Wet ‘N’ Wild with Rockin’ Fig:

“Gold” in Costa Rica at the I.S.A. World Surfing Games came in some super-fun 3- to 6-foot surf at Playa Hermosa.

In the men’s final, France’s Jeremy Flores couldn’t be stopped, catching some good ones and nailing a couple 8-point scoring waves to ice the gold. Flores said this was the biggest win of his life representing his country. But the U.S.’s Corey Lopez, “Mr. Consistent” all contest long, kept it rolling with a solid second place with some nice slash back cut backs on the lefts for the silver medal.

Peru’s Gabriel Villaran was third, pushing his team up to sixth place. Ben Bourgeois, another U.S. surfer racking more valuable overall points, took fourth.

In women’s, the U.S.’s Courtney Conlogue was throwing a vicious back side assault on those lefts, racking some slashes and a couple rock and roll floaters for a more than 15-point total and the win. Conlogue did it the hard way coming from the losers bracket side, getting through heat after heat and making the final. South Africa’s Rosanne Hodge had a few decent rides but Conlogue was way out front; Hodge placed a distant second. Sage Erickson made it another final with two U.S. surfers making it to the big show, placing third and some exceptional heats on the way and France’s Pauline Ado rounded out the top four.

In long boarding, France’s Antoine Delpero had some stylish nose rides and cut backs, taking the gold over charging Australian Harley Ingleby, who settled for silver.

So, the U.S. won the gold with 14,910 points, France took the silver with 13,280, Australia took bronze with 10,996 points and Hawaii took copper with 10,856. South Africa was fifth, Peru sixth, Costa Rica, which had some rippers, placed seventh, Venezuela eighth, Brazil ninth, and top 10 rounded out with Puerto Rico.

Good job by new U.S. Coach Ian Cairns, as they arrived early and practiced at the site for a few days before a lot of the other teams even got there.

In his closing speech, I.S.A. President Fernando Aguerre was stoked with the games. They were a success, with a record number of competitors and national teams, and Aguerre said congratulations to all, see you next year.

The I.S.A. World Junior Championships will be in New Zealand in January 2010. The last win for the U.S. team was in 1996, so it’s been a few years. This brings back memories for me, being on the U.S. team in 1980 that won the gold at the I.S.A. World Championships in Hossegor, France. A young kid by the name of Tom Curren won juniors’ and placed in the men’s final and in women’s Alisa Schwarztstein. who is now Cairns’s wife, won gold.

See you in the lineup.

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.