The sun rises on the home stretch

RICK FIGNETTI

The Assn. of Surfing Professionals’ World Championship Tour is off

and running again. This time, it’s off to Japan -- the house of the

rising sun -- for the Quicksilver Pro at Hebara Beach, Chiba from

Sept. 1 through 8. There’s only six World Championship Tour events

left, so it’s kinda the midway point of the season.

To a recap, the first event in Oz saw Aussie ripper Mick Lowe

bustin’ straight up’s, winning it on the Gold Coast. They went to

Bells Beach next for one of the longest running surf contests in

history, and it was “Parko” Joel Parkinson blastin’ away for the

victory.

At that death-defying Teahupoo (pronounced cho-puu) contest --

where it breaks left shallow over a super sharp reef, and usually

good size too -- former world champ C.J. Hobgood took it, getting

some deep mean barrels. His brother Damien Hobgood won at Tavarua,

another surf contest in perfect waves. Back-to-back wins by brothers,

unheard of.

The world champ couldn’t be topped at J-Bay, South Africa. Those

super long rights were destroyable for him. “A.I.” Andy Irons, having

his most consistent season, is holding a commanding lead in the

ratings with 5,016 points and looks good for a possible third

straight world title. He says he’s felling fit, and his shaper has

been making some killer boards.

Six-time world champ Kelly Slater is in second, but well back with

3,552 points. “Slates” just spent some time free surfing in Indo,

checking out some new surfboard designs and getting ready for Japan.

He needs a win to tighten things up.

After that, it’s close with C.J. and Aussie Nathan Hedge, “Occy”

Mark Occhilupo the veteran and Damien, all just a few points apart. A

couple of wild cards that might be reckoned with, making it through

the trials, were locals Naohisa Ogawa, Naoto Takanashi and Masatoshi

Ohno, who will go up against the top seeds.

There’s no break in the action after Japan. It’s straight back

here to Cali for the Boost Mobile Pro, Sept. 10 to 21 at Lower

Trestles in San Clemente; over to France from Sept. 24 to Oct. 3; and

right next door to Mundaka, Spain from Oct. 4 to 16. After a little

break, it’s down south to Brazil from Nov. 1 to 10 and over to

Hawaii’s North Shore for the season finale at the ever legendary

Banzai Pipeline. I’ll keep ya posted on results, as Japan has started

this week.

At the six-star World Qualifying Series event last week in

Seignosse, France, South African Travis Logie took top honors. Second

went to Aussie Luke Stedman, while San Clemente’s Chris Ward was

third and Australian Phillip MacDonald took fourth. The big news was

Huntington’s Timmy Reyes making the semis placing fifth along with

Hawaiian Freddy Boy Patacchia. Seventh went to former three-time

world champ Tom Curren and South Africa’s Greg Emslie. Huntington’s

Brett Simpson finished 65th and Shaun Ward 113th.

Ward assured himself of a World Championship Tour spot next year.

Reyes is right on the bubble, moving up to 20th place, with the top

15 in the World Qualifying Series standings going to the WCT. Ward is

at 110 and Simpson is 139 as the ratings go all the way to the 600s

with tons of ripping surfers all the way through.

It’s a tough life, being on the road, surfing different spots,

having to make heats and living in hotels, but someone’s gotta do it.

And if ya make the big show, you’re really stoked, because most of

the contests are in ideal surf destinations with the possibility of

getting perfect waves and getting paid for it. Not bad dad!

See ya, Fig over and out. Have a good Labor Day weekend.

* RICK FIGNETTI is an nine-time West Coast champion, has

announced the U.S. Open of Surfing the last 11 years and has been the

KROQ-FM surfologist for the last 18 years, doing morning surf

reports. He owns a surf shop on Main Street. You can reach him at

(714) 536-1058.