Wet and Wild with Rockin’ Fig -- Rick Fignetti

The National Scholastic Surfing Assn. held its high school national

championships over the weekend down at Salt Creek Beach Park. The surf

was on the small side and seemed to favor San Clemente High, which won

its fourth national title championship on Sunday. The Tritons won in

1982, 1999,2000 and now 2002. This year’s top guns were Andrew Gahan,

Travis Mellem and Pat Gudauskas who helped solidify the win, racking up

129 points. Finishing up second was Carlsbad High with 89 points and

placing third was Huntington Beach High School who had a pretty good

showing but came up short. Over the years, however, Huntington Beach High

has racked up an incredible 15 plus titles. Edison High School finished

up seventh and Marina High School eighth, for a showing in the top 10.

In the middle school division it was a super tight victory for San

Clemente’s Shorecliff that took a 92-90 decision over Huntington’s Dwyer

Middle School, just a slim two-point victory. And finishing ninth was

Sowers Middle School who had a pretty good season too.

In the college action UC Santa Barbara edged Mira Costa College in

another big battle in the small waves of the Creek. Cal State Long Beach

came in third, and surprisingly, Saddleback finished eighth after winning

the state title earlier this year.

Next up is the Nationals at Lowers, Open and Explorer seasons, which

are the individual performances that started on Tuesday and will go until

Saturday’s finals. The top surfers from California, the East Coast and

Hawaii will surf it out for the glory of a possible national title.

A new fin design is out on the market and is being made right here in

Surf City. It’s the Future Fin System. You slide the fin in, and screw it

down in the box. It’s great for traveling, because you can just take the

fins out and pack it up. What makes it unique is that the whole fin box

is glassed in for more strength. So there’s less chance of roll over from

a heavy bottom turn or by bashing it in the sand. It’s light weight, so

it won’t add more weight to your stick either. Lots of fin templates too,

designed by some of the best shapers like Al Merrick, John Carper and

Eric Arakawa. Look for these new systems in your local surf shops and at

worldwide locations soon. All I can say is -- the water has been feeling

great, nice and warm, now all we need is a swell. Where is it? Fig over

and out.

* 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

(106.7) 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.