WET AND WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG:Waves and heats

Hope everyone had a killer Fourth of July.

The National Scholastic Surfing Assn. championships at Lowers saw some big action in all divisions. Even though the surf was on the smaller side, the surfing was still hot. In the big-time open season Governor’s Cup it was a fierce battle.

Hawaii’s Tonino Benson was ripping the lefts apart, throwing an assortment of slash’s, cutties and airs to score a heat-winning 15.25 points.

In the end, Ventura’s Cory Arrambide found a right set and tore it apart, looking like he might take the heat, but ended up a hair short. Alex Smith was throwing the vert moves to finish third and fellow Hawaiian Kai Barger fourth to round it out.

In the women’s division, nine-time national champ Carissa Moore again was on a mission, surfing insanely, tearing a right apart for a near-perfect 9.75 score to win. Fellow Hawaiian CoCo Ho had some nice exchanges to finish second, as up-north’s Sage Erickson was third and Hawaii’s Alana Blanchard a close fourth.

The open mini-grom division was won by little shredder Benji Brand, while H.B.’s Kanoa Igrashi pulled into fourth with some great rides. The open boys’ division was taken by little Hawaiian ripper Keala Naihe, and in juniors’ Newport Beach’s Andrew Doheny made an impossible slash off-the-top to take top honors over super-close speedster Keanu Asing.

And in the longboard division, San Clemente’s Troy Mothershead mixed it up with some nose rides and some nice turns to win with a 9.5-score.

In the Explorer menehune finals, San Clemente’s Kolohe Andino took the victory in another super-tight heat, while in boys’, East Coaster Evan Geiselman had all the right moves to come up with the win.

Juniors’ saw “rad man” Barger blow up with a nine-point ride at the end to ice it. While the mens’ was dominated by the Southwest’s No.1 seed Arrambide. The gals’ division was won by first-year NSSA star Alessa Quizon, who is opening some eyes.

In the masters’ a focused Josh Wilson took it, while seniors’ was dominated by Hawaii’s Christian Budroe.

In super seniors’ Tim Senneff caught the biggest set left and worked it for the win, while the Figster placed fourth overall with a couple of hard-driving snaps.

Explorer longboard division saw Mothershead take another for a double double. And in high school, San Dieqo had top honors with Huntington Beach placing second. HBHS’s Sara Taylor won the girls’ division to help the cause, closing out another big year.

The Rip Curl Search in Chile was won by three-time world champ Andy Irons, who scored a couple of mean backside barrels in the finals in 4- to 8-foot surf. That makes two Search’s in a row for A.I., who moved up from seventh to third in the Assn. of Surfing Professionals standings. Irons defeated world No. 2 Damien Hobgood in the final, world No. 1 Mick Fanning in the semis and “Parko” Joel Parkinson in the quarters, while Hobgood beat his brother C.J. in the semis, and local favorite Bruno Santos in the quarters.

Santa Barbara’s Bobby Martinez had Fanning on the ropes in the quarters with a perfect 10 score, but couldn’t find another wave to get through the heat.

Figster over and out.

is a 10-time West Coast champion and a longtime KROQ-FM surfologist. You can reach him at (714) 536-1058.