O’Connell Narrowly Avoids a Wipeout

It was mostly a season of discomfort and discontent, but Pat O’Connell’s trademark smile is beaming again. The 10-year veteran of the Assn. of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour got his Christmas present a bit early a couple of weeks ago when he learned he’ll be back for an 11th year.

O’Connell, who struggled mightily this year because of a knee injury and a number of narrow defeats and early exits from key events, finished No. 40 in the 44-man WCT rankings, well short of the top-28 finish needed to automatically qualify for 2001. But he was granted a wild card by the ASP because he was out of action nearly three months with an injured left knee.

“I’m relieved and excited and really stoked about next year,” said the 29-year-old Laguna Beach resident. “It was a very tough year for me, emotionally and healthwise.”

A year ago during the season-ending events in Hawaii, O’Connell got a severe and lingering case of the flu that eventually required brief hospitalization. When he finally recovered, he jumped at the chance to get back into good waves and took a number of off-season trips. He arrived in Australia three weeks before this year’s first event and was apparently over-prepared, losing in the second round of both the Billabong Pro on the Gold Coast and the Rip Curl Pro in Victoria.

Then he hurt his knee and did not surf for more than 10 weeks. His return to the water in early July was another wipeout.

“I flew to Africa [for an event at Jeffrey’s Bay] a week early so I could test my knee and work back into shape, and the airline lost my boards,” he said. “They finally showed up the night before my first heat. It was the first time I’d surfed in 2 1/2 months.”

It was the beginning of a slump during which O’Connell, who was No. 11 in 1998 and has won $264,910 as a pro, lost in the first elimination round six times in eight events.

O’Connell filed an application for a wild card in November, but then withdrew it after deciding he didn’t want to stand in front of his peers--all the surfers vote on who gets a wild card--and defend his case.

“I didn’t want to get my hopes up and then have it come down to a popularity contest,” he said. “There are like 30 Aussies on the tour and only about eight to 10 Americans.”

But then O’Connell received a call from world champion Sunny Garcia, who is also president of the newly formed World Professional Surfers union. The Hawaiian veteran quickly changed O’Connell’s mind.

“Sunny said if I didn’t resubmit it, he’d [beat me up],” O’Connell said, laughing.

Garcia apparently used the same strong-arm tactics with his constituents. O’Connell never had to appear before the assembled WCT pros and got a call the next day informing he would be welcomed back in 2001.

HALF THE FUN?

There will be no WCT stop at Huntington Beach next summer.

During the early-December executive board meetings in Hawaii, the ASP gave promoter Ian Cairns, vice president of events for Irvine-based Bluetorch, a window during which to host a WCT event or the U.S. Open of Surfing--a six-star World Qualifying Series event--but not enough time to run both.

Bluetorch, which ran both events back-to-back this summer, opted for the U.S. Open. The schedule has been expanded from a week to nine days (July 28-Aug. 5) and will include two weekends, but Cairns is hoping the WCT Bluetorch Pro is only on a year’s hiatus.

“We replied to ASP that we are going ahead with the U.S. Open, but also requested they issue us a WCT license for Huntington Beach, to be activated when their future scheduling allows for it,” he said. “We don’t want to lose our WCT license.”

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

BICYCLING

Saturdays

* Orange Coast Velo cycling club meets at Worthy Park, located at 17th and Main Street in Huntington Beach. Rides vary from 25 to 50+ miles and begin at 7:30 a.m. with periodic regrouping and rest stops. After-ride socializing at Noah’s Bagels on Main Street. For further information call Jerry, (714) 960-4214 or Peter (714) 848-7618.

* Orange County Wheelmen training, 8 a.m., Food Park, MacArthur and Main, Irvine. Beginner and intermediate training group will ride and stay as a group. Informal lectures will cover stretching, nutrition and hill climbing. Led by Fred and Peg Bauer, (714) 997-0892.

* Bicycle Club of Irvine rides, 9 a.m., meet at Deerfield Park, Irvine. Three routes, 10-15, 15-25 and 25-35 miles, each with a stop midway for breakfast. Rides finish at about 11:30 a.m. Ride leaders Scott and Sandy Angle, (714) 960-4068.

* Velo Allegro Cycling Club meets at 8 a.m. at Long Beach Marina off Second Street for 24-mile ride at 14-18 mph pace. Those with paceline experience meet at 7:30 a.m. for warmup and speed training of up to 50 miles. Details: Julio, (562) 988-8117.

WILDERNESS TRAVEL

Jan. 9

* The Sierra Club will be offering a 10-week Wilderness Travel Course beginning in January. The class features 10 lectures plus four outings, culminating with a snow camp in the High Sierra. Some of the subjects covered are conditioning, navigation, rock-scrambling and winter backpacking. Space is limited. Details: (949) 496-6530 or on the Web at https://angeleschapter.org/wtc

RUNNING

Jan. 13

* Southern California Half Marathon starts and finishes Woodbridge Village shopping center in Irvine and also includes a 5K run. Details: toll free (866) 395-1313.

Jan. 28

* Pacific Shoreline Marathon starts and finishes near the Huntington Beach Pier. Also includes half marathon and 5K runs. Details: (949) 766-1428 or (714) 536-3525.

SAILING

Jan. 19 and 26

* Dave Grant, president emeritus of Orange Coast College, will present a two-part seminar, “The Extraordinary Voyage of Ernest Shackleton,” to tell one of the most amazing survival stories of the 20th century. In 1914, Shackleton mounted an exhibition to cross Antarctica but his ship was crushed by thickening ice, turning the expedition into a rescue mission. Grant will show original film footage. Fee: $11 for two-part seminar. Time: 7-9 p.m. Details: (949) 645-9412.