‘Golden Boy’ Andino off to fast 2016 start

It seems like we’ve heard his name forever, yet San Clemente’s Kolohe Andino just turned 22 this week.

He’s the son of a former pro surfer (Dino Andino) and has been in the water practically since he learned to walk. Which is why you’ve heard his name forever; he’s been winning contests since he was 8 and was signed to a sponsorship deal with Billabong when he was 12.

He qualified for the World Championship Tour when he was just 17 and is beginning his fifth season on the WCT this year.

He was the Golden Boy of surfing in more ways than one. His blond hair and blue-eyed look certainly helped grow his sponsorship opportunities. Andino has landed deals with Target and Nike reported to be in the $1-million-per-year range.

But the coronation of the next king of surfing hit a snag over the last few years. In short, the rest of the surfers on the WCT weren’t simply going to roll over and allow this kid to take over.

He’s had relatively disappointing finishes in three of his first four season on the WCT: 23rd in 2012, 26th in 2013 and 25th in 2015. He best season was 2014, when he placed 11th in the world.

Things got so tense that Andino and his longtime coach, Mike Parsons, temporarily split up.

“The tour can be really tough on rookies,” Parsons told worldsurfleague.com. “Guys who get here are used to winning everything, and all of the sudden, if they’re not doing man turns, they can easily lose five heats in a row. That’s torture for a kid. They start questioning everything. So we took a break.”

Parsons, though, was there last week when Andino began the WCT season with a bang, reaching the final heat in a contest for just the second time since he joined the WCT in 2012. Andino lost in the final in the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast at Snapper Rocks in Australia to Aussie Matt Wilkinson, but he’s hoping his new approach to surfing and life in general will have a positive effect on his results this season.

“I think when I first got on tour I didn’t really want to listen to anyone,” Andino told worldsurfleague.com before last week’s contest. “I was trying to become my own man, and didn’t want to listen to anyone. I was full of testosterone, wanting to figure things out on my own, and didn’t know how to take criticism.

“I’m feeling more mature now. Now I’m ready to listen, and I want to learn. I’m ready to be a sponge instead of a wall. I was begging Mike to come back.”

Andino could not have asked for a better start to the WCT season, getting some confirmation that his new attitude is working going into the WCT’s second contest, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in Australia, which is scheduled to begin Thursday (conditions permitting).

“I feel good right now,” Andino said. “I’m treating events like this as more of a celebration of all the hard work it took to get here, and having fun, like it’s not even a contest. Everything out of the water is set: rad girlfriend, eating healthy, sleeping a lot.”

*

Keeping up with Kanoa

Huntington Beach’s Kanoa Igarashi, competing last week in his first WCT contest, finished an equal-ninth after being eliminated in Round 5 at Snapper Rocks.

Igarashi picked up his first two WCT heat victories, one over Hawaii’s Keanu Asing and the other over France’s Jeremy Flores. For his efforts, Igarashi got a check for $12,750.

Since it was the first event of the WCT season, it means Igarashi, 18, is tied for ninth place in the standings, ahead of former world champions Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning and Gabriel Medina.

It was a good start for the WCT rookie, but he can’t rest on his laurels as he and the rest of the WCT surfers are back in the water for the second contest this week at Bells Beach. In his Round 1 heat, Igarashi will surf against Brazil’s Italo Ferreira and Hawaii’s Dusty Payne.

*

Court is in session

It’s a new season but it’s the same ol’, same ol’ for Courtney Conlogue. The Santa Ana native and resident showed she will be a force on the women’s WCT again this year after taking second in the world last year.

Conlogue reached the final heat at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast at Snapper Rocks last week before losing to Australia’s Tyler Wright and finishing second. Last season, Conlogue reached the final heat in three of the tour’s 10 contests, winning each time.

The women join the men for the second contest of the WCT season this week at Bells Beach for the Rip Curl Women’s Pro.

JOE HAAKENSON is a Huntington Beach-based sports writer and editor. He may be reached at joe@juvecreative.com.