News from pros and hometown bros

WET AND WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG

Summer is just about here, but we can’t seem to get rid of the June

gloom. That pesky overcast has been hanging just about every day.

Makes you realize how nice it is when it’s sunny, and hopefully those

days are coming sooner rather than later. Air temps have been

climbing giving us a muggy, tropical feeling at times here in Surf

City. Water temps are rising too, finally hitting the 60s plus. It

sure is about time after that cold stretch we had, which was

freezing. We’ve had a couple swells too, out of a few directions.

On the Assn. of Surfing Professionals circuit they just finished

up the Quick Silver Pro at Tavarua, Fiji. The surf was perfect 6- to

10-foot out at Cloud break and barreling big-time. Making another

final was the world champ, Kawaiian Andy Irons. Irons’ backside

attack was in full force with an arsenal of tube riding skills being

shown. In fact, he saved the best for last in the 35-minute round

racking up two major wave scores, a 9.0 on a deep barrel and then a

perfect 10 on another sicker one, to earn the highest wave total of

the whole contest. It was an all-U.S. final as, East Coast ripper

Corey Lopez came in second, knocking off some big names all the way

there. The two surfers were stoked, as they were roommates on the

island, and both had done so well. Irons pocketed $30,000 and Lopez

won $16,000 in prize money for a days work in perfect surf.

The second win of the season, gives Irons more of a lead in the

world standings, breaking away from the pack. Aussies, Mick Fanning

and Kieren Perrow are second and third in the world standings. His

second place showing moved Lopez up to equal fourth, along with

Aussies, Joel Parkinson and Taj Burrow. The U.S.’s six-time world

champ Kelly Slater is seventh, but didn’t surf in the event due to a

foot injury he suffered at the previous contest, which he won.

Another East Coaster, former world champ C.J. Hobgood is eighth,

Australian Dean Morrison is ninth and Corey’s brother Shea Lopez

rounds out the top 10.

Next up is the Quick Silver Pro at Niijima Island, Japan, June 18

through 28. The United States Surfing Federation held its West Coast

Surfing Championships a week ago at Church’s point in San Clemente.

The surf was 3 to 6 feet with good shape and rippable rights as well

as a few lefts, with hardly any wind.

In the hotly-contested seniors division, three Huntington Beach

surfers placed in the final. Sean McCabe pulled an assortment of

radical moves to take second, James Webb picked off some nice sets to

finish third and “Mr. Consistent” Jeff Combs made another final,

placing fourth and first overall for the season, to take a West Coast

title. Combs said it was a hard-earned victory traveling up and down

the coast from Santa Cruz to Seaside Reef in San Diego. That’s a lot

of commitment, time and money. In the grandmasters division, the

Figster came up with the win, giving him another West Coast title,

too. Having a good time on some of those killer rights “Karate

Master” Scott Lewis from Topanga took second. Malibu slasher Pat

Conway was third and local surfer shaper San Clemente’s Midget Smith

was fourth. Huntington’s Jay Boldt was the runner-up in the overall,

in grandmasters shortboard and senior longboards. And in legends

Gilbert Perea was first in the event and first in the overall for the

coast, with Bob “the Greek” Bolen finishing second on the coast in

points to wrap up the 2002-03 season.

That same weekend Dwyer Middle School held the parent/kid surf

contest in Huntington Beach. The “Morganator,” Mike Morgan, teamed up

with young ripper Troy Elmore to win it picking up the distinguished

“Coconut Trophy.” Morgan was going off, scoring a perfect 10 on a

double barrel in the final and Troy was busting,

too. Congrats. See ya.

* RICK FIGNETTI is an eight-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.