WET AND WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG:P.T. leaves team

Huntington Beach’s one and only Peter Townend, the 1976 surfing world champion, has resigned as head coach for the national surf team.

Townend, who is also an advisor for Surfing America, will help out, but focus on other Surfing America issues.

At a time when the U.S. surf squad was lacking direction, and couldn’t make a top-10 placing, the Australian “P.T.” took on the task of bringing the United States to prominence.

In 2004 he coached the juniors to the silver medal; in ’05 he coached the juniors to a bronze, and at the International Surfing Assn. world games in H.B. in ‘06, he guided the team to a bronze medal.

P.T., known for his competitive strategy, his keen eye for picking top talent, and for running top-notch training camps, will be a hard person to replace.

Other parts of the globe have been fielding some hot up-and-coming amateur surfers lately, such as Australia, Brazil, South Africa, and France. Hopefully the U.S. can keep pace.

The E.S.P.N. Surfing X-Games will be run for the third straight year at Puerto Escondido, known as the “Mexican Pipeline” because of its super-hollow beach-break barrels. This year’s format will feature the U.S. vs the world. Some of the top surfers, like U.S. Open winner Rob Machado and the “Super Freak” Jamie O’Brien will surf on the U.S. squad.

For the world team, former world junior champ Aussie Julian Wilson will lead the way, with veteran teammate Mick Campbell ready to charge. Former Surf City resident Brad Gerlach, the inventor of the Game format, will be on hand to supervise the activities. The event will be televised on ABC August 5 at 4 p.m., and it should be a smoker.

The National Scholastic Surfing Assn. has come out with its list of surf scholars: Tony Bartovich, Rob McCarthy, Matt Passaquindici, A.J. Collins, Logan Strook, Marco Passaquindici, Tess Lustbaum, Tony Morelli, Keetin Devine, Bryan Van Arsdale and Nichole Jenderko. Congratulations.

At the Calvery Chapel Surfing Association’s Golden West contest last Saturday, Edison’s Keetin Divine and Ryan McAfee took first and second in juniors. And the “barrel master”

Richard Payne took the mens, next up is July 14th at

G.W. Street.

Monday night is Board Night at Gallaghers, put on by no other than surf executives/rippers Buddy Llamas and Kevin Ashford. The good-karma event raised money for cancer victims.

The Joe Woods band play some hot tunes, with a surprise appearance by the Skatanic Red Necks, whose set got the crowd rolling too. The Figster and Double D Duncan, and other special hot guests, helped out with the raffle prize donation giveaways. The locals were out in full force that night till the doors shut down.

That’s it for now. Figgy, over and out.