WET AND WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG:World Champ Tour

The World Championship Tour is way down in South America for the Rip Curl Search in Chile. So far they’ve encountered big waves 10 to 18 feet-plus, and cold water, with a break that has lots of jagged barnacle-lined rock reef. The first part of the contest was run in double overhead-plus surf with a few of the pros getting worked. Brazilian standout Adriano De Souza was taken out of the water with a big gash needing stiches, and American Bobby Martinez broke his fin out and smashed his finger. Numerous other surfers were getting swept up on the rocks and breaking boards. Some of the Americans were on fire in the first, second and third rounds: Chris Ward, Corey Lopez, Taylor Knox and Kelly Slater. But they were all eliminated in later rounds. Still in is three-time world champ Andy Irons, who scored two 9-point rides in one heat and then broke his board in half.

Irons won his heat in the quarterfinal, taking out Aussie powerhouse Joel Parkinson. Another big matchup to come is the U.S.’s Bobby Martinez versus world No. 1 Mick Fanning in the quarters.

America’s brother duo, C.J. and Damien Hobgood, have also been ripping, tearing the big hollow lefts. C.J. faces the “Dingo” Dean Morrison who took Slater out. We’ll keep ya posted.

Surf City is losing one of it’s longtime surfing residents. Wayne “the Wave Hunter” Hunter is moving to the islands after living here more than 40 years.

Hunter, a north-side-ofthe-pier local forever, captured a National Scholastic Surfing Assn. title in 1985, when he won just about every contest he was in. He won the city contest numerous times, and the Doheny longboard contest most recently, and has worked in many of the downtown surf shops over the years, including Greek, Plastic Fantastic, Sunline and Chuck Dent.

Hunter’s friends have include H.B. icons David Nuuhiwa, John Boozer, Ron Quigley, Carl Hayward and Steve North. He claims some of his best sessions were with some of the boys, Buddy Llamas, Big Tone, Podukes, Figster and Brother Issac on some of those classic northside days.

Hunter was involved with the Hope Chapel, is happy knowing the Lord, and will miss his mentor Pastor Paul. His new home will be on the North Shore of Oahu, surfing Haleiwa and Silver Channels.

Hunter tagged a hundred waves a day, so when you asked him “how many do ya have right now?” and he said 50, it was best to just paddle away.

The NSSA nationals are going on at Lower Trestles in San Clemente this week, with finals on Saturday. The nation’s top amateurs are ripping it up, but it’s been the art of small wave surfing. We need a swell, and I thought I heard it was coming the first part of next week, so be ready.

The five-day Fourth of July weekend is coming up, so be safe and sane.

See ya at the parade, have a good one! Fig over and out.