SURFING AT HUNTINGTON BEACH : Scott Farnsworth Creates Some Waves of His Own With Upset

Scott Farnsworth wasn’t feeling too confident as he walked out of the surf Saturday at Bolsa Chica State Beach.

With his surfboard tucked under his arm, Farnsworth made his way to his pickup truck parked nearby, thinking he had been eliminated from the Easter Surfing Classic.

Then the announcement came over the loudspeaker. Farnsworth not only qualified for the next round, he won his heat.

“I’m stoked,” said Farnsworth, from Huntington Beach. “I didn’t think I was going to get through that heat. I’m really surprised that I won.”

He wasn’t the only one surprised Saturday.

Fourteen of the top 32-seeded surfers were eliminated in the first round of the main event, including top-seeded Charlie Kuhn of Indian Harbor, Fla., and third-seeded Todd Chesser of Honolulu.

Farnsworth helped eliminate Kuhn, the Professional Surfing Assn. of America points leader. The top two surfers from each of the four-man heats advanced to the next round.

Farnsworth, seeded 32nd, and second-place finisher Danny Melhado of Indialantic, Fla., advanced through their heat to today’s second round, which begins at 7 a.m., followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals. The finals are scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

The one- and two-foot waves Saturday could have made competitors think they were surfing on Lake Michigan instead of the Pacific Ocean. Farnsworth said he struggled with the small waves early in his heat, but was comfortable by the end.

“Kuhn and Melhado are good small-wave surfers from the East Coast,” Farnsworth said. “I knew that heat wasn’t going to be easy.”

Farnsworth shrugged off any notion of a home-surf advantage, mainly because he hasn’t spent much time in the water lately.

For the past few months, he has been busy as a sales representative with a Costa Mesa clothing company and has surfed only a couple of times a week.

Farnsworth spent four seasons on the world tour but quit last year and joined the U.S. tour. His best finish on the world tour was 42nd in 1985-86.

“I wasn’t doing as well as I should have with my abilities,” he said. “I dropped in the ratings every year, so I left.”

Farnsworth, 24, said the U.S. tour gives him the opportunity to surf competitively and still live at home.

“Surfing keeps me young,” said Farnsworth, a 1983 graduate of Marina High School. “I really don’t feel that old, but sometimes I look around and say, ‘Wait a minute, some of these guys I’m surfing with are only 18.’ ”

In fact, 18-year-old Pat O’Connell of Laguna Niguel pulled one of the biggest upsets of the day.

O’Connell, an amateur who advanced through qualifying rounds earlier in the week, won his heat and eliminated Oceanside’s Mike Lambresi, who was seeded 10th.

“This is the biggest upset of my career,” O’Connell said. “I can’t believe it.”

Like Farnsworth, O’Connell capitalized on small-wave maneuvers.

“The waves were sketchy out there,” O’Connell said. “You either catch one or you don’t. It was do or die out there. I got lucky.”

Other Orange County surfers who won their heats were Bryan Pottger of Fountain Valley, who eliminated Chesser, and Bud Llamas of Huntington Beach.

In the bodyboard division, Mike Stewart of Anaheim, seeded second, advanced to today’s quarterfinals with Jay Reale of San Clemente, Pat Caldwell of Irvine and Adam Stoerck of Brea.

Stewart said the small waves played a big role in the competition.

“These were the smallest (wave) conditions I’ve ever competed on,” Stewart said. “I can’t convince myself that it’s good surf, but I can convince myself that it’s challenging.”

Saturday’s results:

SURFING MAIN EVENT

First round

Heat 1--Bryan Pottger, Fountain Valley; Justin Poston, San Diego. Heat 2--Todd Mitsui, Honolulu; Jason Haughey, Laguna Niguel. Heat 3--Sean Mattison, Carlsbad; Walter Cerny, Grover City. Heat 4--Chris Menzie, San Diego; Dino Andino, San Clemente.

Heat 5--Dwayne Maki, Daytona, Fla; Chris Brown, Santa Barbara. Heat 6--Paul Barr, Carlsbad; Joey Zintel, Huntington Beach. Heat 7--Todd Jacobs, Manhattan Beach; Vince de la Pena, Laguna Niguel. Heat 8--Scott Farnsworth, Huntington Beach; Danny Melhado, Indialantic, Fla.

Heat 9--Rick Lasch, Del Mar; Shane Beschen, San Clemente. Heat 10--Bud Llamas, Huntington Beach; Mike deNicola, Mission Viejo; Heat 11--Pat O’Connell, Laguna Niguel; Peter Mel, Aptos. Heat 12--Steve Pugh, Long Beach; Gary Clisby, Huntington Beach.

Heat 13--Richie Rudolph, Cocoa Beach, Fla.; Mark Moreno, Huntington Beach. Heat 14--Alexi Usher, Carpinteria; Todd Miller, Costa Mesa. Heat 15--Adam Replogle, Soquel, Calif.; Steve Ward, San Clemente. Heat 16--Doug Silva, Isla Vista; Jim Hogan, San Clemente.

BODYBOARDING

Qualifying second round

Heat 1--Pat Caldwell, Irvine; Jason Brown, Kalaheo, Hawaii. Heat 2--Kyle Maligro, Kalaheo, Hawaii; Adam Stoerck, Brea. Heat 3--Ross Asuncion, Koloa, Hawaii; Chris Tennberg, Kalaheo, Hawaii. Heat 4--Chris Burkhart, Honolulu; Ben Severson, Wahiawa, Hawaii.

Heat 5--Mike Stewart, Anaheim; Kainoa McGee, Honolulu. Heat 6--Ron Ziebell, Long Beach; Douglas Muruoka, Kalaheo, Hawaii. Heat 7--Danny Kim, Waianae, Hawaii; Jackie Fisher, Imperial Beach. Heat 8--Jay Reale, San Clemente; Phil Corsi, Ventura.