Wet and Wild with Rockin Fig -- Rick Fignetti

Rick Fignetti

The hustle and bustle of the holidays are over, the groms had to go

back to school, and the beaches are back to normal -- uncrowded. We did

have a few storms go by the last couple weeks, but it looks like it’s

back to sunny skies, and if you’ve been surfing the waves have been

pumping. The end of last week saw some sizable waves, right here in

Huntington Beach, with sets of 12-feet plus cranking by the pier, but

kinda scary when you see those barnacled pilings coming up. That was big

Thursday. No doubt a few board busters to start the New Year’s out right.

And midweek this week was macking too with Josh Mohr picking off a couple

big daddys and ripping them up, right through the pier, going 90.

For you snow boarder’s, the local mountains did pick up a trace of

snow a week ago but with the warm air temps, it has melted down anywhere

from a one- to three-and-a-half-foot base of hardpack, softening through

the morning. I actually went up New Year’s day and did some boarding and

had some fun. Not too crowded on the slopes, but the drive down the front

of the mountain was taking an incredible four to five hours. You could

drive to Mammoth Mountain in that time, which right now I hear has some

of the best snow in the country. They picked up, a foot and a half of

snow last week and they have a nine-foot base.

Right here locally this weekend on the south side of the pier is the

National Scholastic Surfing Assn.’s Explorer Season No. 5 contest with

double rated points. The top surfers on the coast will be ripping up the

surf as well as ourown crew of hotties. The two-day event will start on

Saturday with the preliminary heats and continue on Sunday with quarters,

semis and finals of some hotly contest divisions. Lots of them too --

boys, juniors, mens, masters, seniors, super seniors, women, longboard

and bodyboarding too. I’m sure there’s still some openings to get in,

with points being earned to get to the West Coast Championships here May

16 through 19th, and the Nationals at Lowers June 25th through 29th. At

the National Scholastic Surfing Assn. office you can contact Gayline

Clifford, the director for the Southwest Conference at (714) 536-0445.

Could be your lucky day, hopefully that swell will still be hangin’.

Also up north, in Ventura is the United States Surfing Federation

Donny Soloman Memorial surf contest, in memory of the former all-around

nice guy, ripper, pro surfer who drowned over in Hawaii a few years back.

This event every year brings together some of his old friends, family and

shredders from up and down the coast tocatch a few fun ones. Last year in

the pro-am division, C.T. star Tim Curren won it, whiz kid Bobby Martinez

was second and our own D-Baugh made the final too. California Street

could be firing this time of year on the right hand point break, that

gets sooo good on northwest swells. It was good to see formerAssn. of

Surfing Professional President George Stokes and former World Champ David

Nuuhiwa checking the surf in the north sideparking lot. See ya in the

lineup it’s time to catcha couple.

* 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

(106.7) 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.