WET ‘N’ WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG:

Surf City is hosting the Surfing America U.S. Championships on the south side of the Huntington Beach pier this week and the action has been insane.

Two big swells, one outta the northwest and one outta the southwest hit almost simultaneously, giving H.B. 4- to 8-foot-plus surf. Some peaks and lines were super consistent, and powerful; throw in Santa Ana wind conditions and you had Hawaiian-style surf. Surfers were getting barreled out of their minds last weekend and during the first part of the week.

Not to mention, I personally saw at least 12 surfboards broken in half or buckled! Surfing America Event Director Darren Brillhart said it was 6-foot plus, going off with perfect offshore conditions and contestants were loving it. Surfing America President Mike Gerrard was happy with the great turnout and support of surfers from the East Coast, Texas, Hawaii, and the West Coast.

Some U.S. titles have been already won by women’s longboarder Kate Bassett from Maryland; girls’ longboarder Tory Gilkerson of California; junior longboarder Christian Clark from Encinitas (by less than a point over Hawaii’s Nelson Ahina); senior longboarder Terry Gillard from Imperial Beach who snapped his board in the semis and borrowed a stick from, yup, Rockin’ Fig Surf Shop and went off for the win — posting a 7.75 score. Master’s was dominated by Pat McManus from North Carolina; seniors’ surfer/shaper Rat Battisti of Encinitas went off, slashing to victory; and legends was won by John Silver of Carlsbad, coming back at the end with a couple of nice hits, with the Figster just coming up a hair short for second.

More eliminations all week through all the other age brackets, and U.S.A. team trials will be Saturday and Sunday. Announcers David Stanfield and Ryan Simmons were making it an exciting surf event to watch on the beach, but if you can’t make it down, there will be a live webcast at www.SurfingAmerica.org.

The National Scholastic Surfing Assn. took advantage of the killer conditions too, with their event at Brookhurst Street — again 4- to 8-foot plus with howling offshore winds. In men’s, H.B.’s Bryce Dehaan got some heavy tubes and won, while Kyle Kennelly was getting deep also, finishing fourth.

Kennelly took that barrel-riding form for a second in juniors’, too. Derek Peters was fourth in boys’ while Huntington dominated menehunes with Kanoa Igarashi taking second, Jake Saenz third, and Johnny Elles sixth. Explorer gals saw Anise Guzman place second, and masters saw Dan Fennell pulling in for second and transplant Taichi Maruyama sixth. Rick Larsen cruised to victory in super seniors’ in the green room to finish off another all-time contest.

Two weeks ago at the Huntington Beach Pier in overhead surf, NSSA Open season results saw mini groms completely dominated by Kanoa Igarashi who’s been on a roll. In open boys’, Johnny Elles placed fifth and Igarashi sixth. And in women’s, Courtney Conlogue — almost in a league of her own — won big-time, racking up some of the high scores of the event, while Huntington Beach High’s Sara Taylor came in fourth. That’s it for now, hope ya got some of those barrels. Figgy over and out.

RICK FIGNETTI is a 10-time West Coast champion and a longtime KROQ-FM surfologist. He owns a surf shop on Main Street. You can reach him at (714) 536-1058.