WET ‘N’ WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG:

There was thunder down under at the Quiksilver Pro, the first event of the year on the ASP’s World Championship Tour in Australia.

The swell was a playful 2- to 4-foot-plus, lined-up rights at Snapper Rocks that set up for some big ripping, and the 90-degree weather brought the crowds down, too.

Making the final in a big showdown was the U.S.’s eight-time world champ Kelly Slater in cruise control, and last year’s world champ Mick Fanning, the local boy, looking to do well on home turf. On the first exchange, Slater blasted a bunch of slashes for a medium-8 score to take the early lead.

Later in the heat, Fanning answered back, busting a 9.33 wave with a series of vertical lip hits all the way down the point. But Slates found another good one, that connected across throwing slashes and a floater, and was even riding backward, tail first, after a big tail slide for quite some distance, pulling it all off for a 9.27 score!

Fanning needed one last set but none rolled through, so last year’s champ settled for second as Slater took the win and the $30,000 first-place check.

Slater ousted the Frenchman, Jeremy Flores in the semis, pulling two reverse 360’s on one wave, and took out three-time world champ Andy Irons in the quarters, which was a much-anticipated big heat of the event, though pretty one sided, all Slater. Fanning, on the other side of the draw, decisioned big Aussie Bede Durbidge, who he beat in last year’s final, and his bro, the “Dingo” Dean Morrison, in the quarters — another Gold Coaster local.

Also losing in the quarters was the “Speedster” Joel Parkinson and “Ace” Buchan, who had some great heats. Surf City’s Timmy Reyes made it to round 4, losing to Flores in a semi-close one, which is still a great start, equal ninth. Slater, who spent some of the time off from last season not even surfing for a month, was still undecided whether he would surf at Bell’s Beach in the next contest. He planned on just doing selected events this year, but now, who knows if there could be a quest for title No. 9.

At the Roxy Pro, also held at Snapper Rocks in fun surf, Peru’s Sofia Mulanovich was the gal of the hour. Mulanovich found the key waves that linked across the point, getting long rides with action-packed moves on the way.

Second was Australian Samantha Cornish, who some pegged as the most in form-looking surfer of the event, but she came up short.

Surf’s up — combo swell all week — get it! 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.