Waiting for some swell

The $270,000 World Championship Tour’s Rip Curl Pipeline Masters has been on hold on the North Shore of Hawaii as organizers are waiting for the next big-time swell.

So far they’ve run the trials. Making the final and advancing to the main event were Hawaiian local boy Dustin Barca; Kalani Chapman, a fearless bowl rider; big-wave standout Makua Rothman; and Brazilian shredder Bruno Santos.

A couple of legends lost in the trials: Rob Machado, a former winner there, and three-time world champ Tom Curren.

Losing in the quarters was another former world champ, Hawaiian Derek Ho, and the Excel winner Ian Walsh.

Taking wins in the first round of the main event were: Aussie Joel “Parko” Parkinson; Hawaiian brothers Andy and Bruce Irons; Freddy Boy Pattachia; last year’s winner wild card Jamie O’Brien; trial survivor Santos; Huntington’s one and only Timmy Reyes, who got a perfect 10-point ride from the judges for an insane deep tube ride; and East Coaster Damien Hobgood.

Losing in the first round but still getting another shot to advance into round three were the new world champ, Kelly Slater; the Triple Crown points leader Pancho Sullivan; Hawaiian ripper Sunny Garcia; Aussie speedster Mick Fanning; and Carlsbad’s Taylor Knox.

This is the 11th and last event of the WCT season. Former winners of the Pipeline Masters include O’Brien in 2005, who came all the way from the trials to beat the big boys; Andy Irons in 2003 and 2002; his brother Bruce Irons, a trialist in 2001; the Mobster, Rob Machado, in classic barrel riding form in 2000, Slates in 1999, ‘96, ‘95, ’94 and ’92 -- total domination. Aussie legend power master Tom Carrol won in 1991, ‘90, and ‘87; the ambassador from South Africa, Shaun Tompson, in ’75 and the stylish Gerry Lopez in 1972 and 1973.

The waiting period goes until Dec. 20.

Over at the Billabong Pro Maui for the gals, we’ve got the same scenario. They ran on the good days in perfect four- to six-foot surf and are on hold waiting for more.

Twenty-one-year old Brazilian Silvana Lima won the trials and in her next heat is up against Australian Chelsea Georgeson, No. 1 in the world standings. Georgeson has been on fire, as she scored 19.10 points out of a possible 20 in her previous heat -- that’s big -- as she looks for her first possible world title at this last event.

Only one gal can catch her and that’s Peru’s Sofia Mulanovich, the current reigning world champ, but she has a tall order. She has to beat Georgeson and place either first or second at the Maui Pro. Wow, the pressure’s on!

The Clark Foam deal, or lack of it, has put a damper on the surf industry. It’s put a lot of local shapers out of work and glass shops, too, and right before the holidays.

On the average, board prices have skyrocketed $100 to $400 at the surf shops. Seal Beach’s Harbour Surfboards has gone up $400 and some of the Channel Island boards have hit $800 bucks and are selling like hot cakes. It’s also slowed down the custom board scene.

But don’t worry, blanks from Oz, China, South America and South Africa should be filtering in in the next few months.

Hopefully the shortage will be over in the next six months. So be prepared to do some ding repair to keep old faithful rolling. I hear there’s a big swell gonna hit Sunday, so don’t snap your favorite stick in half.

Happy Holidays, Fig over and out.

* RICK FIGNETTI is a nine-time West Coast champion, has announced the U.S. Open of Surfing the last 12 years and has been the KROQ-FM surfologist for the last 18 years, doing morning surf reports. He owns a surf shop on Main Street.

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