Dog days of summer are here

WET AND WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG

This is the last big three-day summer weekend blowout for most --

Labor Day. Should the weather cooperate Surf City beaches will be

packed like sardines in a can. As I look back on the last few months,

we had a couple hot ones but not as many as in years past. Maybe

it’ll be a late Indian summer, with some bakers and some Santa Ana

winds, that would be nice. The surf’s been up, a southern hemi and

Hurricane Fausto have been keeping things happening out in the

lineup.

It’s been over-head, a bit lined up with lots of drift and a

couple fun corners, although I hear some of the points and reef

breaks have been peeling pretty good with some better shape.

Actually, summer really doesn’t end, until Sept. 22, the Autumnal

Equinox. So, still some nice days to come with less crowds.

Sorry, for this late-breaking “news flash,” but the Elmore contest

at Golden West Street this last weekend was postponed and is being

moved to Huntington Beach’s Brookhurst Street next month. The dates

are now, Sept. 20-22 and it has been upgraded to an Associated

Surfing Professional two-star event. That right there should pump up

the volume.

The surf scene has shifted over to the East Coast of the U.S., as

the East Coast Surfing Championships at Virginia Beach just wrapped

up. Next up is the three-star, Dan Heritage, Rip Curl Pro, at Sea

Isle, New Jersey. Then, following suit, is the Unsound Pro at Long

Beach, New York Sept. 11-15. The triple crown so to say. Also, the

final leg of the Qualifying Series is going down in Europe in

Portugal, right now.

The big guns will be in town again soon when it’s back to the West

Coast with the World Championship Tour event, “the Boost Mobile Pro”

will be presented by Billabong at Lower’s in San Clemente, Sept.

5-14. That’s the waiting period for the best five days of surf. The

top 44 will be ready to tear up that premier southwest point break. A

cool $250,000 is at stake, and valuable ratings points will be

shelled out. Who’s going to be here -- World champ C.J. Hobgood; U.S.

shredders and brothers, Corey and Shea Lopez; Carlsbad’s Taylor Knox,

Endless Summer movie-star, Pat O’Connell; plus the current points

leader, from Kauai, Andy Irons and former world champ Hawaiian Sunny

Garcia. The big, powerful, goofy foot from Australia, “Occy” Mark

Occhilupo and ripper Luke Egan will be here too, along with Brazilian

Peterson Rosa “the Animal” just to name a few.

Congratulations to Huntington Beach’s Kim Hamrock for winning the

“Toes on the Nose” Women’s World Longboard title at Boca Barranca,

Costa Rica not long ago. The Huntington standout has lots of U.S.

titles, but this ranks her up at the top, with the world’s best.

Hamrock was on a roll, winning all of her heats on the way to the

final. She runs a surf camp locally, specializing in private lessons

with more than 25 years of surfing experience. Sometimes known as

“Danger Woman,” you can reach her at 714 898-2088.

That’s it for now see ya.

* RICK FIGNETTI is a seven-time West Coast champion, has

announced the U.S. Open of Surfing the last nine years and has been

the KROQ-FM (106.7) surfologist for the last 17 years where he’s done

morning surf reports. He owns a surf shop on Main Street. You can

reach him at (714) 536-1058.