High school titles await

WET AND WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG

Another big weekend is coming up for amateur surfing as the college,

high school and middle school state championships will be happening

down at Churches in San Clemente this weekend.

The National Scholastic Surfing Assn. is hosting the event which

starts at 6:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at the classic right-hand-

breaking point, which should set them up for some major shredding.

In the high school division, San Clemente High is the big favorite

to win this year with a super-stacked team, which has rippers in all

the prospective divisions -- men’s, women’s, longboard and

bodyboarding. In 2002, the team was the state and national champs in

the NSSA. Currently they have some big talent in it, with three-time

National Champ Patrick Gudauskas leading off, NSSA Open men’s ratings

leader Andrew Gahan and high school State Champ Travis Mellem all

scheduled to surf.

But, with 17 national titles and coach Andy Verdone, the John

Wooden of high school surfing, and assistant coach, surfer, shaper,

ripper Barry Deffenbaugh, Huntington Beach High cannot be counted

out. Last season they finished up third in the state and national

championships.

This year’s squad is a young one, but big in heart and talent. The

team is led by No. 2 in the open season junior’s ratings, Chris

Waring; last year’s Middle School Champ Ian Ekberg, and No. 6 in the

explorer ratings, Korey LaPoint. Surfing well in women’s, Eva

Lewington is in the top three right now, and bodyboarder Darren Moody

has come up big for the Oilers before. Look for a big charge by the

San Diego Mustangs, who were second at the state last year, and the

Carlsbad Lancers, fourth overall.

Two other Huntington Beach teams are in it too: Edison and Marina,

who are also looking for a good showing.

Huntington Beach’s Dwyer Middle School is the defending winner

from last year. Some of their talent has moved on, but, they still

have some other hotties, like Tommy Steury, one of the dominators in

the boys.

Sowers Middle School has Logan Strook, who’s been surfing great.

It will see some tough competition from San Clemente’s Shorecliff

Middle School though, who were national champs last year.

In college, Oceanside’s Mira Costa looks like the team to beat

with a crew of rippers. UC San Diego turned in a big run at the end

of the season to place second in the standings. But defending

national winner, UC Santa Barbara, or the 2001 champ, Cal State Long

Beach are two forces to be reckoned with.

Also, Big Red Productions, Surf Theater night, is showing Shane

Beschen’s “Fiction, the Movie” right Downtown at the Pierside

Pavilion at 7 and 9 p.m. tonight. I hear there’s some insane footage,

with a fun crowd showing up. See ya.

* RICK FIGNETTI, a seven-

time West Coast champion, has announced the U.S. Open of Surfing

the last nine years and does surf reports for KROQ. Reach him at

(714) 536-1058.