WET AND WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG:WSA goes to Church’s

The Western Surfing Assn. is hosting its Western championships this weekend at Church’s beach in San Clemente.

Surfers must have surfed in at least five events this season to get the invitation and qualify for the big one that will determine this year’s West Coast champions. To qualify, surfers must have competed in at least eight of the World Championship Tour events and have the highest point totals to be deemed the winner.

The WSA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the sport of surfing in all age brackets. It’s also a member of Surfing America, and it’s members can earn spots in the Surfing America U.S. championships and team trials.

Surfing America is the International Surfing Assn.’s governing body for surfing in the United States. The ISA is recognized by the International Olympic Committee, the world governing authority for the sport of surfing.

At the last WSA event, up in the chilly waters of Steamer Lane at Santa Cruz, some of the H.B. contingency made the trek. The surf was pumping: 4-to-6-feet with 8-foot sets off the point and middle peak.

Taking the win in the supergrom girls’ division was Paige Ortiz, who was liking those rights. In boys’ 13-and-under longboard division Tony Bartovick placed sixth, while in the girls’ short board 17-and-under division Jenna Balestar also placed sixth.

In the mens’ division Danny Misken ripped to second place on some killer rights, and in senior longboard Jay Boldt finished sixth. In grand master’ yours truly got lucky and scored a wave in the 9-zone and then backed that up with another one in the 8-zone for the big win. Boldt, doing double duty, slashed his way to third in that final too.

Next up: Western Championships this weekend.

Over at the Billabong Pro at Teahupoo in Tahiti, they held round one in some 6-foot surf. Eight-time world champ Kelly Slater got a 9.5-ride, a deep tube in his heat to advance. He also busted one of his favorite surfboards in half in that heat.

Other winners were: Californian and defending champ Bobby Martinez; San Clemente’s Chris Ward; Carlsbad’s Taylor Knox; three-time world champ Andy Irons and his brother Bruce, who scored a deep tube for an over-9 score, and Aussies Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson. They went on hold waiting for more swell to arrive.

That’s it for now. See ya — Fig over and out.