It all comes down to Pipe

RICK FIGNETTI

The surf has been pumping on the North Shore of Hawaii and they’ve

just finished up the $250,000 Rip Curl Cup at Sunset Beach.

The surf was bombing eight to 15 feet with bigger sets, and the

world’s top pros were tearing it up.

Aussie Jake Patterson was a man on a mission, taking out the

points leader, six-time world champ Kelly Slater in round three.

Patterson then took out world champ Andy Irons in the final, in a

close -- less than a point -- decision, for the victory, even though

A.I. had one score of a perfect 10.

Third was the big island’s semi-retired Shane Dorian and fourth

was Australian ripper Taj Burrow.

Patterson has also taken over the lead in the Triple Crown

standings.

In the current world standings things have tightened up, as Slater

now leads Irons by a mere 96 points, with Burrow in third, Mick

Fanning in fourth, Kieren Perrow fifth, Joel Parkinson sixth and

Taylor Knox seventh.

The 250,000 Gerry Lopez X-Box Pipeline Classic has been on hold

due to some strong easterly winds this week. It looks like Irons is

in heat eight with Aussie Richard Lovette and a wild card and Slater

is in heat nine with Hawaiian Kalani Robb and a wildcard. Whoever

gets farther in the event will be the new world champ.

It hasn’t been this tight of a race since “Slates” beat buddy Rob

Machado by 80 points in 1995 at Pipe!

The International Surfboard Builder Hall of Fame held its annual

induction ceremonies at Doheny last weekend.

This year’s inductees were: Bing Copeland, Donald Takayama, Renny

Yater, and none other than one of our local heroes, Bob “the Greek”

Bolen.

This event was held in conjunction with the Long Board Collectors

Club meeting and was quite festive, with some big time legends

hanging out.

The United States Surfing Federation held its fourth event of the

season at Salt Creek on Sunday in some macking 6- to 10-foot surf at

Middles.

Some of the Huntington contingency did well, with Cody Bertrand

getting second in boys’ and pop’s Troy Bertrand third in senior mens.

The points leader in seniors, Mike Flister, finished equal

seventh. In masters, local transplant Tayachi Maruyama came up with

the win and was fourth in Open mens, too.

Figster came in second, catching some huge sets and Jay Boldt was

on some big ones too, placed third in the grandmasters. Boldt also

placed fourth in open longboard.

In the open women’s, Long Beach’s Raquel Bartlow scored a perfect

10 in her semi and placed second in the final, and Tarumi Nakajima

was close behind in third to wrap up the biggest “Creek” I’ve ever

seen.

There were a few casualties of some broken-in-half surfboards, as

some dues were paid to Mother Nature, but fortunately no injuries. It

was gnarly.

Some new wave surf art is being featured at the Art Reception in

San Clemente at the Old City Plaza this week by 12 year old USSF West

Coast champ Ly Barger. It’s worth a check if you’re in the area.

That’s it for now, 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.