WET ‘N’ WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG:

The world championship tour’s Billabong Pro in Mundaka, Spain, finished up in some good 3- to 5-foot barreling lefts last weekend.

The weather was a bit on the stormy and rainy side, but the surf turned on in the later rounds and finals to perfection. The United States’ C.J. Hobgood, a goofy footer from Florida was loving those barrels pulling in and getting shacked big time. Hobgood started strong with an almost perfect score at 9.93, but was unable to find a decent second score till the end. Meanwhile, Australian Joel Parkinson nailed some good ones and was holding the lead till the last 15 seconds. Holding priority, when a small set came in “Parko” went for the first wave trying to up his lead, but the wave closed out.

Hobgood scratched into the next one, pulled into the tube, popped out, slashed a few more hard driving turns to earn his first WCT victory in four years.

That moves the 29-year-old Hobgood to No. 6 in the ratings, and Parkinson moved up to the third spot with two events left, Brazil and Hawaii. The other big news was Kelly Slater making it to Round 4, sealed the deal, to win world title No. 9, more than any surfer by far.

Slater has won in ’92, ’94, ’95, ’96, ’97, ’98, ’05, ’06, and now ’08.

He was on a roll this season winning five events, although he’s done better; in ’96 he won an incredible seven WCT contests. His career wins is an unbelievable 39, eclipsing the legendary Tom Curren’s record last year. Slater won his first title at 20, this last title at 36, the youngest and oldest for a world champ. Will he try to defend it in 2009 for title No. 10? That’s the big question.

The surf has been pumping here in Surf City, last Sunday and Monday, with the combo, southwest and northwest swells, wave faces have been anywhere from 6 to 12 feet plus with epic shape, and even some slight offshore winds. The H.B. pier has been going off, former world longboard champ Joey Hawkins has been getting bowled on some of the biggest, way over head sets and making them, as well as Ted McNeely picking off some bombs.

The “Payne Man” Richard Payne has been getting so far back in some of those tubes, all you can see is the nose of his board, and “Misko” Danny Misken has been launching some huge airs on some of those launch ramps.

Former top 30 in the world, Jeff Deffenbaugh was throwing down some giant fan sprays after hitting those sections, and even the Figster getting some big drops out there in the macking surf! I saw a handful of boards snapped in half, over the last couple days, the two-for-one special.

This could be the best summer-fall combo for surf here locally in years. And I hear there’s more on the way, lets keep it rolling. Fig over and out.

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.