It’s Twilight Time for Local Legend Bud Llamas

When Bud Llamas walks down Main Street in Huntington Beach, everyone notices. Guys lugging surfboards stop when they recognize him and say, “Hey, Bud. Howya doin?’ ”

Llamas, a well-built athlete with shoulders and arms bulked from years of paddling, is a professional surfer who has had years of experience AND recognition. He always offers Main Street regulars a friendly hello as he marches to and from the beach.

Since Bud was competing in last weekend’s Santa Cruz pro contest, we thought he’d be the perfect surfer to ask about touring.

According to Rockin’ Fig, Bud Llamas is, like, legendary around these parts. He’s known as the “Mayor of Huntington Beach” and as one of the hottest guys to ever come out of this area. He’s been on the Assn. of Surfing Professionals ( ASP ) tour and, at times, highly ranked on the PSAA ( Professional Surfing Assn. of America ) , which coordinates the U.S. Bud Pro Tour.

Bud--whose real name is Burton--graduated from Huntington Beach High School in 1979, the same year he made the U.S. National Team. He turned pro at 18 and immediately went on the ASP Tour--surfing’s granddaddy of tours--for seven years. Since 1988, he has concentrated on pro contests in California.

“Last year, my season wasn’t a good one because most of the contests were held in tiny waves,” Llamas said. “I perform better in waves over three feet. I hope to do better by being a little more selective about contests with larger waves.”

At age 31, Llamas is in the twilight of a pro career. Most professionals hit the road early, at about 19. But they lack the experience of surfing different locales. Fig said they mature professionally in their early to mid-20s.

Actually, Llamas is now a part-time competitor. He works in construction. When he has time, he follows the Bud Pro Tour, which holds contests from Santa Cruz to San Diego.

“If you’re on the big tour, the ASP, then you’re always fully packed because you’re always gone,” Llamas said. “Travel’s big. But the PSAA tour is mostly in California, and since I’m in Huntington, I can travel by car for most events. Usually, I stay with friends or a hotel and I pack pretty lightly, like a duffel bag for clothing and my equipment.

“There is a new qualifying system this year, and entry fees are a little steep ($150). The struggling surfer is going to be hit, because it’s not affordable anymore. The Bud Pro Tour Santa Cruz contest was supposed to start Thursday, but it was changed to start Saturday. The surf mags said to get your entry fees in early, but I think they didn’t have enough competitors and backed off on the date.”

More than half a dozen sponsors help pay Llamas’ entry fees, provided he continues to surf well and prominently displays his sponsors’ equipment.

Llamas, unfortunately, never cracked the big time financially. “Save money? Well, some months were better than others. I didn’t make enough to store away,” he said, declining to give an annual figure.

But he made it big with pictures in the surf mags and built a reputation as a carver who can take down some big waves. “I like competition, but I like free surfing too,” he said.

Figgy is proud of Llamas, even though Bud didn’t have a stellar year. They both were on the same national team and are both Huntington locals.

Hey, Bud grew up when we were still having double competitions at the pier. Two different associations would sponsor a contest on both sides of Huntington’s pier. He was awesome. He would ride in his heat on one side of the pier, jump outta the water, run to the other side and get in another heat. In those days, Bud would win BOTH contests. There wasn’t a guy better than him at the pier .

In his travels, Llamas has been chased out of the water by sharks in South Africa. In Spain, he backed up a crazy surf photog with a Rambo complex who went after robbers who broke into the photog’s van. And, Figgy says, Llamas was part of the historic finals at the Trestles Body Glove Surf Bout when judges awarded four different perfect 10s.

Contests: Fate was not with Llamas, who got knocked out of the Santa Cruz contest after only two heats. Figgy said Carlsbad’s Taylor Knox won the $20,000 Billabong surf contest Monday, with one of the meanest barrels in both the semis and final. Surf was four to six feet with an occasional eight-footer at Steamer Lane. Mike Parsons of San Clemente was the top finisher for Orange County surfers. He was fourth in a semifinal heat. Fig said amateur Gavin Beschen, Shane Beschen’s little brother, ripped it and made it to the quarterfinals. Joining Beschen were Laguna Niguel’s Vince de La Pena, Richie Collins of Newport Beach and David Giddings of Corona del Mar. Bobby Lockhart of Huntington Beach went down before the quarterfinals.