Big guns fly south for Trestles

RICK FIGNETTI

This week is the two-star $25,000 World Qualifying Series Body Glove

Surf Bout at Lower Trestles Camp Pendleton in San Clemente.

The event started on Tuesday and will go till Saturday’s finals at

that classic point break with rippable rights and lefts. There have

been some combo swells, making for some good conditions at certain

times and tides.

Some of the big guns have flown into town, and were seeded later

in the event, like 2003 World Champ Andy Irons, top-10 World

Championship Tour standout Taylor Knox, who’s just off a third-place

finish in Australia, Laguna Beach’s Pat O’Connell, former World Champ

and East Coast shredder C.J. Hobgood, Tim Curren and Rob Machado, who

know the waves well, and Hawaiian ripper Conan Hayes, to name a few.

Most of the other top talent in the United States, pros and

amateurs, will be trying to cash in on some good surf and a good

local showing. Speaking of locals, the Huntington Beach contingency

will be well represented, with World Qualifying Series rippers Timmy

Reyes, Shaun Ward, Brett Simpson, Ryan Simmons and Mike Hoisington

in. Plus Willie Safreed, Danny Nichols, Ryan Turner, Micah Byrne and

Branden Tipton ready to go, too.

The “No Fear Air Show” with 2003 U.S. Air Champ Aaron Cormican is

ready to bust big and Hawaiian Fly Man Gavin Sutherland entered up as

well. The women will be competing in the one-star, $5,000 Surfer Girl

Lowers Pro. Australian veteran Serena Brook has been practicing out

there along with West Coast hottie Julia Christian, plus Newport’s

national champ Erica Hosseini, who’s a threat. Huntington’s Alison

Arvizu, a National Scholastic Surfing Assn. standout, will be surfing

it up along with Hawaiian youngster sensation Carissa Moore, an

11-year-old who will also try to take the women’s title.

Last week, they finished up World Championship Tour event the Rip

Curl Pro at Bells Beach, Australia. Aussie Joel Parkinson was on

fire, storming to victory over fellow Australian Taj Burrow 17.13 to

14.04 in the final, claiming “the Bell” this year. Equal thirds went

to the O’Connell, who took down six-time world champ Kelly Slater in

the quarters, and Irons, who lost to “Parko” in the semis. Equal

fifths were “Slates” and Australians Mick Fanning, Toby Martin and

veteran Mark Occhilupo. The current ratings see Irons first, Parko

second, Mick Lowe third, Burrow fourth, Knox fifth and Slater and

Occy tied at sixth.

Billabong’s new surf movie “Blue Horizon,” two paths, one journey,

shot by Jack McCoy, promises to be a good one. It opened up with its

grand premiere last night at Big Newport that went big time, and will

show in H.B. April 26 at the Pierside Pavilion at 7 and 9 p.m.

Definitely worth a check.

That’s it for now, see ya. Fig over and out.

* 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.