Surfing down under

WET AND WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG

Over in Australia, the first leg of the Assn. of Surfing

Professionals Championship Tour, the Quiksilver Pro was held in good

2- to 4-foot surf at Snapper Rocks. Taking the big win was

up-and-coming Aussie Dean Morrison, who proved to be unstoppable.

Morrison went off in the final, scoring two waves in the 9-foot plus

zone, to defeat former world champ Mark Occhilupo. This is Occy’s

best start too, as the veteran will be turning a ripe 37 in June and

is still known as one of the toughest competitor’s in a heat. Ripping

it up big-time was the West Coast’s Pat O’Connel, losing out in the

semis and placing equal third, as did Australian Mick Fanning. World

champ Andy Irons came in equal ninth as did Kelly Slater, Carlsbad’s

Taylor Knox and Hawaiian former world champ Sunny Garcia.

Next up is the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach Australia April 15

through 26, and then the Billabong Pro at Teahupoo, Tahiti May 6

through 18 where there are those deep, left handed, suck-out barrels

over the reef.

In the women’s, Roxy Pro was held on the Gold Coast of Australia,

March 4 through 16 in some epic surf conditions. World champ Layne

Beachley notched up another career victory. Layne caught some good

ones and took a solid decision over fellow Aussie shredder Trudy

Todd. And it look’s like she’s now on a quest for title No. 6 this

year. Carlsbad’s Julia Christian finished up equal ninth. Next up for

the women, is Tavarua, Fiji, April 27 through May 3.

Earlier this month, the United States Surfing Federation held its

ninth event of the season, on the Southside of the Huntington Pier.

The surf was 2 to 4-foot plus, and switched to offshore winds mid

morning that led to some killer conditions. In the district series

Raquel Bartlow took fifth and sixth in the open women’s and

longboarding. When the championship tour started, big action in the

seniors division saw Huntington Beach’s Jeff Combs and James Webb

place third and fourth respectively in the final. They are one and

two in the overall ratings, with four events to go. In equal fifth

were Huntington’s Danny Ray LeMaster and Sean McCabe who had some

nice ones in the semis. In grandmasters, the Figster took a close one

over arch-rival U.S. champ Patrick Schlick. Surf City’s Jay Boldt

took fifth and Robert Bailey seventh rounding it out. Boldt also

finished fifth in open men’s longboard, too. While Raquel Bartlow

came back to place fifth in the open women’s. That wraps it up for

the USSF until the chilly waters of Steamer Lane Santa Cruz April 19

and 20. See ya.

* RICK FIGNETTI is a seven-time West Coast champion, has

announced the U.S. Open of Surfing the last nine years and has been

the KROQ-FM surfologist for the last 17 years, doing morning surf

reports. He owns a surf shop on Main Street. You can reach him at

(714) 536-1058.