H.B. Surf Series is on the way
WET AND WILD WITH ROCKIN FIG
Spring break is here and the groms are out of school this week. You
can definitely see more people cruising around. Even the beaches have
been filling up a bit on those nicer days. It did get a cold start
though, with that storm blowing by in the first part of the week
leaving us with some rain and even one last blast of snow in our
local mountains.
Out in the lineup another combo swell of southwest and west mixes
thrown together has been making it head-high plus. But with those
winds blowing again, we just can’t seem to get rid of those freezing
water temps. Big action ready to happen on the Assn. of Surfing
Professionals World Championship Tour this week.
The $250,000 dollar, “Rip Curl Cup,” has begun over in Oz at
Bell’s Beach, Victoria, Australia. It is the longest running pro surf
event, and this’ll be the 31st one in a row. It usually goes off with
some good size, well-overhead surf. It started Tuesday but the
waiting period goes until the Saturday, April 26 looking for the best
days. I did hear they have been on hold due to small surf. Australian
Dean Morrison, winner on the Gold Coast event, the Quiksilver Pro, is
first in the ratings. While fellow Aussie veteran Mark “Occy”
Occhilupo is second. Having a great start thus far, is Laguna Beach’s
Pat O’Connell equal third and hot, up-and-coming Aussie Mick Fanning.
The world champ Hawaiian Andy Irons is equal ninth, as are former
U.S. world champs Kelly Slater and C.J. Hobgood.
Everybody is scrambling for points, on the World Qualifying
Series, too. Winning the six-star event over in Western Australia at
Margaret River was former U.S. Open winner “Mighty” Mick Campbell of
New South Wales who was shredding it up.
Speaking of West Coast, the top pros will be flying back to the
United States, for the Fosters Cup at Lower Trestles, Camp Pendleton,
San Clemente, Tuesday through Saturday. That premier southwest point
break has been pretty good lately. It should give our local surfers a
nice venue to hopefully pull some great results right here in their
own backyard. It’s a three-star event so a good placing could be a
keeper in the action packed 2003 season.
It sounds like pro surfer/mortgage broker Jeff Deffenbaugh is
adding another title to his list, as the final touches are being done
on his taking over the H.B. Surf Series. The H.B. Surf Series has
been a fixture in the town for quite a few years, giving the local
surfers and some of the top ranked pro’s a local circuit. With
Deffenbaugh’s knowledge of surf contests and expertise it promises to
go even bigger. Seth Matsen founded the series and will still be
lending a helping hand, as will Barry Deffenbaugh, who is a top
ranked surfer and judge, too.
Happy Easter, 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 surfologist for the last 17 years, doing morning surf
reports. He owns a surf shop on Main Street. You can reach him at
(714) 536-1058.
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