Begin the year in surf and snow

WET AND WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG

Yo ho! ho! And a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to ye

all from the Figster. I hope you had a great day with family, grinded

some big vittles, and maybe even snuck in a surf or a run on the

slopes.

The storm system from last two weeks finally blew by, but it looks

like there’s more on the way. The surf was big and kinda torn up for

a few days, and the water was a bit on the murky side from the

runoff.

Our local mountains really benefited the most. They picked up a

foot of new, on a 2 1/2-foot base, with machine-groomed, packed

powder and even some open powder in the trees. Farther away, Mammoth

Mountain got more than 2 feet of new snow.

Last time, we left off with the 32nd annual X-Box Pipeline Masters

getting under way at the Banzai Pipeline, one of the hollowest waves

in the world. The surf was pumping, and the conditions were an insane

15 feet plus.

The man on a mission, Kauai-an Andy Irons, who won the world title

a couple weeks ago, has stepped it up again with a win at the Pipe.

Andy caught the biggest set, pulled in, got a heavy barrel and popped

out with his hands in the air.

Shane Dorian had some good ones, too, but that wave clinched it

for Irons. Irons cashed in on $30,000 and a new Ford truck.

With his victory at the Pipe, Irons also won the overall Triple

Crown points title for the big three surf events, edging out the hot

ripper from OZ, Joel Parkinson.

Six-time world champ and numerous Pipe winner Kelly Slater was

third, but never got into his rhythm in the final after having a

pretty good overall event.

Rounding out the top four was Aussie Mick Fanning, who also

claimed the 2002 rookie of the year award with all the spectacular

showings he had in his first season. Equal fifth went to the U.S.’

Corey Lopez and Damien Hobgood.

That wraps it up from the North Shore of Hawaii with the Pro

season coming to a close. High five to the Huntington Beach High

School Oiler Varsity Basketball squad, which just got back from Maui.

They went for the week-long Lahaina Luna Basketball Classic.

Coaches Alvarez, Loftus, Johnson and Harrigan and the team had

some fun in the sun while the rest of us had to endure the cold

weather here. I heard “Bretty” Brett Van Voorhis, “Woodster” Ricky

Wood, the “Doc” Brandon McLaughlin and “Lil Fig” were tearing it up.

* 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 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.