Parmenter Wins Surf Competition : Australian Winton Is Runner-Up at Huntington Beach

Dave Parmenter of Cambria, Calif., overcame a strong challenge from Australian Glenn Winton to win the 12th annual Katin Memorial Cup individual surfing championship Saturday at Huntington Beach.

Parmenter, who earned $3,000 for the victory, turned in a series of steady rides to hold off Winton, who is ranked fourth in the world.

Parmenter, the 1986 Katin runner-up, and Winton, who received a $2,000 runner-up check Saturday, were followed by Jeff Booth of Laguna Beach, third, and Richie Collins of Newport Beach, fourth.

Booth was awarded $1,000 for his performance, and Collins received $750.

“I wasn’t getting the kind of waves I wanted to ride,” Parmenter said, “so I just decided to average them out and make the best of what waves I selected. I had to use a lot of judgment out there on what waves I would ride, and fortunately, things worked out OK. Wave judgment has always been one of my strongest points.”

While Parmenter was impressing the 2,000 in attendance with his twisting technique and balance, Winton maneuvered his way through a group of tricky waves to overcome a slow start and stay in contention.

“It was a very difficult contest out there,” Winton said. “The waves were pretty good, but if they were a little bit better, we could have bashed them out a bit.”

Booth, 18, was impressive in the early going as he aggressively pursued a group of challenging waves. But as the competition progressed, he was unable to compete with the top two finishers.

“I was really happy to get as far as I did,” Booth said.

Parmenter and Booth advanced to the finals by finishing 1-2 in the first heat, and Winton and Collins reached the finals by getting the top berths in the second heat.

“I’ve had a drop in my performances for some time competing internationally,” Parmenter said. “But this win really picks up my confidence. It’s the confidence booster I’ve been needing for some time.”