Surf’s up and waiting in South Africa

RICK FIGNETTI

With summer in full swing, the Assn. of Surfing Professionals is

around the midway point of its season and now overseas.

Surfers just started the $260,000 Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay,

South Africa on Tuesday. The surf for the start of the event was

pretty darn good, 6 to 8 feet, with glassy rights lining up. The

waiting period can go as long as July 23 but will be held on the best

days at that classic right-hand, point break.

They held an international trial, and the top three got an invite

slot into the historic J-Bay Billabong Pro. Two South Africans made

it, Sean Holmes and Ricky Basnett, who were ripping along with Aussie

surfer Bede Durbridge. A tough trial led straight into some even

tougher seeded heats to surf against the top-ranked surfers in the

ratings -- current and two-time world champ Hawaiian Andy Irons, just

off a win a week ago at the six-star in Durban; six-time Floridian

world champ Kelly Slater; and another former world champ in C.J.

Hobgood.

Irons posted the highest two-wave point total of the round --

16.60, that’s eights or better -- to advance to round three. Also

winning were Slates, C.J.’s brother Damien Hobgood, hot Australians

Dean Morrison, Joel Parkinson and veteran ripper Mark “Occy”

Occhilupo, all displaying winning form.

Still to battle it out in round two are: Californian style master

and former finalist Taylor Knox up against local boy Sean Holmes; San

Clemente’s Shane Beschen, who requalified this year, surfing against

hot Brazilian Guilherme Herdy; whoa, a big Hawaiian matchup with

veteran former world champ Sunny Garcia against hot up-and-comer

Bruce Irons; Ventura’s Timmy Curran surfing against the Fly’n

Hawaiian Kalani Robb; and last year’s U.S. Open winner Corey Lopez

against tough Brazilian Neco Padaratz, just to name a few. More

swells forecasted. I’ll keep ya posted on results.

The United States Surfing Championships were held a couple weeks

ago in Oceanside, in some small, 1- to 3-foot surf on the north side

of the O-Side pier. Surf City resident Jay Boldt made two finals,

placing third in senior longboard with some fancy footwork and

fourth, slashin’ it up in grandmasters short board. H.B.’s Patrick

Schlick was bustin’ too, placing second in grandmasters while the

Figster pulled into third place to round it out after a long season,

with honorable mention to Troy Bertrand for making it to the

semifinals.

Huntington’s top gun b-ball surfing umpire, Rudy Baker, is hosting

his annual basketball tournament at Corona del Mar High School this

week. Should be some great, young talent on hand, balling it up!

Congratulations to Nate Yeomans, who won the one-star $10,000

World Qualifying Series Del Taco Pro over the weekend on the south

side. The H.B. Surf Series event is no doubt a good warmup for the

six-star World Qualifying Series U.S. Open, coming up in less than

two weeks in the same place. Mark it down on the calendar: July 26 to

Aug. 1.

See ya there. Fig over and out.

* RICK FIGNETTI is an nine-time West Coast champion, has

announced the U.S. Open of Surfing the last nine years and has been

the KROQ-FM surfologist for the last 18 years, doing morning surf

reports. He owns a surf shop on Main Street. You can reach him at

(714) 536-1058.