Fireworks, sunshine and waves

Surf City went big-time over the three-day Fourth of July weekend

extravaganza!

Downtown was pretty darn packed Saturday and Sunday with shoppers

and beachgoers alike. By Monday, hundreds of thousands of spectators

lined Main Street from Pacific Coast Highway to Huntington Beach High

School for the annual parade. Marching bands, floats, the Shriners,

special guests and more were seen making the trek under sunny skies.

David Nuuhiwa, legendary ‘60s world longboard champ, was seen

cruising by in a classic VW bus, and national women’s champ Bethany

Hamilton from Hawaii was a guest too.

After the parade, the beaches were the place to be, as it was

packed on the sand. Nice weather, but small ankle-slapper surf.

The beaches started filling up as the highly anticipated fireworks

display approached. It was an explosion of colors in the sky over the

Huntington pier to end a festive day.

Last week was the Surfing America Championships on the south side

of the pier for the younger age brackets. Surfers from all around the

United States were on hand.

The surf was slam’n overhead the first half of the week, with

boards getting snapped by the juice, but as the swell rolled to the

weekend, the surf size faded.

Still, the level of competition was high with Hawaii’s Dustin

Payne winning the open men’s division, tearing a right up, for a

score in the 8-zone. East Coaster Jeremy Johnston placed second and

Ventura’s Nick Rozsa was third.

In the boys’ 18-and-under field, Hawaii’s Kyle Ramey took top

honors, Rozsa finished second and Payne placed third, as both made

two finals. Hawaii’s Kai Barger shredded it to win the boys’

16-and-under division, followed by fellow Hawaiians Granger Larsen in

second and Tonino Benson in third. San Clemente’s Riley Metcalf won

the boys’ 14-and-under bracket, with Florida’s Evan Geiselman a close

second.

In the women’s open, Orange County’s Courtney Conlogue took the

win, ripping a set right at the buzzer at the end of the final. She

was followed by Hawaii’s Malia Manuel and Jenny Quam.

The girls’ 18-and-under ended with Newport Beach’s Erica Hosseini

notching the victory, with Florida’s Connie Arias in second and

Hawaii’s Alana Blanchard in third. The girls’ 16-and-under division

was dominated by Floridian Crista Alves, followed by West Coasters

Leila Hurst and Amy Nicholl.

The H.B. cast of Chris Welpman, Kris Espinosa and Brad Mebust were

1-2-3 in bodyboarding, and Seal Beach’s Christian Wach took the

longboarding title.

Over at the Assn. of Surfing Professionals’ World Championship

Tour Rip Curl Cup at St. Leu on Reunion Island, the finals were held

in fun 3-to-4-foot surf.

Taking the win was Mick “The Quick” Fanning, who nailed a 9-point

wave in the final to run away with it. Fanning defeated fellow Aussie

Phil Macdonald, who was knocking out some of the big boys on the way,

while equal thirds went to Brazil’s Peterson Rosa and Australian Jake

Paterson. The U.S.A.’s Cory Lopez lost in the quarterfinals.

The current ratings have “Slates” Kelly Slater in the lead, with

Australian Trent Munro in second and Fanning moving up to third. Can

six-time world champ Slater make it an incredible seven titles, with

the new young Aussie guards hot in pursuit?

Don’t forget, the H.B. Surf Series is at the H.B. pier this

weekend as the action heats up for the ratings leads. Good luck!

See ya, Fig over and out.

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

the U.S. Open of Surfing the last 11 years and has been the KROQ-FM

surfologist for the last 18 years, doing morning surf reports. He

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