Summer sizzles on way out

The Assn. of Surfing Professionals is about ready to kick off the

seventh event on the World Championship Tour at Shidashita Point in

Japan.

The waiting period started Aug. 31 and goes till Sept. 7. There

was a three-foot swell forecasted for midweek and contest organizers

made the decision to move from Hebara Beach to Shidashita for bigger

waves.

The top 45 surfers will be on hand, along with four wild cards.

Two Japanese surfers -- Hideyoshi Tanaka and Kenta Hayashi --

finished one-two in the trials and are in -- as are local hero

Masatoshi Ohno and possibly California surfer Dane Reynolds in the

fourth spot. Aussie Kirk Flintoff was in Europe and might not make it

there in time.

Last year, a typhoon swell hit, and the surf was pumping in the

six- to eight-foot range.

Right after Japan, it’s back to the West Coast and Cali for the

Boost Mobile Pro at Trestles in San Clemente at that classic point

break.

One of the biggest hurricanes in years, Katrina, buzzed the tip of

Florida last weekend, then went into the Gulf of Mexico and

intensified into a Category 5 hurricane, finally hitting land as a

Category 4 early Monday. The warm water in the gulf, about 85

degrees, was the fuel for it.

Katrina hit New Orleans with 20- to 30-foot waves and tidal surge.

Needless to say, there was a lot of flooding and damage done with the

heavy winds, and it will probably take months for the area to get

back to normal again.

Our hopes and prayers go out to all in the Gulf Coast region.

The southern coast of Texas near Mexico reported the best surf

ever by South Padre Island, with big sets and clean conditions.

Don’t forget the Hello Kitty Boardfest coming up this weekend at

the Huntington Beach Pier. Sixty-four of the top women surfers will

be competing for $20,000 in prize money at the World Qualifying

Series four-star event.

There will be women’s longboarding and other younger age-bracket

surf divisions, too. There will be some surf clinics, with pro women

surfers like Holly Beck and Siri Cota offering instruction and

advice. Other activities include beach contests and games, live bands

and DJs, an Elle fashion show and skateboarding demos, plus prize

giveaways and more.

Did ya hear about the chewed up seal at Bolsa Chica Beach? Looks

like it was attacked by a shark. They’re out there, but you’d have

better luck at getting hit by lightning than eaten by a shark.

The heat wave continues, as air temps have been in the upper 70s

at the beaches all week. Summer’s finally here, just when all the

college students have to go back to school. I’m still calling for the

late Indian summer weather in September.

The last-blast Labor Day weekend upon us, so end it with a little

surf, some tanning and a barbecue. And then the sad news -- the local

high schools will be back in session next week.

See ya. Fig over and out!

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

announced the U.S. Open of Surfing the last 12 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.