SURFING HUNTINGTON BEACH OPEN : Op Pro Title Only Option, 1990 Runner-Up Says

Marty Thomas has kept his goals simple for the 1991 surfing season.

“I want to improve my finish at the Op Pro by one spot,” he said.

Thomas, runner-up to Todd Holland at the 1990 Op Pro, enjoyed his best season on the Assn. of Surfing Professionals world tour last year, finishing ninth in the point standings.

But Thomas, a Seal Beach native now living in Long Beach, summed up the season with one word.

“Frustrating,” he said.

He’s still chasing a tour victory, something that has eluded him for three years.

So Thomas had one thing in mind as he surfed through the early rounds this week at the Huntington Beach Open. He just wants a victory.

Thomas moved a step closer to his first Professional Surfing Assn. of America tour victory Saturday, winning his main event first-round heat over Matt Archbold of San Clemente, Shane Dorian of Haleiwa, Hawaii, and Steve Pugh of Long Beach.

Archbold and Thomas advanced to today’s second round. They again will surf in the same heat, along with Chuy Reyna of Oceanside and Vince de la Pena of Laguna Niguel.

Thomas was encouraged by his finish at last year’s Op Pro at the Huntington Beach Pier. When he left California for the European leg of the tour, he thought he had a great chance of winning an event.

But all he did was struggle.

“I lacked focus,” he said. “I couldn’t pull anything together on a day-to-day basis.”

Advancing through the trial heats isn’t easy, but Thomas and Kirk Tice of Huntington Beach have mastered the feat. Thomas has won four of his five heats, and Tice has won all five of his since the competition began Wednesday.

In one of the biggest surprises of the day, Todd Miller of Newport Beach won his second-round heat, upsetting Jim Hogan and Mike Parsons, both of San Clemente. Miller advances to today’s quarterfinal round.

Also advancing were Bud Llamas of Huntington Beach and Shane Beschen of San Clemente. Each finished second in his heat.

In another upset, tour points-leader Todd Chesser of Honolulu and Noah Budroe of Huntington Beach were eliminated Saturday in the first round. Brothers Joe and Brian McNulty were eliminated in the second round. Their brother, Terence, will compete in a second-round heat this morning.

Results

Surfing, Main Event Round 1

Heat 1--Chris Brown (Santa Barbara), Walter Cerney (Grover City); Heat 2--Rob Machado (San Clemente), Joe McNulty (Capistrano Beach); Heat 3--Darren Brilhart (Costa Mesa), Brian McNulty (Capistrano Beach); Heat 4--Shane Beschen (San Clemente), Scott Blake (San Diego); Heat 5--Bud Llamas (Huntington Beach), Rick Lasch (Del Mar); Heat 6--Sean Mattison (Oceanside), Kaipo Guerrero (Honolulu); Heat 7--Jim Hogan (San Clemente), Bryan Pottger (Fountain Valley); Heat 8--Mike Parsons (San Clemente), Todd Miller (Newport Beach); Heat 9--Marty Thomas (Long Beach), Matt Archbold (San Clemente); Heat 10--Vince de la Pena (Laguna Niguel), Chuy Reyna (Oceanside); Heat 11--Dean Randazzo (Somers Point, N.J.), Andy Fomenko (San Clemente); Heat 12--Shane Stoneman (San Juan Capistrano), Justin Poston (San Diego); Heat 13--Terence McNulty (Capistrano Beach), Pat O’Connell (Laguna Niguel); Heat 14--Ted Robinson (Manhattan Beach), Adam Replogle (Capitola); Heat 15--Kirk Tice (Huntington Beach), Bobby Lockhart (Huntington Beach); Heat 16--Mike Lambresi (Oceanside), Taylor Knox (Carlsbad).

Main Event, Round 2

Heat 1--Brown, Cerny; Heat 2--Blake, Beschen; Heat 3--Guerrero, Llamas; Heat 4--Miller, Pottger. (Remaining four heats will be finished this morning).

Bodyboarding, Main Event Round 1

Heat 1--Harry Antipala (Kalaheo, Hawaii), Manny Vargas (Imperial Beach); Heat 2--Kyle Maligro (Kalaheo, Hawaii), Chris Tennberg (Kalaheo, Hawaii); Heat 3--Brendan Patch (Huntington Beach), Chris Granone (Lomita); Heat 4--Mike Stewart (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii), Bob Forbes; Heat 5--Kainoa McGee (Honolulu), Stefan Sisco; Heat 6--Pat Caldwell (San Clemente), Nick Luckinbill (San Diego); Heat 7--Brian Press (San Pedro), Chris Fessenden (Del Mar); Heat 8--Ben Severson (Wahiowa, Hawaii), Miguel Fernandez (San Diego).