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.