Wet ‘N’ Wild with Rockin’ Fig:

The Huntington Beach High surf team is going to Australia on Friday. Usually every year, they travel to a new destination, do some surfing, get some cultural exchange programs going, meet new friends and see new places. Coach Andy Verdone thought it would be nice to see and support alum Brett Simpson, who’s on the Assn. of Surfing Professionals’ World Tour, and watch him surf in the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach from Tuesday to April 10.

Verdone thinks this could be Simpson’s breakout event because of the similarities of waves at Bells and Huntington Beach.

Along with Verdone is South African assistant coach Bill Sharp, who came along to lend a hand supervising the kids and to help out with their competitions as well. Huntington Beach High will surf against a local Australian high school surf team sometime during the event at Bells Beach.

The traveling Oiler surf squad consists of Christian Saenz, just off the big win at the State Championships recently in Huntington Beach, shredders Marco Passaquindici and Chris Love, plus longboard ripper Tony Bartovich, big wave tearer Cameron Faris, up-and-coming Dane McCrystal, sophomore Jack Boyes and freshmen Johnny Elles and Lucas Barrett.

And Erica Andersen, daughter of four-time world champ Lisa Andersen, who resides here in Huntington Beach, whom I saw earlier in the week ripping it up at the pier.

So the itinerary is: Fly into Melbourne, drive to Bells, hang out for the event, cheer on Simpo, surf the high school contest there, then fly to Sydney and surf in a contest to raise money for cystic fibrosis research.

A busy schedule, but sounds like tons of fun. Nothing like a surf trip!

This week is the fifth annual Vans Pier Classic presented by Jack’s Surfboards.

It’s on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sunday.

A couple hundred of the U.S.’s hottest surfers will be going after the $25,000 in prize money.

It’s the first stop for the ASP World Qualifying Series for North America.

Last year, hot goofy-footer from San Clemente Mike Losness won the two-star men’s event, and in the Ezekiel Pro Junior, Malibu’s Dillon Perillo took top honors.

RICK FIGNETTI is a 10-time West Coast champion and a longtime KROQ-FM surfologist. He owns a surf shop on Main Street. You can reach him at (714) 536-1058.