Wet and Wild with Rockin’ Fig -- Rick Fignetti

There was a little bit of a break in the surf scene, as most people

took a relaxing Memorial Day weekend off. The weather was quite typical

of this time of year, with the morning cloud layer hanging the first half

of the day, but quite nice with sunny skies later on. There was a small

remanence of the southwest and west swell combo lingering that finally

came to, pretty much, a close. Lots of beach goers hit the sands at our

Surf City beaches, which were packed.

Volleyball was going big time on the south side of the pier with the

grand stand seating as spectators came down to see Eric Fonoimoana and

partner Dax Holdren take the men’s title and Holly McPeak and Elaine

Youngs win the women’s crown. Main Street was backed up too, and seems to

be the new cruising lane for all the vintage cars of all types and years.

I even saw an alien sitting shotgun in one car, with quite a character

driving it. Definitely saw some US pride over the weekend with tons of

American flags flying too -- I liked that. And most who I talked to

finished the day off with a nice barbecue in the backyard. I still can’t

forget about Horry’s buzzer beater to give the Lakers the win, in the

hard fought battle with Sacramento, Sunday.

Two weeks ago the United States Surfing Federation held its last

regular season event at Church’s, down at Camp Pendletonin San Clemente.

The waves were fun, running in the 2- to 4-foot plus range with some

righty’s lining up. A couple of our local surfers did well. Jay Boldt won

the grandmasters division and Gilbert Perea placed third. Boldt also

placed third in the open longboard in the district series, getting some

nice noserides. Huntington Beach’s Kim Hamrock was having a great time

at Church’s putting on a display of fine surfing -- winning the women’s

longboarding, the open women’s and the wahine short board too. Plus, her

daughter Margo got second in the junior women’s longboard.

How’s that for a tag team combo picking up some gold? Next up is the

West Coast Championships at Malibu this weekend. That’s June 1 and 2 at

the first point for a six star to end the regular season, and to crown

the top points placers in theirprospective divisions on the West Coast.

Malibu is that classic right point break that used to be the scene in all

the old Beach Blanket Bingo movies, and is still known for having

perfectly shaped peeling rights on a south swell. So who knows, maybe it

could be going off. After that it’s the United States Amateur Surfing

Championships at Oceanside Pier in July, with everybody coming -- all

divisions -- from Hawaii, East Coast, Gulf Coast and West Coast.

It’s the countdown -- two weeks and the groms are out of school. Well

that’s it for now, see ya. Fig over and out.

* 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.