Flat finish for the pros at Steamer Lane

RICK FIGNETTI

The pro surf scene was up the coast last week at the chilly waters of

Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz for the last big-point World Qualifying

Series event on the mainland. It was the $75,000 four-star O’Neill

Cold Water Classic, a surf contest going back to the late ‘80s and

the longest running event in Nor Cal.

Newport Beach’s Richie Collins, busting onto the pro scene as a

hot up-and-coming grom, won in ’87. Former world champs, South

Africa’s Martin Potter in ’89 and Tom Curren in 1990, left their marks at the Lane. The stylemaster Taylor Knox took it in ‘93,

getting a deep barrel through the “Slot.”

There’s been a hot local contingent over the years with Peter “The

Condor” Mel winning in ’97 and Chris Gallagher winning back-to-back

in 1998 and 1999. You can’t forget about the new Aussie guard, taking

it few years back as “Parko” Joel Parkinson won in 2000, carving some

heavy turns that year and showing he was a force to be reckoned with.

The big boy from Hanalei Bay, Roy Powers, won in some storm surf

in 2001, local ripper Adam Replogle took the victory stand in 2002

and eastside Pleasure Point shredder Kieran Horn busted the win in

2003.

As usual, the first few days of the event were hit with a storm, a

bit of wind and some rain, but the Lane cleaned up later. A week ago

Thursday, there were head-high rippable rights, but a dropping swell

heading toward the weekend.

Getting pretty far, but losing out in round five were Huntington’s

Danny Nichols and Brandon Guilmette who had some great heats. Collins

went down, as well as former U.S. champ Mike Parsons. In round six,

Surf City’s Brett Simpson, Micah Byrne, Brandon Tipton, “Big” Willie

Safreed and Seal Beach’s Ryan Simmons lost some close ones, as the

surf kept dropping.

Saturday and Sunday, the ever-famous Steamer Lane was flat and the

contest had to be called off at round seven with 64 surfers left,

leaving an equal 49th place call and $600 apiece for Huntington’s

Timmy Reyes, who’s No. 16 in the World Qualifying Series points

standings and coulda won it the way he’s been surfing lately. The

world tour’s Cory Lopez was in house, plus local standout “Rat Boy”

Jason Collins, Ventura’s ripping Dane Reynolds, Hawaiian Jesse Merle

Jones, Powers and quiet defender Horn also took equal places. So, no

big winner in 2004 as Mother Nature took a little break from the

action.

On the other hand, the women’s four-star was moved an hour north

to Waddell Creek and finished up. The Aussie gals went off, taking

the first three spots as Samantha Cornish got the win, followed by

Amee Donohoe in second and Rebecca Woods in third. Brazil’s Silvana

Lima was fourth.

The U.S.’s Melanie Bartels, last year’s winner, made it to the

semis and Julia Christian, Holly Beck and Lauren Sweeney got to the

quarters.

That was the final World Qualifying Series stop for the women with

the top six go to the Championship Tour next season: Chelsea

Georgeson in first, Melanie Redman-Carr in second, Bartels in third,

Woods in fourth, Cornish in fifth and Hello Kitty winner Claire

Bevilacqua in the final spot. Congrats!

This weekend, there’s more action at the Huntington Pier with the

Toes on the Nose Men’s Pro Longboard Open and the Women’s World

Longboard Championships. There’s a lotta local talent with a good

shot a taking those top positions.

Have fun and good luck. Fig over and out.

* RICK FIGNETTI is an nine-time West Coast champion, has

announced the U.S. Open of Surfing the last 11 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. You can reach him at

(714) 536-1058.