SURF COUNTY, USA : SURF TOUR

Huntington Beach is Big Stop on the 1990 World Circuit

The ASP world tour consists of 21 events in nine countries. A surfer competing in all 21 events will travel roughly 79,000 miles, or three times around the globe.

The European Grand Prix will be the richest leg of the 1990 ASP World Tour: six events / $495,000

The Gunston 500 in Durban, South Africa, is one of only two events remaining from the inaugural 1976 tour. The other, Coca-Cola Classic, is in Sydney, Australia.

Mark Richards of Australia holds the men’s record for most world championships, winning four in a row, 1979-82. Frieda Zamba of the United States holds the most women’s titles with four.

Australia has produced 10 of the 14 men’s world champions. The United States has produced 11 of the 13 women’s world champions.

ASP TOUR HISTORY The Assn. of Surfing Professionals tour was founded in 1983 to replace the International Professional Surfing tour, which determined the world champion from 1976 to ’82. The ASP provides a uniform system for scoring, judging and event guidelines for the 21 stops on the tour.

OP PRO HUNTINGTON BEACH (Event 7) The Op Pro has been the United States’ largest surfing event since its inception in 1982. It is also the oldest ASP event on the mainland.

RATINGS SYSTEM The ratings levels range between 1A (lowest) and 5A (highest) and are determined by the prize money awarded at the events. Each rating level is worth 400 points to the winner. For example, a winner of a 1A event earns 1,000 points while a 2A winner earns 1,400. (m=men’s, w=women’s, lb=longboard) 1 O’Neill/Pepsi Classic Santa Cruz March 6-11 3A-m/w-$135,000 2 Bundaberg Rum Surfmasters Burleigh Heads, Australia April 2-8 3A-m/lb-$156,000 3 Rip Curl/Coca-Cola Classic Bell’s Beach, Australia April 10-16 2A-m/w-$90,000 4 Coca-Cola Bottlers Classic Sydney April 17-22 3A-m/w/lb-$156,000 5 Gunston 500 Durban, South Africa July 4-8 2A-m-$90,000 6 Life’s A Beach Pro Oceanside July 10-15 4A-m/w/lb-$112,000 7 Op Pro Huntington Beach July 29-Aug. 4 2A-m/w-$90,000 8 Quicksilver Lacanau Pro Lacanau, France Aug. 14-19 2A-m/w-$90,000 9 Rip Curl Pro Landes Hossegor, France Aug. 21-26 2A-m/lb-$90,000 10 Arena Surfmasters Biarritz, France Aug. 28-Sept. 2 2A-m/w-$90,000 11 Pukas Pro Zarautz, Spain Sept. 4-9 2A-m/w-$45,000 12 Seland Pro Sopelana, Spain Sept. 12-16 2A-m/w-$90,000 13 Buondi/Instinct Pro Ericeira, Portugal Sept. 18-22 2A-m/w-$90,000 14 Marui Pro Hebara, Chiba, Japan Oct. 4-8 4A-m/2A-w-$195,000 15 Alternative International Barra Beach, Brazil Oct. 16-21 2A-m/lb-$90,000 16 Hering Joquina Beach, Brazil Oct. 23-28 2A-m-$156,000 17 Body Glove Masters Margaret River, Australia Nov. 6-11 3A-m/w/lb-$150,000 18 BHP Stell International Newcastle Beach, Australia Nov. 20-25 3A-m/w-$135,000 19 Hard Rock Cafe World Cup Haleiwa, Hawaii Nov. 28-Dec. 6 2A-m-$90,000 20 Marui Pipeline Masters Pipeline, Hawaii Dec. 7-15 2A-men-$90,000 21 Billabong/Sunset Beach Pro Sunset/Mobile, Hawaii Dec. 16-29 5A-m/w-$235,000 WINNERS (Event 1) Men: Tom Curren Women: Frieda Zamba WINNERS (Event 2) Men: Tom Curren Women: Lisa Anderson WINNERS (Event 3) Men: Tom Curren Women: Lisa Anderson WINNERS (Event 4) Men: Rob Bain Women: Wendy Botha WINNER (Event 5) Men: Damien Hardmann WINNERS (Event 6) Men: Martin Potter Women: Pam Burridge TOP DOLLAR Total Tour Money 1989: $2.24 million 1982: $65,900 1976: $340,900 Source: ASP Media Guide

LOCALS AND FAVORITES AT THE OP

Rob Bain, Australia:

Bain, who finished fifth at last year’s Op Pro, is leading the world tour point standings this year by 900 points over Gary Elkerton of Australia. Bain, 27, made his professional debut in 1984 with a 17th-place finish at the Op Pro. Bain has finished ninth in the season points standings the last two years.

Lisa Anderson, Florida:

Anderson is currently in second place in the overall point standings. She hadn’t won an event before this season, but has two victories in the first five contests this year. Anderson, 21, was a standout gymnast and softball player in high school.

Jeff Booth, Laguna Beach:

Booth was known for his athletic and academic achievements at Laguna Beach High School. He fought off mononucleosis and a late-season slump last year to finish 23rd on the world tour. Booth, 20, finished 33rd at last year’s Op Pro.

Pam Burridge, Australia:

Burridge, a former model and top junior swimmer in Australia, is leading the point standings with 6,814. She finished second on the world tour last season for the fourth consecutive year. Burridge, 25, also has recorded a number of songs for an Australian band.

Richie Collins, Newport Beach:

Collins, the defending Op Pro champion, is currently 16th in the tour’s point standings and is coming off his best overall finish, eighth, last season. He finished in a three-way tie for fifth at the Life’s a Beach competition at Oceanside July 15. He is one of the more radical surfers on the tour.

Tom Curren, Santa Barbara:

After a year’s layoff from the tour, Curren’s seeking his third world title. He is the most dominant surfer on the tour this year, winning the first three events before sitting out the Life’s a Beach event. He finished second to Richie Collins of Newport Beach at last year’s Op Pro.

Mike Parsons, Laguna Beach:

Parsons, 25, finished 28th on the world tour last season and was fifth at the Op Pro. He is currently 24th in the point standings with 3,640. He was ranked No. 1 by the National Scholastic Surfing Assn. before turning pro in 1984. He’s also worked as an amateur surf contest judge.

Frieda Zamba, Florida:

The four-time world champion overcame a bout with the flu to defeat Kimm Mearig in the finals of last year’s Op Pro. Zamba won the first stop on the tour this year at Santa Cruz.