Saturday vigil for Turner

Good news. Timmy Turner is improving slowly but surely.

Timmy can talk now, and as of Tuesday he can eat food again. The swelling in his brain is going down, and he’s feeling better.

The father of one of Timmy’s Indo traveling buddies, Brett Swartz, has some rad footage in their “Second Thoughts” DVD, and Brett’s dad, R.D., is hosting a prayer vigil for Timmy. It’s going to be at 4:30 p.m. Saturday on the north side in the Pier Plaza. All are welcome to come join in and pray together.

Bad news: There was a big sewage spill in the South Bay last Sunday, forcing closures from Manhattan Beach to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. A pumping station failed and let as much as 2 million gallons of raw sewage flow into the ocean. They’re taking water samples to see if the bacteria levels have gone down enough to open the beaches.

The local mountains picked up a light dusting of snow from that storm last weekend. There’s still only about a foot of base with packed powder conditions, and the snow guns have been on with the cooler air temps, but they could sure use a big dumping.

At the Assn. of Surfing Professionals’ four-star Globe Sebastian Inlet Pro, the Hobgood twins finished one-two, showing why they are a couple of the best surfers in the world.

Damien, who finished last season on the World Championship Tour at No. 4, and C.J., who was the 2001 world champ, pretty much owned the first peak at the inlet.

C.J. took the early lead, busting a big backside air to score a 7.5. But brother Damien upped the ante with a 360 reverse air, pulling an 8.83 score from the judges and winning his first World Qualifying Series contest, beating his brother for the first time in years.

Damien won $10,000 and bragging rights, and fellow East Coasters Asher Nolan and Aaron Cormican placed third and fourth, respectively.

Equal thirds were up and coming rippa Kyle Garson and Aussie Josh Kerr, who also won the “Tow At” event, busting a 360 move and riding it out.

Surf City’s Brett Simpson, who lost in the quarterfinals, San Clemente’s Pat Gudauskas, Hanalei’s Roy Powers and amateur sensation Eric Taylor all had great heats.

H.B. locals who got as far as the round of 64, ripping up some heats before losing out, were Shaun Ward, Mike Hoisington, Brad Ettinger and Matt Shadbolt.

In the $20,000 Gallaz Surf Jam for the women, Hawaii’s Melanie Bartels ran away with it with a couple of mean front-side lippers. Second was hot Australian Rebecca Woods, who tore some rights up too.

It was a close one between France’s Caroline Saran, who placed third, and Hawaiian Leilani Gryde, who came in fourth.

Newport Beach’s Erica Hosseini lost in the quarterfinals, as did Holly Beck from Palos Verdes, to wrap it up till next year for the surf contest and trade show extravaganza.

That water temperature here in H.B. felt like it was in the mid-50s this week. Brrrr.

That’s if for now. Fig, over and out.

* RICK FIGNETTI, a nine-time West Coast champion, has announced the U.S. Open of Surfing the last 12 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.

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