Injury Failed to Wipe Out Challenges for Jim Hogan

It was a bad week for Fig. He had gotten some of the best waves off a Southern Hemisphere swell that brought overhead barrels to the coast, but he injured his shoulder.

Fig said: I was in the water a lot, really pushing myself , and I guess I just overextended myself.

So Figgy had to shelve the waves.

Painful injuries and how surfers deal with them are varied. Some, like the Fig, wisely stay out of the water.

Others go down harder. Pro surfer Richie Collins of Newport Beach had to be rescued from a competitive heat in San Francisco after he injured his back. Kelly Slater, current world champion, suffered a knee injury recently in Australia. There’s a possibility he might undergo arthroscopic surgery. With the Assn. of Surfing Professionals season taking a long break, there’s time for recuperation.

For weekend warriors like myself, getting injured means putting up with minor muscle aches and pains. But sometimes it can be serious. A friend who injured his neck on a 6-foot day at Huntington Beach ended up staying out of the water and taking medication so he could dodge the surgeon’s knife.

Pro surfer Jim Hogan of San Clemente will never forget his injury; it ended his career.

“Because of the recession, I was one of the ones who my sponsor cut first,” said Hogan, who just turned 30.

In the ‘80s, Hogan was riding high. He was the first from a famous San Clemente surfer crew that made it to an ASP world championship. He had placed in the top 25 on the ASP tour for four years. And, from 1987-89, he was in the top three for the U.S. Bud Tour.

Then, in 1990 while he was competing at an Oceanside contest, he got into a backside tube, and a crushing wave landed on his back. The weight of that wave was too much for his knee.

“The knee just popped out. I was in major pain, and the doctors had to remove crushed cartilage from my left knee,” Hogan said. “There was extreme pain. I remember rolling around in the shore break after my knee popped. Spectators just stared at me, thinking my heat was over, and I was just there, like, having fun, sitting and letting the water roll over me. But I couldn’t get up.

“My brother saw me and I put my hand up, like, asking for help. He came over and helped me out of the water.”

Figgy remembers Hogan as a guy with a promising career.

He always used to do these lay - back slashes, and that’s real hard on the knees. He graduated from high school in San Clemente and was a top wrestler. He also had surfed and put in a couple of good years on the National Scholastic Surfing Assn. national team and then made the pro breakout.

He was the forerunner--a member of San Clemente’s old guard that included Mike Lambresi, the McNulty brothers and Dino Andino.

After a year of rehabilitation, Hogan’s knee grew stronger. He praises San Clemente Orthopedic Rehabilitation for helping with his therapy. Hogan attempted a comeback on the Bud Tour this year, but he was never 100%. He is now considering retirement, a decision, Fig says, that reflects Hogan’s realization that there’s a changing of the guard.

Hogan has newer challenges. He is now coaching the U.S. National Team, made up of young, amateur competitors. In June, he’ll head for Tahiti and Bali with another team for international competition.

“And my wife, Lenore, is 4 1/2 months’ pregnant,” Hogan said with a smile.

He now has a line of surf wear called Channel Board shorts. He and Charley Kuhn, a pro surfer from Florida, are also building a small hotel in Costa Rica. It’s near Jaco Beach, Hogan said.

“There are no hotels, at least not in the areas where most surfers want to go,” Hogan said. “The nearest city is four hours away by car, and there are few places to stay. It’s bungalows, but they’re going to have kitchens and air conditioning.”

Tidbits: Team names at the recent Bro-Ham, Pro-Am held at Trestles brought some smiles. Those names included Team Gyne-Lotrimin, Sorry-Honey-I-Left-The-VCR-On and Team Obnoxious Youth. . . . It’s official: the Op Pro will return to Huntington Beach June 27 to July 3 with a $60,000 purse and a lower contest rating.

Benefit: Surfers will be jumpin’ at a benefit concert for the Surfrider Foundation on Wednesday, May 19, at the Waterfront Hilton Hilton Beach Resort in Huntington Beach. John De LaTorre with Dee Entertainment in Bellflower said that Dee and radio station KROQ are sponsoring the 9 p.m. event. It’s $3 for the public. Bands include War Horse, We the People, and Children of the Consuming Fire. Fig says, Get on it!