Deffenbaugh Stays Close to Home

There was a time when Jeff Deffenbaugh was living out of a suitcase, traveling the globe on surfing’s World Championship Tour.

And like most of the 44 top surfers who compete on that tour, Deffenbaugh was hungry for the competition and rating points as he tried to compete at every surf contest he could.

These days, however, Deffenbaugh, of Huntington Beach, is content to be a homebody.

“I have not retired from surfing,” Deffenbaugh insisted. “Let’s just say I’m not trying to qualify for the WCT. And as far as contests, I’m only competing in the ones close to home.”

Surfing for the first time at the Shockwave U.S. Open of Surfing, Deffenbaugh won his heat Thursday to advance. He surfs again today in one of the early heats.

He, along with Jay Larson, also of Huntington Beach, Ryan Simmons of Seal Beach and San Clemente’s Gavin Beschen are the only Orange County surfers who have advanced to the first round of the main round.

In the last two years, Deffenbaugh, 26, has stepped back from the hectic life of professional surfing to stay close to home and be near his family.

“I never did like the traveling when I was on the tour,” Deffenbaugh said. “It’s nice to be close to the contest, and sleep in my own bed.”

Deffenbaugh said he has about four good years of surfing left in him. However, he says he’s not going to waste his time chasing the tour, but focus more on the photo shoots he does for the magazines and for his sponsor.

“My life is really nice now,” he said. “The surfing trips are fun, and I’m having a good time. And that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

Simmons, also 26, has a different perspective than Deffenbaugh.

“That’s been my main goal since I was younger,” said Simmons about his attempts to qualify for the WCT. “I can see where Jeff is coming from. He’s a family man, and he has kids. But for me, there’s only one thing I want.”

Simmons said he’s willing to make sacrifices to be a professional surfer.

“The last thing I want to think about is a wife or family,” he said. “For me, I have a few years to make it. And after that, then I can think of those other things.”

In men’s longboarding, Josh Mohr of Huntington Beach was able capitalize on small wave conditions to squeeze past world champion Joel Tudor of La Jolla to win his quarterfinal heat Thursday. In a second-round heat, Tudor, who had the top individual longboarding score of the day (8.50), beat Mohr. The top to finishers in each heat advance to the next heat.

San Clemente’s Geoff Moysa also won his quarterfinal heat to advance, as did Israel Paskowitz, who finished second in that heat. Kevin Connelly and Colin McPhilips, both of San Clemente, also advanced to the semifinals.

Notes

Despite reports that Australian Layne Beachley will not surf at the U.S. Open or the Gotcha Pro next week, she has said she will be there next week for competition. “I’ll be there next week, I’m sure my knee will be better,” Beachley said. Beachley, ranked fourth on the women’s tour, had injured her knee Tuesday at Lower Trestles while surfing. . . . Today’s schedule: 7 a.m.-12:20 p.m.--men’s surfing main event, Round 1; 12:20-5 p.m.--men’s surfing main event, Round 2.