Big prizes for some big waves

RICK FIGNETTI

The Grove was rocking the other night for the Billabong XXL Surf

Awards ceremony, with shots of thundering monster waves and surfers

who were going for it in life or death situations.

Surfers from around the globe were in hunt of the biggest wave in

a few different categories. Catching the biggie of the year, a face

measurement of 68 feet, was veteran rider, Sunset Beach resident and

Hawaiian waterman Dan Moore.

Moore, 48, toed into Jaws’ giant right-hand wall at Maui on Dec.

15. Early in the session, Moore lost his board and got bashed in the

face while retrieving it, suffering a concussion and bruises. But

that didn’t stop him from going back out and catching a bunch more

waves.

It just so happened the last one was the macker bomb of the year,

earning him $68,000 and much respect! That wave did eventually close

out, and some heavy punishment was taken, resulting in a busted leg

that kept him out of the water for five weeks. That’s the

consequences, a price to pay.

In the Paddle In category, Santa Cruz’s Shane Desmond had the big

one for that, a 50-foot giant backside right he rode at the Mavericks

contest in March. Desmond picked up his check for $10,000,

accompanied by the hoots of the crowd, and now joins the elite squad

of SC big-wave standouts.

Fellow Santa Cruz surfer Darryl “Flea” Virostko took the Worst

Wipeout award, ouch, for a huge right at the Eddie Aikau Big Wave

Classic in Waimea. He freefell down the face, landing on his board,

and had to be pulled out of the impact zone by the rescue Jet Ski.

And in the women’s division, Jamiliah Star, another Santa Cruzer,

had some big sets at Sunset to win the crown and take another

division for the up-north crew.

The Surfline-Jay Moriarity Overall Performance Big Wave winner was

the Big Island’s Shane Dorian. A former World Championship Tour

standout, Dorian has proven he’s fearless, with a runner-up shot in

the toe-in category at Jaws and some other pics of some huge, scary

ones.

They’ll gear up again next winter for some more XXL surf.

A couple weeks ago, the Western Surfing Assn. was up at Steamer

Lane in Santa Cruz, where the surf was 3-6 feet with 8-foot-plus sets

peeling off the point. Some of the H.B. contingent made the trek up

north to the chilly waters.

In the junior longboard division, Cody Bertrand ripped it up and

finished second. His pops, Troy Bertrand, was tearing it up too,

doing some fancy footwork in senior longboard to place second also.

Surf City’s Jay Boldt made two finals, taking fourth in senior

longboard and third in the grandmasters too. The “Schlickster” Pat

Schlick took the win in the grandmasters.

A fired-up Danny Misken lost a close decision in masters, getting

second, but was seen getting some killer lip bashes through the slot.

There’s still snow in the local mountains from those fierce storms

of February, but due to lack of skier interest, Bear Mountain and

Snow Summit have closed for the season. Snow Valley, Mountain High

and Mt. Baldy are still open, going week-to-week with spring-like

conditions.

The four-star, $75,000 Body Glove Surf Bout is scheduled this week

down at Lowers in San Clemente. The nation’s top rising stars in

men’s and women’s surfing and some of the world’s best surfers will

be on hand April 26-30 for the Association of Surfing Professionals’

World Qualifying Series event. Hope there’s good surf.

That’s it for now, Fig over and out.

* RICK FIGNETTI is a 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.