SURFING / OP PRO JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS : Pina Uses His Head, Feet to Advance to Sunday’s Semifinals

David Pina stays in pretty decent shape by working as a valet at an Anaheim hotel. Makes some decent cash, too.

But after a day of sprinting down the beach with his surfboard, Pina was exhausted Tuesday at the Op Junior amateur surfing championships.

“My legs feel like they’re going to explode,” he said.

Pina, of Anaheim, will have plenty of time to rest before facing Travis Molina of Encinitas in the semifinals at 8 a.m. Sunday.

The only Orange County surfer left in the competition, Pina finished second in his first-round heat, then won the next three to reach the semifinals.

He got there by using his head . . . and his feet.

Tuesday’s four-foot to six-foot waves at the Huntington Beach Pier, coupled with a wicked current, forced Pina and some of the other competitors to run down the beach before paddling back out into the lineup.

“The current was rough,” Pina said. “It was so bad it will sweep you right into the pier. You had to run 200 yards down the beach just to paddle back out.”

Pina, 20, a 1989 Esperanza High graduate, is one of the oldest competitors in the junior competition. This is his first Op, having been turned down as one of the 48 entries last year.

“Every amateur’s dream is to win this,” he said. “Whoever does will have a lucrative contract from a sponsor.

“Look at the guys who have won it in the past, like Kelly Slater and Rob Machado. Kelly is making millions and Rob just signed for a lot of money. Whoever wins this will be in good shape.”

The winner gets a trophy and a $1,000 scholarship from the U.S. Surfing Federation.

Pina, who is studying business at Rancho Santiago College, could put the scholarship money to good use. He works part time as a valet to pay for his school and surfing.

“I’m just having fun,” Pina said, “that’s why I’m here.

“It’s sad, because a lot of guys turn pro, but only a few make a lot of money at it.”

Pina, who has competed since he was 15, remains an amateur, surfing in several U.S. tour contests against pros. His best finish was a 33rd last season at Ventura.

“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs,” he said. “But I can’t stop competing because it’s so fun.”

Sunday, he’ll have a shot at winning the prestigious amateur title, and Pina admits he’s a tad nervous about it. It showed in his first-round heat Tuesday.

“I had so many butterflies in my stomach in that first heat,” he said, “I about flew away.

“It’s hard to keep a mental edge during this. I’m used to seeing a small (judge’s) tent at a lot of amateur contests. Here, there’s the huge scaffolding and all these people.”

Among Pina’s cheering section was his brother-in-law, Jeff Jaeger, the Raiders’ kicker. Jaeger had been working at a kicker’s camp in Washington but came back Tuesday to catch Pina’s heats.

“Jeff’s coming off a pretty good year and I was glad he came down to watch,” Pina said. “He has grabbed a bodyboard and gone surfing with me a couple times. He’s not bad.”

Op Notes

The Op team competition begins at 8 a.m. today with the United States against Japan. Competing for the United States will be Kelly Slater of Cocoa Beach, Fla., Laguna Beach’s Mike Parsons, Newport Beach’s Richie Collins, Laguna Beach’s Alisa Schwarzstein and Todd Holland of Cocoa Beach, Fla. Takao Kuga and Shuji Kasuyi are Japan’s top surfers. . . . Australia, led by Gary Elkerton and Pam Burridge, will meet Europe-Africa, led by Martin Potter, at 12:30 p.m. . . . Each team will surf five one-on-one heats, one men’s doubles heat and one mixed doubles heat. The tag-team competition begins at 1:30 p.m. Friday.

Team Op surfers Parsons, Holland and Elkerton will sign autographs Thursday at three Huntington Beach surf shops: Beachcombers (11 a.m.), Huntington Surf and Sport (noon) and Jack’s Surf Shop (1 p.m.) . . . The Op Junior will be televised at 10:30 p.m. Aug. 12 on ESPN. The Op Pro will be televised at 6 p.m. on Aug. 10.

Op Results

First round

Top two advance

Heat 1--1. Peter Mendia (West Palm Beach, Fla.), 2. Keith Malloy; Heat 2--1. Randy Nolan, 2. Tim Buechler (Titusville, Fla.); Heat 3--1. Ryan Simmons (Seal Beach), 2. Henry Mills (Carpinteria); Heat 4--1. David Ybarra (Arroyo Grande), 2. Donald Day (Topanga); Heat 5--1. Erik Barton (Honolulu), Brian Hewitson (Indialantic, Fla.); Heat 6--1. Reid Cox (Myrtle Beach, S.C.), 2. Shawn Sutton (Waipahu, Hawaii); Heat 7--1. Keoni Cuccia (Ojai), 2. John Zimmerman (Huntington Beach); Heat 8--1. Sean Hayes (Ventura), 2. David Pina (Anaheim); Heat 9--1. Chad Navarro (San Clemente), 2. Mike Becks (Daytona Beach, Fla.); Heat 10--1. Tim Frisk, 2. Jeremy Sommerville (Solana Beach, Fla.); Heat 11--1. Yves Bright (North Hollywood), 2. Shea Lopez (Indian Rocks Beach, Fla.); Heat 12--1. Travis Molina, 2. Jake Blackburn (Carlsbad).

Second round

Heat 1--1. Mills, 2. Mendia; Heat 2--1. Malloy, 2. Buechler; Heat 3--1. Pina, 2. Barton; Heat 4--1. Cuccia, 2. Hayes; Heat 5--1. Navarro, 2. Lopez; Heat 6--1. Molina, 2. Bright.

Third round

Heat 1--1. Mills, 2. Buechler; Heat 2--1. Mendia, 2. Malloy; Heat 3--1. Pina, 2. Molina.

Fourth round

Heat 1--1. Pina, 2. Malloy; Heat 2--1. Buechler, 2. Molina.

Semifinal matchups

Winners advance to finals

Heat 1--Pina vs. Molina; Heat 2--Malloy vs. Buechler.