Wet ‘N’ Wild with Rockin’ Fig:

The surf scene now shifts to the North Shore of Hawaii for the big powerful waves that break there in the wintertime.

The first event in the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is the six-star Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa.

The event started in some smaller surf, two to four feet, and a couple upsets have happened already, as last year’s champ, Tahiti’s Michel Bourez, lost out, and former Triple Crown winners Derek Ho and Kaipo Jaquias didn’t advance, as well as Hawaiian hotties Mason Ho and big wave standout Makua Rothman just missing the cut. A few of Huntington Beach’s rippers are entered, with Brad Ettinger, Bruno Rodrigues, Shaun Ward, Brett Simpson and Timmy Reyes looking to go big.

There’s a whole host of hot surfers entered, like former world champ Andy Irons, brother Brucey, the “Fly’n Hawaiian,” Freddy Boy Patacchia, Roy Powers and up-and-coming Dusty Payne and John John Florence. The Cally boys, Taylor Knox and Pat Gudauskas, East Coasters C.J. and Damien Hobgood and Aussie Joel “Parko” Parkinson are a few of the other big names ready to surf it out.

A good-size northwest swell is expected, with more eliminations happening, and the waiting period goes till Nov. 23. We’ll keep you posted.

The National Scholastic Surfing Assn. held its Explorer series at the Huntington Beach Pier a couple weekends ago in some good, pumping three- to six-foot-plus surf. The association also ran some of the Trails event at Huntington Beach, a make-up, which was canceled because of shark sightings.

In boys, Surf City shredder Kanoa Igarashi was going off and took two wins in the Huntington Beach event and the make-up contest, as did Huntington’s Christian Saenz in men’s. Christian’s little brother Jake placed fifth and third for a good showing as well. Lani Doherty, a Hawaiian transplant to Huntington, took first in women’s, and younger sister Kulia Doherty took first in girls, not holding back in the bigger surf and blasting some turns.

In super seniors, San Diego’s Tim Senneff took his third win of the season, and the Figster caught a few nice sets and threw some power turns to place third.

In the new Duke division, Pat Schlick scored a perfect 10 and another win, while second was Huntington’s Terry Carmadella. “P.T.” Peter Townend had an excuse for not surfing, as he was doing the webcast at the Cold Water Classic in Santa Cruz, where it was double to triple overhead.

On that same swell way up north, “Mavericks” broke and a couple of the chargers were getting some mack daddy sets, 30 to possible 40 feet high. Whoa, now that’s a drop, make it or break it!

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.