Huntington Beach City Council to consider a ‘Rockin’ Fig Day’

Details are emerging on ways to honor Rick “Rockin’ Fig” Fignetti, the Huntington Beach surfing celebrity who died July 16 after suffering a heart attack.

A paddle out organized by Huntington Surf and Sport owner Aaron Pai and Fignetti’s good friend Don Ramsey is scheduled for Aug. 28. The paddle out to honor Fignetti, who was 64 when he died, will be held at 9 a.m. at the north side of the Huntington Beach Pier. It will be followed by a celebration at Pier Plaza, with live music, from noon to 4 p.m.

There also may be a “Rockin’ Fig Day” each year in Surf City. A Huntington Beach City Council agenda item up for consideration at Tuesday night’s meeting would establish a day named in honor of Fignetti annually each Saturday of the Surf City Days event.

Surf City Days, which includes several beach activities, is typically celebrated in September after Labor Day, but this year it was delayed to Oct. 9-10 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore the first “Rockin’ Fig Day,” if approved, would take place on Oct. 9.

Fignetti owned Rockin’ Fig Surf Headquarters on Main Street and was a 10-time West Coast Surfing Champion, also known for doing the morning surf report on KROQ-FM for 25 years.

Mayor Kim Carr, in introducing the item, noted that Fignetti was “a Huntington Beach local legend and should be remembered for his dedication to Surf City, USA.”

For those not in attendance, Tuesday’s Huntington Beach City Council meeting can be watched on channel HBTV-3 or online at huntingtonbeach.legistar.com. Residents may send comments on agenda items to supplementalcomm@surfcity-hb.org.

Communications received by 2 p.m. Tuesday will be distributed to the council prior to consideration of agenda-related items.

Residents are encouraged to submit comments during the meeting via Zoom, though in-person attendees will speak first. The Webinar ID is 971 5413 0528 and can be reached via the Zoom app or by calling (669) 900-6833 and entering the ID.

Individuals will be placed in a holding queue and prompted to speak when the city clerk announces their name or the last three digits of their phone number.

Time for remarks is limited to three minutes.

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