O’Connell Cuts Foot but Still Wins Surf Heat

Laguna Niguel’s Pat O’Connell won his main event first-round heat at the Bud Pro Surfing tour Thursday at Huntington State Beach. And he picked up a few stitches in the process.

O’Connell, the star of the new surf movie “Endless Summer II,” fell on a wave late in the heat and suffered a deep cut on his foot from a skeg on the bottom of his board. Lifeguards treated the wound, then took O’Connell to the hospital for stitches.

O’Connell’s lead held through the end of the heat and he advanced to today’s second round along with Huntington Beach’s Kirk Tice, who finished second in the heat. O’Connell is expected to compete despite the injury.

Competition resumes at 7 a.m. today with the final eight first-round heats, followed by the second round. Expected to compete are former world-champion Kelly Slater, defending world champion Derek Ho, Newport Beach’s Richie Collins, and San Clemente’s Dino Andino, Shane Beschen and Mike Parsons.