Wet and Wild with Rockin’ Fig:Bringing out the bleachers

It’s almost time for the big show to hit the shores of Surf City.

The Assn. of Surfing Professionals’ six-star, $175,000 Honda U.S. Open of Surfing presented by O’Neill is scheduled to kick off July 20. The U.S. Open will feature the best men, women and juniors from around the world in short and longboard competition.

Some big guns are slated to compete: former world champ C.J Hobgood; brother Damien Hobgood (who’s No. 2 in the world); East Coast transplant and former winner Cory Lopez; San Clemente’s air blaster Chris Ward; last year’s defending champ Rob Machado; and Hawaiian rippers Freddy Boy Patacchia and Bruce Irons.

Also expected to compete are Aussie shredders Luke Stedman, the high-flying Josh Kerr, former junior sensation Ben Dunn, Brazil’s Neco Padaratz, veteran Victor Ribas, and the super-quick Adriano De Souza. The locals should be in full force with last year’s No. 11 in the world Timmy Reyes coming back from a knee injury; the rad man Brett Simpson ready to go big; up-and-coming qualifying series; Shaun Ward and San Clemente’s Pat Gudauskas.

This is a lot of possible points for the WQS surfers; a six-star event could rocket one of them up the ratings list.

The start is Friday and will feature the mens’ and juniors’ trials, going into the weekend. Saturday and Sunday will bring more mens’, juniors’ and longboard heats in double areas. By Monday and Tuesday it will be mens’ rounds, but back to single areas.

Wednesday will be the womens’ heats, with mens’ competition later in the day. By Thursday and Friday the men’s field will be whittled down to 48 — tough stuff.

Saturday the 28th will see the womens’ quarters, semis and finals and some mens’ action too. And Sunday, the last big day, there will be more elimination finals, juniors and longboard, and the mens’ semis and final going man-on-man. Should be interesting.

Lots of stuff happening at the beach festival this year, like the Soul Bowl with skaters Omar Hassan, Brian Patch, and Tony Magnusson ready to go big; freestyle motocross on the sand with the fearless Brian Deegan, Nate Adams and Ronnie Faisst. Plus BMXer’s Chad Kagy and Mat Hoffman ready to explode, a Teen Vogue Fashion show, live bands, and a Festival Village with over 100 display booths with tons of giveaways.

Last weekend at the pier during the Nike 6.0 Pier Pressure Pro, East Coaster Adam Wickwire tore up the lefts and ended up winning the junior two-star event.

Ventura’s Cory Arrambide placed second, while third and fourth went to brother combo Wesley and Granger Larsen from Hawaii.

Look for these surfers to be standouts in the Lost Junior’s at the Open too.

Over in South Africa, the Billabong Pro begins its waiting period at Jeffrey’s Bay. It’s the halfway point on the WCT, the fifth outta 10 events.

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