Waves of Work Await Veteran

All eyes were on Rob Machado as he paddled out just south of the Huntington Beach pier Sunday morning. The Honda Element U.S. Open of Surfing doesn’t begin until today, so the few spectators on the beach were surprised to see such a familiar face in the pretrial heats.

Machado, a two-time winner of the event, had to start at the rear of the field after entering the event too late to be seeded. Had he entered on time, his appearance would not have been necessary until later in the week, when most of the other elite surfers are expected.

Machado didn’t seem too worried about surviving a longer week.

“You’ve just got to plan on surfing a lot more times,” said Machado, a 29-year-old from Cardiff, Calif. “You have to stay focused.”

The chance to compete with a surfer of the caliber of Machado, whose accomplishments include winning the Pipeline Masters in Hawaii and finishing runner-up in competition for the world title in 1995, was a thrill for those entered in the same morning heat.

Germaine Medrano, an 18-year-old from Costa Rica, learned Saturday that he would be combing for the same waves as Machado.

“I didn’t believe it,” said Medrano, who also advanced with Machado in the morning heat. “He’s my favorite surfer.”

The chance to surf against some of the sport’s up-and-coming talent wasn’t lost on Machado. With the scoring system used by judges now favoring the slashing, energetic, lightning-quick maneuvers of the new generation, veterans have had to adjust their styles.

“The older guys are paying more attention to what the kids are doing,” Machado said. “And then applying all the knowledge they have gained over the years.”

Machado figures that he will need to recall his experiences at Huntington Beach if he hopes to make it through 11 heats to reach next Sunday’s final round. The surf is expected to pick up tonight, flatten out by midweek and rise a few feet overhead by Friday.

“Hopefully, [my experience in Huntington Beach] will work to my advantage,” said Machado, who outlasted a group of up-and-comers to win a World Qualifying Series event in Oceanside, Calif., eight days ago. “I think there will be certain heats where I can hold back and others where I’ll have to go all out.”

Machado’s name already has become part of Huntington Beach geography. His preference for surfing about 100 yards south of the pier, well away from most competitors, has led the area to be known as “Machado’s Peak.”

He surfed that spot two years ago, when he came off a three-month layoff because of a broken hand and defeated Brazilian Marcelo Nunes on his final wave to win the title. The victory capped a near-perfect week for Machado, who was awarded a rare wave score of 10 the day before the final.

Machado’s other Huntington Beach victory came in 1995, when he defeated longtime rival and close friend Kelly Slater. Later that year, Slater edged Machado for the world title.

Slater, 31, is not expected to compete this week and another big-name surfer, 33-year-old Sunny Garcia, is sidelined after undergoing knee surgery. That pretty much leaves it up to Machado to prove that surfing is not just a kid’s game.

“You look at [Australia’s Mark] Occhilupo, who won a world title [in 1999] when he was 33, and all the success Sunny continues to have, and it seems a lot of guys on tour are getting better as they get older,” Machado said. “I think that’s cool.”

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The Facts

* What: $175,000 Honda Element U.S. Open of Surfing featuring men’s, women’s, juniors’ and longboard competitions.

* When: Today through Sunday.

* Where: Huntington Beach Municipal Pier.

* Cost: Free.