WET ‘N’ WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG:

It’s that time of year when the North Shore of Hawaii starts pumping with waves and the surf scene shifts there. They just ran the $75,000 Xcel Pro presented by No Fear at Sunset Beach, Hawaii. The surf ranged as good as 10- to 15-foot and perfect for the first rounds of the event getting smaller but still workable for the finals. Local Hawaiian Joel Centeio had a good feeling the last day of the surf contest, like he was gonna win. Centeio started strong at the beginning with an 8.33 score for some nice carving turns off the top but was still behind to another local ripper, Mason Ho, most of the final. Centeio pulled a minimal score at the end to win it and $10,000, coming from behind.

Mason Ho, son of legendary Michael Ho who won the event in 1988, ‘90, ’91 and ‘96, showed signs of brilliance placing second with some good scoring waves and a few barrels, while another Hawaiian, big wave stand-out Makua Rothman, was third, and the South Bay’s Alex Gray rounded out the top four spots. The big boy, Roy Powers from Maui, scored one of the highest rides of the contest, a mid nine-zone score for a killer back door barrel on a good size set in the earlier rounds. Other past champs include Kaipo Jaquias in ’93 and ’95 Andy Irons ‘97, Bruce Irons ’99 Pancho Sullivan in 2000 and ’03 and Freddy Boy Pattachia in ’02 and ’04.

The Triple Crown started Monday with the six-star, $125,000 Reef Hawaiian Pro at Allii Beach Park, which is Haliewa, and goes until Nov. 25. Then comes the $125,000, six-star w.q.s. O’Neill World Cup at Sunset Beach Nov. 25 to Dec. 6. And the biggy, the world championship tour’s $300,000 Billabong Pro at the ever-legendary Banzai Pipeline Dec. 8-20 to end it for the men’s.

The women will have a six-star, also at the Reef Hawaiian Pro, worth $30,000. Then Nov. 23 to Dec. 6 a w.c.t. event, the $80,000 Roxy Pro at Sunset and the final event of the year for the gals, Dec. 8-20 at Honolua Bay, Maui, for the Billabong Pro another $80,000 surf it out extravaganza and crown the new world champ.

Mean while, they’re holding the $20,000 Van’s Pro at Puerto Escondido this week. Last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on that south swell, it was 20-foot plus and macking, and a few dare devils were getting the big shacks. The Long brothers from San Clemente were getting some bombs, also Skin Dog Collins, who won the XXL big wave awards last year, was getting barreled with a hand cam filming from the inside out, and local charger Co Co Nogales was picking off some crazy sets. The Figster is heading south to announce the contest and hopefully gets some sick pits too! Fig 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.