Wet and Wild with Rockin Fig

Rick Fignetti

The local Huntington Beach contingency ripped it up on the

Professional Surfing Tour of America’s fifth stop, the Body Glove Pro at

Morro Bay, taking three of the four final placings. The surf for the four

day event started in the two- to four-foot zone, but by the weekend

finals pumped up to six toeight feet. Santa Ana conditions prevailed with

summery weather, 85 degrees plus, light variable winds and sunny skies.

Starting out the final strong and winning it, was former National

Scholastic Surfing Assn. ripper Bron Huessenstam of Laguna Beach. He

picked off some of the best set lefts,off the rock and consistently

worked them in. Huessenstam isthe son of Paul Huessenstam, who was one of

the first surfing, and exploring Californians who visited Mexico surf

spots way back when. He was also a Newport Beach River Jetties standout,

especially when it was macking back in the day. Must be some roots there.

Ryan Simmons was looking good too, catching some sizable waves and

shredded them up, to place second. Simmons is still numero uno, in the

overall Professional Surfing Tour of America points standings, with one

event left and a possible title on the line. Jeff Deffenbaugh was steam

rolling heats all the way to the final and placed third, getting some

nice ones too.Deffenbaugh is holding the No. 2 spot in the standings and

will definitely keep the pressure on. Fourth went to Mike Hoisington, the

South Carolina to Huntington Beach transplant who’s been on fire lately.

Also having a pretty good showing was Brandon “Tippy� Tipton, placing

equal fifth, a former Huntington Beach High standout.

In the longboarding, Huntington Beach boys finished first and second,

it was -- you got it -- Josh Mohr, doing it all -- nose rides, lip bashes

and cutties for the win. Mohr loves surfing big Huntington Pier, so the

rock’s no different. Amateur, National Scholastic Surfing Assn. hot shot,

Travis Karran placed second, and had a lot of nice rides too. In the

Women’s division Liz Motzhagen of Oceanside took the victory, while

second went to Diana Mattison of Santa Cruz.

Mattison borrowed a board from tour announcer Mike Morgan -- his

favorite stick -- and capped her best showing yet. Even the Mayor came

down to check it out.

The last Professional Surfing Tour of America event of the season is

coming up -- the Oakley-Billabong Pro Championships at Ventura’s

California Street, which usually has some good rights off the point this

time of year. The dates for that one, are Nov. 1 through Nov. 5. Final

tour Champs in each division will be announced then.

Over the weekend right here in Huntington, in insane four- to six-foot

surf on south side was the National Scholastic Surfing Assn.’s third Open

Season event. Fierce competition from up and down the coastline was here,

and here’s how our area surfers did.

In the mini-groms Newport Beach’s Andrew Doheny and FordArchibald had

their best showings yet, one and two. In the Boys’ division, Tommy

Steury made another final and finished third. Juniors action saw Alex

Gray of Palos Verdes come up with win, but Seal Beach’s Chris Waring got

second and is first in the overall standings making three final placings.

In mens, in a tough one just to get to the semis were Brett Simpson and

Willie Safreed. Simpson won the Air Show final with a spectacular air

360, grab rail, landed it, pullingit. Wow. pretty futuristic. Eva

Lewington placed fourth in the womens and a pumped up Darren Moody took

Bodyboarding to round it out. Next weekend is the Explorer Season event

two, at Trails, at San Clemente. I’ll keep ya posted on that. How’s the

surf been -- pretty good -- see ya in the barrel later.

* RICK FIGNETTI is a six-time West Coast champion, has announced the

U.S. Open of Surfing the last eight years and has been the KROQ-FM

surfologist for the last 15 years where he’s done morning surf reports.

He owns a surf shop on Main Street. You can reach him at (714) 536-1058.