Andino’s Bid for Title Ends in Collision : Lambresi Wins San Clemente Surf Meet After Andino Gets Penalty

For the second time in as many days, Dino Andino of San Clemente was called for a major interference penalty during the $35,000 Del Taco/Naugles surfing tournament near the San Clemente pier.

Saturday, Andino overcame the penalty during his fifth-round heat and advanced. But Sunday in the finals, the mishap ruined his chance at the title.

Andino, who was among those battling eventual winner Mike Lambresi of Oceanside for the lead with 12 minutes left in the 30-minute final heat, smashed head-on with Richie Rudolph of Cocoa Beach Fla., as the two surfers were battling to catch a wave near the pier.

The judges ruled that Rudolph had already established the right-of-way, so Andino was assessed with the major interference infraction, and one wave was deducted from the four waves that made up his score.

“I loved it,” said Lambresi, the two-time defending overall Professional Surfing Assn. of America champion. “I was hoping that Dino would get the call against him because he was catching up so quickly with me when he had that collision and had the momentum going his way.”

Andino, who would have finished in third place had it not been for the infraction against him, wound up fourth. Lambresi scored heavily at the outset of the finals with a series of powerful rides and took home the $6,000 first prize. Todd Miller of Costa Mesa finished second. Rudolph took third.

“I took too much of a chance on that wave,” said Andino. “I could have won the competition on surfing, but I took too much of a chance. I just got out of control on that wave.”

Said Rudolph: “It was a chance he (Andino) took. It was my wave. I thought he needed it and tried to ride it even though it was my wave and it backfired on him.”

The victory lifted Lambresi into first place in the PSAA overall standings with 3,126 points. Todd Chesser of Honolulu, who was eliminated by Lambresi and Miller in the first semifinal heat earlier Sunday, is second overall with 3,098 points. He wound up tied for fifth.

Andino, who was third overall at the start of the San Clemente event, still holds that position with 3,039 points. Had it not been for the penalty assessed against him in Sunday’s championship heat, Andino would have been ahead of Chesser by one point.

Surfing Notes

Todd Miller, who was in the finals of a PSAA event for the first time this season, received $3,000 for finishing second. Richie Rudolph wound up with $2,000 for finishing third. . . . Mike Lambresi and Miller advanced to the finals by defeating Todd Chesser of Honolulu, and Terence McNulty of Capistrano Beach. Rudolph and Andino were one-two in the second heat, eliminating third-place Chris Brown of Santa Barbara and Jim Hogan of San Clemente. . . . In the bodyboarding finals, also held on Sunday, Ben Severson of Honolulu dazzled the onlookers with his spinning maneuvers through white water to win the event and the $1,500 first prize.