A banner day for surfing competition

WET AND WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG

It was another big week in Surf City as surfing debuted in the X

Games Saturday at the Huntington Beach Pier.

Surfing, usually known more as an individual competition sport,

was made a team sport with pairs from the East and West coasts

competing. Each team had a coach.

The West’s boss was big wave rider Mike Parsons. His team

consisted of Carlsbad’s Taylor Knox, Cardiff’s Rob Machado, San

Clemente’s Shane Beschen, Laguna’s Pat O’Connell, Oxnard’s Timmy

Curren, Santa Barbara’s Bobby Martinez, Ventura’s Dane Reynolds and

Hawaiian wild-card Kalani Robb.

The East was coached by former pro surfer Matt Kechecle, and had

six-time world champ Kelly Slater, Floridian brothers Cory and Shea

Lopez, Damien Hobgood, North Carolina’s Ben Bourgeois, air man Aaron

Cormican, Hawaiian Shane Dorian and wildcard Aussie Taj Burrow.

There were four quarters, and the teams would send out four of

their own surfers together. They are judged like a regular contest,

but the top two scores for each surfer were added up for a team

total. Teammates pulling for each other and giving each other a wave

if needed was a different sight out in a heat. The team could also

call a timeout if they wanted to, like if they foresaw a flat spell

or other opportunity to score points or take an advantage.

This format was thought up by former Huntington Beach resident

Brad Gerlach, a former runner-up in the world standings a few years

back who was the contest director of the new format, which catered to

the fans.

The East Coast team started strong and never looked back in a

blow-out victory, taking the win, 209-188.

One of the highlights was the 360-degree air pulled by East

Coaster Cormican, busting a score somewhere in the eight zone in the

third quarter. Up and coming West Coaster Reynolds’ answered back in

the fourth with a radical 360 reverse and a huge tail slide to score

a 9.07, but the lead was too big by then.

The camera work was phenomenal, with the Goodyear Blimp taking

overhead shots and a camera on a cable going from the pier to the

beach taking close ups. Filming from the water and from both ends of

the contest site made it even better. There was also a big screen on

the pier, that played footage of the action down the beach and

instant replays that were spectacular close ups.

We’ll have to see how it looks on TV when ESPN broadcasts it.

*

So, the new surfing all-star team format is in the record books

now.

Flashbacks to this year’s U.S. Open, witnessed by more than

300,000 people, the biggest crowd ever in surfing history. Cory

Lopez, following his brother’s foot steps with the big win in Surf

City, says he’s never seen a turnout like this before. Definitely,

the most airs we’ve ever seen at an Open.

Jesse Billauer, who broke his neck in a surfing accident a few

years back, was pushed into a good-sized set by buddy Machado and

bellied it, almost to the pier. He got one of the loudest cheers of

the day for Life Rolls On, which helps raise awareness for spinal

cord injury research.

Other sights were tent city packed with groms trying to get their

free goods; and the concert stage, where Common Sense and Lit played.

There was even a Waterman sighting down there -- no doubt trying to

pick up a few notes from the big boys and big moves being thrown.

And some of the best tans I’ve seen all summer, too. See ya.

* RICK FIGNETTI is an eight-time West Coast champion and has been

the KROQ-FM surfologist for the last 17 years. You can reach him at

(714) 536-1058.