WET ‘N’ WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG:

On the line with one of Surf City’s biggest rippers ever in Huntington Beach, and the world surf scene too, is the one and only Buddy Llamas.

Llamas is a Huntington Beach resident of more than 40 years. Actually I remember Bud in my teenage days as the hottest kid coming up in the ranks. A natural talent, he was radical, doing stuff nobody had ever seen yet, way beyond his time. A standout on the opening years of the Huntington Beach High School surf team that was red hot. Taking the National Scholastic Surfing Association by storm winning the Open Season in ’79.

Here’s one for ya, Bud was even known for surfing a contest on the south side and north side of the Huntington Beach Pier and winning both in the same day. His talent got him on the NSSA National Team that went to Peru and Panama for International surfing competitions. But it was the big time Stubbies Classic win in the early ’80s over Mike Benavidez that pushed him on to the world tour, where Bud slashed his way to the top 20 in the world standings. A win at the ASP final at Atlantic City, NJ, in ’85 was another highlight of his career.

Even to this day many still say that if B.L. had the right coaches back then he might have held a world title. He also surfed on the Professional Surfing Tour of America and Bud Pro Surfing Tour where he was a standout too, winning events at Oceanside, Carlsbad, Huntington Beach, runner up in Puerto Rico and Trestles not to mention many other final placings too. He had a starring segment in the movie “Ocean Fever” surfing 6- to 12-foot Todos Santos, going off.

Talking to Bud though, most of the locals remember him as the south side slasher or bowl rider, but his favorite move was his backside air, which was way beyond its time, as hardly any body was bust’n airs back in those days. He’s on both sides of the street, the Walk of Fame in 2000, and the Hall of Fame in 2002, and well-deserved.

Bud still goes to Hawaii every year, in the springtime, surfing Rocky Point, Gas Chambers and Pipe. He went to Guatemala to film the “Journey Continues” with Sam August of Endless Fun Productions getting good 4- to 8-foot surf by a fishing village and river mouth not to long ago.

These days Bud is a promoter with his longtime friend Kevin Ashford, putting on Board Nite at Gallagers Monday nights raising money for cancer victims, Thursday nights at Killarneys, for Surf Band night, as Joe Wood and the Lonely Ones plays this week, and starting up Reggae Sundays at the old Out of Bounds at the end of this month. Let me tell ya, all the fame and fortune haven’t changed Bud at all. He’s still one of the coolest guys to hang out with.

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.