Wet and Wild with Rockin’ Fig:Give thanks for great surfing

Happy Thanksgiving everyone — and lately we’ve had tons of stuff to be thankful for, like the killer weather we’ve been having. It’s the end of November, and we still have been getting air temps in the mid- to upper 70s. The water has been incredibly warm — could be in the 50s but it’s still 64 and feeling good. It’s about the best fall I can remember in 10 years, with that overhead combo swell that ran for three-weeks-plus straight, with some of the heaviest barrels we’ve seen here in ages. And, for surfboards, a year ago there was no foam and now there is an abundance from all parts of the globe. And hopefully your health is in good form, too, to round it out.

They had a pretty neat fundraiser for the Sowers surf club surf team a few weeks back. Lots of merchants donated product that was raffled off that raised a couple thousand dollars. Even former student and top world standout surfer from H.B. Timmy Reyes gave a pep talk and gave away a personal Timmy Patterson surfboard. Normita’s Surf City Taco’s sponsored some food for the big bash. There was a father-son surf contest that went on as well. In the parent division, Ted Robinson — former top Bud Surf Tour standout in short board and long board who moved to Huntington a few years agotook top honors with some big-time ripping. Mr. Harrison took second-place honors with some nice rides, while John Casaccia placed third with some great exchanges, too. In the team for the kids, hot up-and-comers Clay Crandall took the win as National Scholastic Surfing Assn. ripper, Johnny Elles shredded to second and Jessie Steelman tore his way to third.

And in the novice division, Matthew Mills took the victory and Dusty Mouridian came in second. Jordan Robinson looks like a new threat this season and John Koechlin looks like he’s most improved. The novice division is where they get the new club members to get more competitive and get them ready for the big surf events coming up this year. Currently, they have 120 members who meet Tuesdays and Thursdays at Huntington Street by Tower 11. Over in Hawaii at the O.P. Pro at Haliewa in 3- to 5-foot surf, ripping to Round 5 were Hawaiians Freddy Boy Pattachia, Andy and Bruce Irons, Aussies Taj Burrow, Joel Parkinson and Kirk Flintoff and San Clemente’s Chris Ward. Losing out in big upsets were Hawaiians Pancho Sullivan, Sunny Garcia, and H.B.’s Brett Simpson and Shaun Ward,to name a few.

Have some great turkey. That’s it for now — Fig, over and out.