Ripping from here to Mexico

The Quiksilver International Surfing Assn. World Junior Surfing Championships finished an eight-day showcase of high intensity surfing here in Surf City on Sunday.

Hawaii nailed the gold, Brazil got silver and the U.S. took the bronze in some fierce competition. Last year’s champs, Australia, came in a close fourth.

Taking the finals in the boys’ 18-and-under bracket was Brazil’s Jéferson Silva, who came from behind to beat San Clemente’s Tanner Gudauskas as time was running out in the inconsistent 1- to 3-foot surf. Gudauskas surfed impressively the whole event and improved on his fourth-place finish at the world championships a year ago in Tahiti. Third went to another Brazilian, Thomas Hermes, who got some good ones too. Rounding out the top four was South Africa’s Jordy Smith.

In the boys’ 16-and-under, the Hawaiians came in one-two, with Tonino Benson and Clay Marzo both ripping it up. Finishing third was Australia’s David Delroy-Carr, and Brazil’s Wiggolly Dantas came in fourth.

In the girls’ 18-and-under division, Australian wondergal Stephanie Gilmore outdistanced the field, taking the gold by getting some big exchanges and scores. The U.S.’s Karina Petroni, who was dominating through most of the event, finished second. Hawaii’s ripping Carissa Moore was third, and fellow Hawaiian Lani Hunter finished fourth.

The next world championships will be in Brazil in 2006.

High fives to the coaches -- Rainos Hayes, the former pro surfer with the Hawaiian team; Brazil’s Marcos Conde, who did a great job; and our local resident former world champ, Peter “P.T.” Townend, doing a heck of a job with the U.S. squad. Congrats.

The National Scholastic Surfing Assn. held its second Open Season event a couple weeks ago at Ponto in Carlsbad in some killer overhead surf. The association is gonna be using computerized scoring this season at the events, just like the Assn. of Surfing Professionals -- going big time.

The H.B. contingency went off in the good-sized surf, starting in the boys’ division, where Allen Kincade took the win with some sick turns to stay on a roll -- he won in the Explorers recently too. Huntington’s Eric Ramsey pulled into third as well.

In girls’ competition, H.B.’s Sara Taylor took the win easily, cruising by with a big margin. And in mini groms, little John Elles was coming up with the big moves to take second, and Kainoa Igarashi placed fifth. In longboards, Shane Van Herk took sixth.

Also down south was the No Fear Mexican Fiesta at San Miguel in 2- to 4-foot surf. San Clemente’s Chris Ward blew up on a right in the final, busting an air and pulling a carving 360 for a 9.0 score to take the lead and the win away from Cardiff’s Rob Machado. Rippers Matt King and Jeremy Sherwin were third and fourth.

The four-star $75,000 O’Neill Cold Water Classic starts this week at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz. World Championship Tour stars Timmy Reyes (from H.B.) and East Coaster Cory Lopez are entered, along with former winners Roy Powers, local boy Kieran Horn and more.

That’s it for now. See ya. Fig over and out.

* RICK FIGNETTI is a nine-time West Coast champion and has announced the U.S. Open of Surfing the last 12 years.

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