey Munoz, Jeff Hakman, Dewey Webber, Pat Curren and

Mickey Dora. Women of the year is a combo of surf champions, surf

culture, surf pioneers and local heroes. Huntington’s Nea Post, a

formerHuntington Beach High School standout, is nominated, as is Kim

Mearig who won the world title in ’83. Of course, already in is Aragon

and surf pioneer Nancy Katin for those of you who remember her classic

everlasting surf trunks. Local Heroes already in include movie star and

hot shaper, Robert August, Astro Deck Herbie Fletcher, U.S. champ Corky

Carroll, old-school shaper Gordie Duane, Chuck Dent, who claimed he

brought the first pair of bell bottoms to Orange County, U.S. champ Jack

Haley and Huntington Beach goofy-foot shredder Bud Llamas who’s had some

of the deepest south-side bowls.

Others on the list, Turbo fin, Bob “The Greek” Bolen, runner-up in the

world standings Brad Gerlach, artist Ron Quigley, pioneer Chuck Linnen,

shapers Randy Lewis and Carl Hayward.

New to the division are brothers Jeff and Barry Deffenbaugh, standout

Bobby Lockhart and yours truly the jack of all trades, the Figster.

In Surfing Culture, thats fashion, art, equipment, literature, film,

administration, acting and photography, here’s what’s up. Simon Anderson

who invented the three fin cluster set up on boards was inducted last

year, Bruce Brown,John Severson, MacGillivary and Freeman were already

inducted for their classic films. Still up for stars; big names like

Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello for acting, Steve Pezman, who did

the Surfer’s Journal, Jan and Dean, and the Venture’s for surf music. And

photogs “Flame” Larry Moore, Jeff Divine, Aron Chang and Dan Merkel for

all the killer pictures over the years.

Well that’s just a few, we’ll know what happens by August. It’s

glassing off I gotta go surfing -- 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.