Curren Wins Pro Surfing in Oceanside

Defending champion Tom Curren of Santa Barbara defeated Glen Winton of Australia, 5-0, in the final of the $45,000 Stubbies Pro International Surfing tournament Sunday at the Oceanside pier.

In the women’s final, Jorja Smith of San Clemente defeated Frieda Zamba of Florida, 3-2. An estimated 25,000 spectators watched the finals.

Curren, who won $5,000, is the all-time money-winner on the Assn. of Professional Surfers world tour. He has earned $227,060 and won 21 titles in six years on the tour. He has won this event three consecutive times.

“I’ve had a lot of good luck here in the past,” Curren said. “I’m familiar with the south-swell waves, maybe a little more so than the other guys.”

In 1985, Curren became the first American to win the world championship. Before then Australia had won eight of the previous nine titles. Shaun Thompson, of South Africa, also won the title once during that period.

In 1986, Curren successfully defended that title and last season finished fifth.

To get to the finals, Curren, 24, defeated the defending world champion Damien Hardman, 21, of Australia. In the best of three semifinal heat, Curren won the first and third heats. In the second heat he was called for interference, when he cut Hardman off as both surfers were paddling out in front of a wave.

In the women’s final, Smith’s strategy of waiting for and attacking the good waves proved successful over Zamba, who at 23 is a three-time world champion. Smith was choosing to ride waves that were breaking to the right, while Zamba was choosing those that broke to the left.

“I saw Jorja working those rights and they were just better than my lefts,” Zamba said.

“I thought Frieda’s length of rides were scoring well,” said the 22-year-old Smith. “They had me worried.”