For Jeff Booth, Personal Victory : Despite an earlier injury, the former Laguna Beach student claimed sixth place on the ’94 World Championship Tour.

More than a year ago, pro surfer Jeff Booth of Laguna Beach took a physical assessment, and it didn’t look good.

“I had a pretty severe back injury, and an orthopedic surgeon said I was close to surgery,” Booth said. “But if I had taken the surgery, I may have had to give up competition.”

But at the end of 1994, guess who had claimed sixth on the World Championship Tour, sponsored by the Assn. of Surfing Professionals? Right, the Boothman. Despite last year’s injury, Booth, 25, a former A student at Laguna Beach High School who now owns a home in the town, was Orange County’s highest-placing pro.

Rockin’ Fig said Booth’s strong year was great for U.S. surfers and a personal victory for Booth.

It’s been a struggle for Boothy. He’s been close sometimes, right near the Top 16 in the world, but he never really broke in big time. It’s good to see him living up to his early credentials as a hot junior surfer. Everybody in Orange County is happy for him.

In a recent interview, the likable Booth talked about big waves, the demands of the world tour and a new physical training program--including yoga, which he credits with getting him through the season with only a few twinges now and again. (You might want to take notes, because Booth started last season rated 34th on the world tour.)

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“I went to Australia early and started training there, about six weeks earlier than the Bell’s Beach contest, which opens the season around Easter,” Booth said. “I learned physical conditioning with Rob Rowland Smith, who trains rugby players in Sydney.”

Booth’s injury was a herniated disc in his lower back. He hurt it in June, 1993, while attempting a difficult floater at a Bud Tour contest in Oceanside.

“I can remember exactly how it felt when I did it,” he said. “I landed on my front leg, which was straight, but the backwash messed me up, and I sort of lost my balance. I tried to regain my balance and instead strained my back.”

Smith put his pupil through rigorous training with weights, lots of soft-sand running, tons of stomach crunches. “Your basic boot camp,” the surfer aid.

Although a good athlete, Booth needed discipline to stay focused. Before teaming with Smith, the Lagunan had handled his own physical regimen and contest strategy without a coach. He said Smith was also a great motivator.

“Besides the training, I got into yoga, too,” Booth said. “It’s key, and you can put stars around that, because yoga complements physical training.”

Fig and I recalled that after Derek Ho captured the world championship in 1993, Ho told us he geared his mind to surf every contest as if to win, not just to pick up points

Booth has a similar approach.

“I think what I did was I brought my intensity up and surfed every heat like it was my last heat on the planet,” he said. “I told myself to just go for it. I never took a heat lightly all year long.”

But doesn’t that create too much mental strain?

“It’s a struggle. It does take a toll,” said Booth, who is part of the minority who surf with their right foot forward. “Right now I’m not thinking of anything because we’re in the off-season. But within the next couple of weeks, I’ll start thinking about the season and my goals. We have so many contests, and you kind of mentally visit all those contest sites and tell yourself how you want to surf.”

What are you looking forward to on the tour for ‘95?

“My sponsor, Quiksilver, is sponsoring a World Championship Tour event at Grajagan (in Java) this year. I’ve never been to G-Land, but I’ve been to Bali and Sumatra.”

Say, don’t G-Land and Sumatra have tigers and everything?

“Well, I haven’t seen tigers, but I saw tiger sharks at Reunion Island last year. And, I also saw a couple of sharks in Fiji, too.”

Hey! G-Land has a mon s trous left that could mean victory for the goofy-footing Booth.

But before Booth can claim any victories, he’ll need to brace for the rigors of the tour, which is not all palm trees, perfect curls and tropical zephyrs.

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“Basically, you’re living out of a suitcase, and you’re packing and unpacking and going here and going there,” he said. “It’s pretty demanding.”

Well, there must be some good times.

“I got to go to Sumatra last year and Fiji on photo trips, and that was fun. And, I did get some pretty big waves at other spots.”

Fig says the goofy foot is at home in any size surf but really enjoys the big stuff.

Booth is known as a powerhouse surfer, and actually he probably is taking over from Australian Tom Carroll, another power surfer and goofy-footer who retired last year. Booth’s style is also reminiscent of Australian Mark Occhilupo.

“I feel pretty comfortable in surf up to 12 and 15 feet,” Booth said. “I’ve been to Todos (Santos Island off Ensenada) when it was at 18 feet with some 20-footers. Actually, it was with the late Mark Foo and Brock Little.”

Foo died in late December after wiping out in 15- to 20-foot surf south of San Francisco.

“You know I’ve seen him in Hawaii and at Todos, and he’s taken some incredible wipeouts,” Booth recalled. “But I guess, you roll the dice sometimes. . . .”

Surf Bands Redux: The Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum is looking for a few good bands from the surfing ‘60s. Names of old surf bands, especially their logos, are being sought by the museum, which is planning a Feb. 25 exhibit. Contact the museum at (714) 960-3483.

* Times Line: 808-8463

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