Wet and Wild with Rockin Fig:

What’s up with our governor? Last week Arnold Schwarzenegger announced he had plans to close 48 state parks and beaches. Bolsa Chica and San Onofre might be on that list. Aren’t there other ways we could trim that budget, without risking the lives of the people who use those areas?

To really heat it up, Schwarzenegger endorses the 241 Toll Road extension, which will ruin San Onofre State Park. The state wants to build right through the middle of it, causing big-time pollution. The project would result in a more than 50% loss of the area.

Not to mention there are 11 federally endangered birds, frogs, fish and other animals that inhabit the area. The run-off from the freeway would go directly into the San Mateo Creek, polluting it and putting the best south-west point break on the California coastline, the Lower Trestles, in jeopardy.

California State Atty. Gen. Edmund G. Brown is opposed to this project, along with San Diego, Imperial Beach, Del Mar, Oceanside, Laguna, Malibu, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz and San Francisco, to name a few, not to mention the public.

The Surf Rider Foundation is behind the cause. It has more than 50,000 members, but they need even more support, so join up now, if not for yourself, then for the kids of tomorrow.

The Monster Energy Pipeline Pro is coming up Jan. 27 to Feb. 6 on Hawaii’s North Shore, at the ever-legendary Banzai Pipeline. It’s a three-star, $50,000 surf event on the best days with the biggest and best surf.

Leading the list of big-time surfers already entered are: three-time world champ Andy Irons, former winner Rob Machado, and just off the big win at the Da Hui Back Door Shoot Out, the barrel master himself, Jamie O’Brien. Plus hot Hawaiian locals cover boy Flynn Novak, big wave shredders Makua Rothman and Jamie Sterling, the ripping T.J. Barron, and San Clemente’s Pat Gudauskas, who won the Sebastian Inlet Pro in Florida a couple of weeks ago, the first ASP event of the season.

Coming up next week we’ll do a review on that hot new surf movie, “Chasing the Dream,” with the Huntington Beach High School Surf Team and with some interviews too.

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.