WET ‘N’ WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG:

Our top amateur junior U.S. surf team members arrived in Hossegor, France, for the I.S.A. World Junior Surfing Games, which began Saturday.

Twenty-eight countries will be competing through June 1 at some classic wide open Hossegor Beach break known for A-frame peaks with offshore conditions. Before the event started, there was a parade down the main street. On the main stage each team put sand in a glass box from a beach of their respective countries. In the case of the U.S. team, sand from Huntington Beach was used.

In these surfing games, Hawaii has a separate team from the U.S. team, and they brought sand from legendary Sunset Beach and Makaha Beach to mix with all the sands of the world, a showing of unification and peace.

So far, coach Joey Buran has to be happy as the U.S. team in the 16-and-under bracket has been on a roll with Kolohe Andino, Conner Coffin and Andrew Doheny all taking wins in the first round and Luke Davis with a solid second.

In the 18-year-old division they’ve been looking good, too, with the U.S.’s Nat Young, Dillon Perillo and Chase Wilson also taking first round victories and Dane “Air” Zaun placing second.

In the women’s 18-year-old bracket, the U.S. squad is keeping up with the pace, as Courtney Conlogue, Sage Erickson, Demi Boelsterli and Amy Nicholl are all perfect with wins. Hawaii’s Coco Ho also had a very impressive first round.

The world championship tour’s “Globe Pro” just started in Fiji in 4- to 10-foot Cloud Break, with reeling barreling lefts over the reef. First off, bad news, Ventura’s Dane Reynolds injured himself and had to pull out of the event after the rookie was rated No. 10 in the world after the first three contests. Former three-time world champ, Hawaiian Andy Irons flew in straight off a red-eye flight with hardly any sleep and won his first round heat. Eight-time world champ Kelly Slater showed why he’s still the man of the hour, scoring a perfect 10 and a 9.73 score, for a two wave total of 19.73, throwing away, unbelievably another nine and a 9.67; anybody would’ve gladly taken those.

In Round 3 action, H.B.’s Timmy Reyes killed it with a sick, back door, pig dog barrel, beating the big boy Roy Powers. Aussie Taj Burrow also had a perfect 10, a super, super, long tube and advanced in style as did Santa Barbara’s Bobby Martinez with a stand up deepy. Floridian Damien Hobgood, a 2004 and 2006 winner, looked at ease with a win and “Slates” took out retired Occy who reappeared as a wild card and was ripping, goofy foot, with some big carves in the hook.

It wasn’t exactly summer weather for Memorial Day weekend, with the clouds, rain and wind, was it? Figster 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.