WET ‘N’ WILD WITH ROCKIN’ FIG:

I just checked out the new movie “Chasing the Dream,” which is pretty cool. It’s about eight kids from the Huntington Beach High School Surf Team who are trying to obtain the almost-impossible task of making a career in pro surfing.

It starts out, first of all, just being one of the top kids, out of hundreds, in a power-packed surf program that has won an incredible 18 national titles to make the cut and get on the elite squad. Coach Andy Verdone, a former football coach who has years of experience in coaching surfing with a disciplined style, has to get these kids in shape before a big journey to Australia for some fun, international competitions.

The cast of groms includes the following: Ian Ekberg, the team captain, who’s possibly one of the best talents to come out of Huntington Beach High School, a natural with a fluid style; Logan Strook, a straight-A student, a black belt in karate, and an up-and-coming shredder at the Huntington Beach pier on any given day.

Also Kyle Kennelly, one of the smaller kids in size makes it up with a big heart and some power-packed moves; A.J. Collins, kinda reserved and quiet on land but explosive in the water, has worldwide surfing experience from traveling with his father, Sean, who’s a premiere surf forecaster; Taylor Pai, tall and lanky, kinda the class clown of the group but excels in big surf like Hawaii and Fiji; Matt Mohagen from the L.A. area who was a member of the U.S. surf team.

There’s also Allan Kincade, another power surfer that can bust new-school moves and has a good NSSA track record. And finally, Quinn McCrystal, originally from Ventura, who has lots of determination, has great natural talent and whose father is a great shaper, too.

Trials and tribulations appear. Just before the trip, Ekberg breaks a leg and can’t make it. The rest of the crew charges to Oz and travels by bus up the Australian coast to meet up with some hot Aussie kids, and they surf it out.

On the road again, a few more expression sessions at different breaks, scoring killer surf and meeting another legend, four-time world champ Mark Richards, on the way.

Trying different foods, like Vegemite, seeing kangaroos and meeting new friends made this a trip to remember. Another surf contest with another school where one of the Huntington Beach surfers makes the final. There as well, the Aussie surfers share their dream of making the pro surf scene one day.

All the Huntington surfers expressed what a fun trip this has been, and some even stayed with the Australian surfers a few days. I caught up with McCrystal reflecting back on the journey. He said it was one of the most fun trips he’s ever been on, and getting good surf and hanging out with the Aussie kids made him push his limits even more.

Eight-time world champ Kelly Slater pops in with some advise: Make sure you’re really into it because it’s a tough road, and don’t forget your education — you might need it later.

So all in all, two thumbs up, a fun flick to watch, although I’m a little biased because I’ve seen these groms grow up over the years in the Huntington shorebreak!

Did I mention 3 feet of new snow in the local mountains from those last storms? See ya! Fig over and out.

RICK FIGNETTI is a 10-time West Coast champion and a longtime KROQ-FM surfologist. He owns a surf shop on Main Street. You can reach him at (714) 536-1058.