Wet and Wild with Rockin Fig

The winter season on the North Shore of Hawaii is theproving ground

for the top pros. Big surf and ridingit seem to be where a lot of surfers

earn theirrespect.

The world title was on the line at SunsetBeach last week, and with the

rest of the world’s bestsurfers from Australia and Brazil coming on so

strong lately, it was nice to see an American, C.J. Hobgood, win it.

Congratulations go out to Hobgood, whosesurfing is futuristic,

combining some power turns andbusting new school airs, too.

It wasn’t more than a few years ago that the brothers’ combo of C.J.

and Damien were shredders in the National Scholastic Surfing Assn. on the

East Coast andNational rippers at Trestles. They then jumped on theWorld

Qualifying Series and now both are standouts on the World Championship

Tour. We’ve seen the killer shots of C.J.at big Pipe in the mags, and now

he’s backed it up with aworld title.

The $250,000 dollar Rip Curl Cup was heldlast week in eight- to

12-foot surf at Sunset Beach. It wasthe last World Championship Tour

event of the year, sothe world’s elite were trying to claim the victory.

It was a Hawaiian wild card who came on strongin the big surf to take

it. The Big Island’s Myles Padacawon some big heats on the way to

claiming his $30,000paycheck, the best performance of his career.

In second was Australian Michael Lowe, whohad some great heats too.

The veteran picked up$16,000. Equal thirds were Hawaiian Kalani Robb

andBrazil’s Peterson Rosa. Equal fifths were Americans Shane Beschen and

Ben Bourgeois, Aussie Mick Fanningand Brazilian Renan Rocha.

Most of the candidates forthe world title lost out in the early

rounds, but hadsubstantial points to hold on to their positions inthe

ratings.

So final placings went like this: first was Hobgood; second was

Australian “Occy”Mark Occhilupo; third was American Corey Lopez; fourth

was American Taylor Knox; fifth was Hawaiian Kalani Robb and AussieJake

Patterson.

Other popular United States surfers also placed well.Tenth was Damien

Hobgood and Hawaii’s AndyIrons; 13th was Hawaiian Sunny Garcia; 15th was

SheaLopez; 23rd was Pat O’Connell; 33rd was the East Coast’sBen

Bourgeois; 34th was Hawaiian Shane Dorian; 37thwas Shane Beschen and 46th

was Rob Machado.

Some big shockers are that two of the U.S’s big gunsfor many years,

Beschen and Machado, do not have enoughWCT points or WQS back up points

to requalify.Tough break on a shortened season.

I thought I heardthe two wild card slots for next year are going to

Dorianand Kelly Slater.

Slater, the former six-time world champ,is coming out of retirement

next season. Injury freeand bored with too much time on his hands -- not

to mention theurge for competition -- and the time is finally

right.Professional surfing has been in a little slump and ifanybody can

help pull it out, it’s Slates.

Next up! The X-box Pipeline Masters, which is under way.That’ll

feature some of the best barrel riders on theplanet. Stay posted, that’s

it for now, Fig over and out.

* RICK FIGNETTI is a six-time West Coast champion, has announced the

U.S. Open of Surfing the last eight years and has been the KROQ-FM

surfologist for the last 15 years where he’s done morning surf reports.

He owns a surf shop on Main Street. You can reach him at (714) 536-1058.