World Champ

There's been some stormy weather the last couple of weeks along the California coastline. This storm brought us an Arctic blast of freezing air, with lows dropping to the 30s ? not to mention gusty winds, dark clouds in all shapes and sizes, rain squalls and even some hail. The water is iceberg patrol. We're talking mid-50s ? ouch ? with a wind-chill factor to boot. Luckily, spring is just around the corner. It's still summer in Australia, and they just finished the World Championship Tour's Quiksilver Pro in sunny 2- to 3-foot surf at Duranbah on the Gold Coast.

Peter "PT" Townend is known as the one of the best surfers of his time. He won the first world surfing championship in 1976 and has been inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame and Surfers' Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach. But the Coolangatta, Australia, native considers the Lifetime Achievement Award he received Saturday in Dana Point to be the most important award he's received in his surfing career. He was honored at the Surf Industry Manufacturers Assn. Waterman's Ball, or what Townend, 60, refers to the Academy Awards of surfing, for his contributions to the surfing community.

The World Championship Tour?s Quiksilver Pro has started over in Australia on the Gold Coast at Duranbah in some rippable 2- to 4-foot-plus surf. Last year?s world champ, Mick Fanning, blazed through his first heat with forehand slashes looking super quick. Hawaii?s Bruce Irons nailed some big airs and other nice moves for a win. Bobby Martinez was precise with a solid back-hand attack. Eight-time world champ Kelly Slater pulled his victory out in the last 30 seconds of the heat with a big front side slash.

RICK FIGNETTI The world's best surfers are still in the land Down Under, Australia, for the World Championship Tour's Rip Curl Pro. The surf contest that usually is held at Bells Beach -- for an incredible 33 years, the longest-running pro surf event in Australian history -- was moved to Phillip Island's Woolamai Beach for bigger surf. It was more contestable there, in the 3- to 5-foot range as the standouts of the first round were East Coasters C.J. Hobgood, the 2001 world champ, and twin brother Damien.

Peter "PT" Townend is known as the one of the best surfers of his time. He won the first world surfing championship in 1976 and has been inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame and Surfers' Hall of Fame in Huntington Beach. But the Coolangatta, Australia, native considers the Lifetime Achievement Award he received Saturday in Dana Point to be the most important award he's received in his surfing career. He was honored at the Surf Industry Manufacturers Assn. Waterman's Ball, or what Townend, 60, refers to the Academy Awards of surfing, for his contributions to the surfing community.

Kelly Slater is sooooo good… How good is he? Slater is so good that he won the Assn. of Surfing Professionals World Tour championship twice this year. In fact, he won it twice in one week! OK, that might not be so funny to those who work so hard to run the ASP World Tour, but unfortunately for them, it's true. Sort of. Here's how it went down. Slater and all the ASP pros went up to Ocean Beach in San Francisco last week for the 10th of the 11 events on the ASP World Tour.

The Ocean View All-Stars, who became the first team from Orange County to win a Little League Baseball World Series title, are scheduled to arrive home from South Williamsport, Pa., on Monday night at Los Angeles International Airport. The team then will be bused to the Ocean View Little League playing fields at Murdy Park in Huntington Beach. Ocean View won the Little League World Series championship Sunday by coming from behind to defeat Japan, 2-1. Team members Hagen Danner, Anthony Martinez and Nick Pratto, Manager Jeff Pratto and Coach Jose Martinez will not be part of the Ocean View entourage Monday.

The Vans Pier Classic presented by Jack’s Surfboards had some great weather, sunny skies, 80-degree beach temperatures and some fun 2- to 4-foot surf last weekend for the finals. Birthday boy Kauai’s Dylan Goodale, who turned 19 Sunday, got his birthday present by taking his first-ever Assn. of Surfing Professionals win by busting some big tail-out moves. Hot local Micah Byrne, who won the event in 2007, was less than a point behind, slashing some rad cutbacks, and ended up second.

One of the last things Bobby Bruch said he told his team before the game was simple enough. Seacliff Elementary wasn’t about to play in just any old soccer game. Here Bruch and the girls were, about 1,400 miles from home. They were about to leave in a van that had “Go USA.” painted on the windows and play Costa Rica for an international title in “futbolito,” six-on-six indoor soccer. The day wasn’t just any old Saturday, either. It was the Fourth of July.