WET ‘N’ WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG:

Coming up in less than two weeks will be the classic Katin Pro-Am Team Challenge surf contest on the Northside of the Huntington Beach Pier.

The dates will be Jan. 20 to 25 for the waiting period with it on the best two days of surf. This event will coincide with Katin’s 50th anniversary and Huntington Beach’s 100th anniversary.

Kanvas by Katin was first started back in the old days when Walter and Nancy Katin used to make canvas boat covers. In 1959 the Katins transformed their business into surf wear, specializing in high-quality surf trunks. Their durability and new styles had surfers from all over the word wanting them and surfing in them. Their little shop was just down the road, started in Surfside, which is still in existence today.

When Nancy passed away in ’86 she left the business to one of her seamstresses, Sato Hughes, who had worked for her since 1961. Her son, Glenn, still keeps the shop running with clothes, surfboards, wetsuits and other accessories. In 1977 Nancy started the Katin Team Challenge so all surfers could have a go at it, with locals and big name pros surfing against each other, with no seeding. The contest gained big recognition, with huge stars and world champs winning it, like Shaun Tomson, Tom Curren as a pro and amateur, the explosive Martin Potter, and the phenomenon Kelly Slater.

Other legends surfed in it too, with Aussies Mark Richards, Cheyne Horan, Mark Occhilupo and Peter Townend winning it, with the Bronze Aussies team. Plus other winners like Hawaiian Michael Ho catching some bombs on big Northside one year, Larry Bertleman twin finning to victory, not to forget the California kid Joey Buran taking a win, also shaper, writer, ripper Dave Parmenter, Newport’s vertical man Ritchie Collins and local H.B. slasher Jeff Deffenbaugh, leaving their marks over the years.

The last Katin was in 1998, so more than 10 years have rolled by before Scott Waring and the boys at Katin Clothing have put it back together again. This year, 16 teams will battle it out, like Hurley, Quiksilver, Lost, Jacks, Volcom, Pac Sun and Frog House. Total purse is $10,000, and the individual prize money break down will be $4,000 for first, $2,000 for second, $1,500 for third and $1,000 for fourth with money going back to equal seventh.

Team prizes: First place is a two-page spread in Surfing Mag and second is a full page, which is big bucks these days. So best surf days on Northside, hottest surfers, computerized scoring, Figgy and Simmons on the mike live at the event. And you can catch the action on the live webcast too, on Surfing Live with Dave Stanfield and P.T. doing the play by play.

Be there or be square. Fig over and out.

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.