Pair Provide a West Coast Flair for U.S. Team : Rowing: OCC graduates join Ivy Leaguers to prepare for upcoming World Championships.

This is the kind of story Hollywood-types crave or, depending on the actual events, love to spice up a bit for public appeal and rush into production: Two brash, young Southern Californian “golden boys,” one of whom answers to the moniker Hollywood , compete against Ivy Leaguers for positions on a national team.

But once the team is selected, differences are put aside. The new teammates realize they must band together to battle a common foe, former Eastern-Bloc countries represented by men still unfamiliar with the concept of pleasant facial expression.

And against seemingly insurmountable odds--a theme pounded into viewers’ heads--the overachieving Americans defeat the reigning champions while chants of “U.S.A., U.S.A” ring out as the closing credits roll.

Orange County residents Fred Honebein and Chip McKibben are the only West Coast representatives on the eight-man U.S. men’s sweeps crew. They are eager to show the world, and their teammates, the mettle of two surfers and Orange Coast College alumni.

“They call us ‘golden boys,’ and Chip’s nickname is ‘Hollywood,’ but it’s all done in fun,” Honebein said. “We have a great group of guys who are all dedicated.”

Said McKibben: “The common denominator is that we all want (to win) and we’re willing to work our tails off to get it.”

And they have been.

After two weeks of grueling three-a-day workouts at the ARCO Training Center in Chula Vista, Honebein and McKibben were among the oarsmen remaining after the final cut June 17. Honebein is in his second year on the sweep’s team, McKibben his first.

Qualifying occurs each year. Attrition is assured through a combination of two-hour practices each session, and exactly the agony you would expect to accompany rowing distances of 1 3/4 miles under an unmerciful summer sun.

“To do this,” McKibben said, “you need the endurance of a marathon runner and the strength of a weightlifter.”

Their boat features eight men with one oar each and a coxswain. They will compete in the World Championships from Sept. 11-18 at Indianapolis.

The team begins its road to Indianapolis through, of all places, Europe. It leaves today for a series of regattas against national teams regarded as the world’s best.

Stop No. 1 is England for the prestigious Henley-on-Thames regatta (June 29-July 3). From there, it’s off to Lucerne, Switzerland (July 15-17). The Goodwill Games (Aug. 6-7) in St. Petersburg, Russia, provide the final tuneup.

Seems like a circuitous route to the Midwest. Honebein and McKibben, however, say it’s the right path to travel.

“We’ve really geared up for these regattas because it gives us three opportunities to see the best competition,” Honebein said. “We’ll see how we match up with the best in the world.”

Said McKibben: “This should give us a good indicator of our power and speed.”

Besides the two noted exceptions, the team’s members were produced by the East Coast rowing powers of the Ivy League. That eastern presence dominates so much that the team yells “Tri-State” while rowing, a reference to New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

But while those guys grew up bundled in sweaters and winter coats during October, Honebein, 26, and McKibben, 29, were donning shorts and riding waves. And Honebein and McKibben share more in common than just being the targets of teammates’ good-natured barbs.

They live only minutes from each other, Honebein in Laguna Niguel and McKibben in Newport Beach. Honebein moved to the county from Northern California after high school, and McKibben grew up on Balboa Island.

Both were on the crew at Orange Coast and California, albeit separated by three years. Each has a degree in history from Cal, McKibben earning his in 1988 and Honebein in ’91.

And guess who have similar builds? Honebein is 6 feet 5, 200 pounds. McKibben is the same height, 15 pounds heavier.

Moreover, they are two of the national team’s top oarsmen.

That does not surprise longtime Orange Coast Coach Dave Grant. Grant, who presides over arguably the top community college program in the nation, said Honebein and McKibben are among the best oarsmen in his 25-year tenure.

“They’re tireless workers,” said Grant, who is also the college president. “They’re perfectionists and their focus is not easily shaken.

“They’re outstanding athletes, which you have to be to handle the intensity of what they’re doing.”

While positions are guaranteed for only one season, Honebein and McKibben believe they have several strong years of rowing remaining. They intend to earn spots on the team when the Summer Olympics come to Atlanta in 1996.

McKibben was a member of the sculling team (two oars) that competed in the 1992 Games in Barcelona, finishing eighth. While that experience was enriching, he said participating in Atlanta would be exhilarating.

“As a local boy, I’m in the minority in what I’m doing,” McKibben said. “I’m just kind of a surf guy from California, so I’d be thrilled to death to represent California and Balboa Island.”

And if the team can find its way to the gold medal. . . . well, the movie couldn’t be made fast enough.