O.C. team dominates in the heat

RICK FIGNETTI

We had classic summer conditions at our Surf City beaches over the

weekend with bakin’ air temps on the sand and solid overhead surf,

too, just in time for the new National Surf League to premier on the

south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.

The game was thought up by former Surf City resident and runner-up

to the world title a few years back, Brad “Gerr” Gerlach. Instead of

individual surfing contests, like most in the sport surfing, the Gerr

wanted to see a team-orientated one like basketball or other sports

where guys can pull together. It seemed to work well last year for

the X-Games here. So here’s how it went.

Our local Orange County team went off starting with the run they

had Friday, dismantling the team from Santa Cruz. It was a blowout,

with local shredder Timmy Reyes pulling the MVP award of the first

event by slashing some mean ones. Teammates Ryan Simmons, Mike

Hoisington and Chris Ward were ripping, too, winning by more than 40

points. Even with up-north talent Josh Loya and “Rat Boy” Jason

Collins busting some rad moves, it wasn’t enough.

On Saturday, Team O.C. met up with Ventura in a closely fought

battle, and won by a mere five points. O.C.’s charge this time was

led by local ripper Brett Simpson, who surfed solidly to take the MVP

award.

Laguna’s Pat O’Connell, a top-10 World Championship Tour standout,

was super consistent all three days for O.C. and they needed every

point he scored, ‘cause Ventura led a big charge with three-time

world champ Tom Curren and Assn. of Surfing Professionals

Championship Tour surfer Timmy Curran narrowly losing by virtue of

some bad timeouts and substitutions.

Sunday was the matchup with San Diego, which had Championship Tour

ripper Taylor Knox and U.S. Champ Rob Machado leading the way, but

they, as well, fell short and lost by more than points. This time

O.C. relied on heavy hitter Mike Todd, who found some insane lefts by

the pier and tore them up for the day-three MVP.

Although Reyes, Simpson, Danny Nichols and Nate Dog Yeomans were a

superb supporting all-star lineup to help take it.

Can you say sweep?

Next up for O.C. is Ventura this weekend. Go O.C. go!

Also, this weekend is the kickoff for the Huntington Beach Surf

Series at the pier, with all age groups and brackets. “J.D.,” Jeff

Deffenbaugh, a former top-ranked pros from our neck of the woods, and

now contest director, has the big events slated for this summer and

fall too.

Should be great fun for the kids and the family. Bring the sun

block if it’s anything like last weekend, ‘cause it sure was a

scorcher.

The water’s finally warming up, now in the ‘60s, but that red tide

has been making it look funky out there.

I guess the plankton didn’t like that quick change of water

temperature, but I did.

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.