SURFING / OP PRO CHAMPIONSHIPS : Mearig Goes From Retirement to Quarterfinals

HUNTINGTON BEACH — Kim Mearig, a 31-year-old mother of two who came out of retirement for the Op Pro Surfing Championship, advanced to the quarterfinals of the main event Wednesday.

Mearig, a two-time Op Pro champion, finished first in both her heats. In the second-round trial heat, she scored 17.77 points and had 23.20 points in the first round of the main event.

Though Mearig pretty much glided through her two heats, she said she wasn’t happy with her surfing.

“I think I was pretty lucky out there,” Mearig said. “I’m not feeling good about my surfing right now. I felt better on Monday.”

Wave conditions weren’t ideal during the women’s trials and first round,

“It was flustering out there,” Mearig said. “But you have to be patient and you can’t be paddling all over the place.”

Mearig, of Santa Barbara, will meet top American woman surfer Lisa Andersen in the quarterfinals. Australians Kylie Webb, and Belinda Godfrey will also be competing.

In the first round of the main event for men, “Endless Summer II” star Pat O’Connell, who is ranked 45th on the World Tour, took second in his heat to advance. After finishing his heat, O’Connell, from Laguna Niguel, had to rip off his wet suit and board a bus that was taking him and other surfers to visit patients at Children’s Hospital.

Costa Mesa’s Todd Miller, who had to borrow a board because his was broken, and Dino Andino of San Juan Capistrano also advanced. Andino, 26, has been off and on the pro tour circuit for several years.

Also advancing was British surfer Russell Winter, who along with Miller, will compete against Todd Prestage of Australia and Derek Ho of Haleiwa, Hawaii, in the second round.

Miller, 19, has been living in California for the last four months. He said the surf at Huntington reminded him of England.

“It’s pretty much the same,” Winters said.

Brad Warrick of Costa Mesa won his heat in Round 2 of the long-boarding trials to advance to Round 1 of the main event.

Pat Lynch of Oceanside, Ryan Mata of San Juan Capistrano, Josh Mohr of Huntington Beach, Steve Farwell of Costa Mesa and Brenden White, Geoff Moysa and Derek Erickson all of San Clemente, also advanced to the first round, which starts this afternoon at 4:20 p.m.

The big guns debut with the second round of the men’s main event and the women’s quarterfinals scheduled for today.

In the men’s event, defending champion Jeff Deffenbaugh, Conan Hayes, Rob Machado, Sunny Garcia and Shane Beschen will begin their heats today. Competition starts at 7 a.m. with the men’s second round of the main event.