Wet and Wild with Rockin Fig -- Rick Fignetti

Rick Fignetti

We finally snapped the streak, or week, of no waves, with some fun 3-

to 5- foot plus surf. We lucked out with, unseasonably warm weather, in

the 70s and, offshore winds to boot. These last few days in surf city

have been nice. The winds couldn’t have hit at a better time with two

back-to-back west swells. There’s been some deep barrel riding out there,

I’ve noticed. And who know’s, maybe it was you.

The National Scholastic Surfing Assn. held its prestigious Open Season

contest No. 7 at Newport Beach’s 54th street last weekend. They ran into

some epic conditions Saturday as it was barreling big time with the Santa

Ana winds and the right swell direction too. The big scores were being

awarded by the judges who were impressed with the surfing action. For the

minigroms, in second place, slicing it up, was Andrew Doheny and third

was Ford Archibald both from Newport. In boys, Andrew’s brother, Brian

Doheny pulled into equal fifth. While junior’s action saw Huntington

Beach’s Ian Ekberg and Kory LaPont finish up equal fifth. In the men’s

division, Japan’s transplant to Surf City Akira Nakaura finished fourth

and Brett Simpson equal ninth. And a good run by bodyboarders Chris

Espinoza of Edison High School, first, and Darren Moody of Huntington

Beach High School second. A lot of tough competitors from up and down the

coast were in it, in the students only division.

Take note there has been a little change, the National Scholastic

Surfing Assn. Seaside contest, Feb. 16th and 17th in the Explorer

Division has been moved to Ponto in Carlsbad.

The H20 Winter Classic went off last weekend at the Huntington Beach

Pier too. Surfers and Snowboarders battled it out for bragging rights and

some cash prizes. In the surfing part of the contest, Laguna Beach’s Mike

Todd ripped it up and took top honors. Second was San Clemente shredder

Mike Losness, a former NSSA standout, while third was Kyle Knox of San

Diego. Rounding out the top four was Newport’s airman Josh Sleigh. In the

snowboarding, which took place at Mountain High, busting big and taking

first was Mammoth’s Matt Hammer. Second, carving some mean turns, was

Wyoming’s Bryan Iguchi, third went to Tahoe’s Bryan Richardson and fourth

San Diego’s Gabe Taylor. So the overall added scores together saw a

pumped up Richardson winning it, Sleigh taking second, and Losness third

-- not bad shredding one day at the beach and the next in the mountains.

Only here in California do you get the best of both worlds.

Speaking of boarding, high five to Americans, Ross Powers, Danny Kass

and J.J. Thomas, who won the gold, silver and bronze medals at the Winter

Olympics in the half pipe at Salt Lake City, Utah. That’s the first sweep

in a ski event by the Americans since 1956. They were bustin’ some huge

airs, that were way outta the pipe. Congrats.

* 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.