Goofy days for old pros

Gotta say this, the weather has been quite nice for February, in the seventies with sunny skies just about every day and some fun west swells to boot. It’s been three-day weekends for the kids with Lincoln’s and Washington’s birthdays -- I know they’ve been lovin’ it.

Over in Hawaii, the Monster Energy Pro at the Banzai Pipeline was held in some hollow 8- to 12-foot-plus barreling surf last week.

It was déjà vu as Cardiff’s Rob Machado, the 32-year-old semiretired former championship tour-ripper who won the Pipe Masters a few years back, was back to his old form, taking the title again.

Machado, a goofy-footer, found the magic A-frame, triple-overhead set, took off deep going left, free-fell the takeoff and slid right under the lip for a massive tube ride. Disappearing into the cavern for seconds, he was spit out by the foam ball to the screams of the crowd.

The judges gave him a perfect 10.0 score in the waning minutes of the final to earn him the victory, a $10,000 purse and 1,500 World Qualifying Series points.

When Machado came in outta the water, seven-time world champ Kelly Slater, a friend of his going way back, was there to give him a high-five for the wave and the victory.

Second was a Hawaiian local, slasher Freddy Boy Patacchia, who had some nice barrels, cashed in on $5,000 and moved up to fourth in the W.Q.S. ratings, even though he’s getting ready for Australia and the World Championship Tour in a couple of weeks.

Third was Maui’s Ian Walsh, who’s been making a lot of North Shore finals recently, and fourth was Peruvian Gabriel Villaran, who was on fire in the quarters and semis but ran outta gas in the final.

Tied for fifth were Hawaii’s Dustin Barca and Nathan Carrol, and equal at seventh were Pancho Sullivan and Tory Barron.

Former world longboarding champ Bonga Perkins clinched the L.B. expression session with some sick barrels.

The Assn. of Surfing Professionals W.C.T. will kick off Feb. 27 with the trials of the Quiksilver Pro on the Gold Coast of Australia at Snapper Rocks.

Hear tell, Slates has been enjoying some time off in Hawaii, contemplating chasing an eighth world title. He won in Australia in ’97 and ’98.

The Aussie guard of Mick Fanning, winner in 2005, “Parko” Joel Parkinson, winner in 2003, “Dingo” Dean Morrison, a perennial favorite, and Taj Burrow, a two-time winner, are all Australians who know the break well and could jump off to a fast start in 2006.

Plus, there’s no doubt three-time world champ Andy Irons is champing at the bit for some rematches with the king of 2005. Only time will tell if one of history’s greatest surfers will continue on through this season to try to match the unsurpassed.

Fig, over and out.

* RICK FIGNETTI is a nine-time West Coast champion and has been the KROQ-FM surfologist for the last 18 years. He owns a surf shop on Main Street. You can reach him at (714) 536-1058.

20060216gzcyauke(LA)