WET ‘N’ WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG:

The surf scene has lost one of its truly great waterman, legendary shaper, big-time A.S.P. judge and local surfing icon from San Clemente, Jeffrey “Midget” Smith, who, after battling cancer, passed away Aug. 23 at home with his family and favorite dogs at his side.

Smith was part of the progressive surfing movement in the ’70s and ’80s, traveling the globe and surfing contests in the states as well, having some pretty good placings. During those times he used to complain about the judging system. So at 24 years old he gave judging a shot and ended up loving it and excelling at it.

Meanwhile, Midget also picked up surfboard shaping with the help of other local shapers and started shaping some really nice boards. He worked for Hobie and Natural Progression surf shops honing his skills and by 1972 was doing his own line and by 1978 opened his own retail store in San Clemente.

By the mid-’80s Smith was head judge for the Bud Surf Tour, which was the big-time U.S. surfing tour that was the circuit that allotta the current world stars cut their teeth on, including Kelly Slater, Rob Machado and Shane Beschen.

I had the privilege of working with him as the announcer for more than 10 years when he was presiding over the panels of judges from Imperial Beach to San Francisco, to Puerto Rico to Hawaii, where Midget was in supreme control. He stepped up judging, as time moved on, doing more A.S.P. action, world championship tour and world qualifying short board and long board events, also doing the X-Games, the National Surf League, and W.S.A. and N.S.S.A amateur contest too. His shaping was blowing up too, as he shaped boards for pros like three-time world champ Andy Irons, even the board that Shane Beschen won an A.S.P. Trestles event and one that ‘Occy’ Mark Occhilupo won the O.P. Boat Challenge on as well.

Ah! Midget lived the life he loved all around the sport of surfing, also traveling to other countries scoring perfect waves over the years. The stomach cancer he had beaten in the ’80s had come back last year though. They had a big fundraiser last year where Social Distortion and Mike Ness played, raising money for his mounting hospital bills, and it was the biggest party of the year as everybody in the whole town showed support. Midget was judging and shaping pretty much till the end, and said he was ready to go “On to the Next Adventure.”

His paddle out was huge. In front of a packed San Clemente Pier, 500 surfers made a big circle on the north side of the pier, holding hands and praying for one of their bros. The pier was packed too. Midget will be missed but not forgotten! A sad Rockin’ Fig.

RICK FIGNETTI is a 10-time West Coast champion and a longtime KROQ-FM surfologist. He owns a surf shop on Main Street. You can reach him at (714) 536-1058.