Wet ‘N’ Wild with Rockin’ Fig:

The world championship tour just finished up at the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil in some two- to four-foot waves breaking right by an island. And it looks like Kelly’s back — yup, after a lackluster start to the 2009 season, nine-time world champ Kelly Slater was back on the victory stand.

Slater, who’s been experimenting with different surfboard shapes — wider, shorter board designs, in the first few contests of the year — went back to an old faithful conventional board he’s had luck on before. He looked like he was back to his old ripping ways, getting a 9.27 score in the final, by slashing some big turns, a couple high speed floaters, finishing off with some big hacks on the inside to ice it.

It was close at first, as Brazilian stand out Adriano De Souza was pumped up in front of the hometown crowd and was hitting numerous hard slashes and a couple vertical finishing moves keeping it tight. De Souza racked an eight-point ride with some backhand power moves, but settled for second in the event and also rocketed from fifth to second in the current ratings. “Slates” climbed to ninth overall as the tour now heads to J-Bay, South Africa, as he works his way back up the ratings for a tough possible 10th world title run.

Slater beat fellow Floridian C.J. Hobgood, who’s been on fire this year in the semis, and hot Aussie Taj Burrow in the quarters, while De Souza defeated the points leader, Australian Joel Parkinson, in the semis and last year’s event winner, big Bede Durbidge, in the quarters. Aussie Mick Fanning also went down in the quarters, as did Hawaiian Dustin Barca. Surf City hot shot Timmy Reyes lost a close one to Taj in Round 4; also going down in that round were the U.S.’s Bobby Martinez, Chris Ward and Damien Hobgood. Short break and on the road again.

The Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay is expected to start today and run possibly through July 19. Besides the championship tour’s top 44 being there, there’s gonna be the superstar “Clash of the Icons” happening. That will be the U.S.’s three-time world champ Tom Curren vs. Aussie former world champ Mark “Occy” Occhilupo. Here’s one for ya — they have surfed against each other 16 times and each has won eight times!

San Clemente’s Tanner Gudauskas just won the six-star Mr. Price Pro in South Africa, defeating Aussie James Wood in the final. Tanner now moves to sixth in the WQS ratings. The U.S. boys are doing well; H.B.’s Brett Simpson is seventh, brother Patrick Gudauskas 10th, secret agent Austin Ware 11th. Further out is H.B.’s Brad Ettinger in 56th, Shaun Ward 95th and Chris Waring 108th.

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.