Wet ‘N’ Wild with Rockin’ Fig:

The O’Neill Cold Water Classic lived up to its namesake as a fierce storm up north sent some giant waves down the coastline just in time for the final days of the event at Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz, which saw waves anywhere from 8 to 15 feet plus and water temps in the low 50s. The point was lining up, but the middle peak saw some huge sets, and the competitors were going for it right and left, and the crowd lining the cliff was loving it.

The man of the hour was San Clemente’s 28-year-old Nathan Yeomans, who won the biggest event of his life by winning heat after heat all the way till the finals. In the final, Yeomans stepped it up even more, really taking it to Aussie Heath Joske, who was a little out of sync, easily winning 15.33 to 8.60.

The win at the six-star event pushed Yeomans up to eighth place in the standings of the World Qualifying Series as the tour heads to Hawaii, where he’s trying to make the top 15 cut to get onto the ASP World Championship Tour next season.

Equal thirds were Brazilian Alejo Muniz and Australian Luke Munro, and losing in the quarters were Cory Lopez, World Championship Tour ripper Adriano De Souza and local favorite Kieran Horn.

Next up for the WQS boys is the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa today to Nov. 23 and the O’Neill World Cup at Sunset Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, from Nov. 24 to Dec. 6 to end the season. The ratings see Australian Daniel Ross first and San Clemente’s Pat Gudauskas second, H.B.’s Brett Simpson seventh, Hawaiian Dusty Payne 16th, Tanner Gudauskas 17th and Austin Ware 18th.

In the Junior Pro, Santa Cruz’s Nat Young, who’s been surfing the Lane since he was 5, took the title again after winning in 2007 and winning the World Qualifying Series in 2008. Young did it by a landslide as Hawaii’s Tonino Benson, second, East Coaster Cody Thompson, third, and Hawaii’s Dylan Goodale, fourth, needed some big scores to overtake him.

In South America, at the Movistar Peru Classic at Lobitos Beach, the gals were ripping it up at their World Championship Tour event. In some fun 2- to 4-foot reeling offshore lefts, Peruvian Sofia Mulanovich took the close decision, a quarter of a point, over Aussie world champ, defending event champ and points leader Stephanie Gilmore.

Mulanovich was slashing away on her back side to take the win as she moves into third place and is in contention for a possible second world title. Equal thirds were Hawaiian Coco Ho and Australian Sally Fitzgibbons, who upset No. 2 in the world Brazil’s Silvana Lima in the quarter finals. Next up is the Gidget Pro at Sunset Beach, Oahu, Hawaii from Nov. 24 to Dec. 6.

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.