I shot down to San Clemente this morning to check out the surf, and got a couple of photos of the wild winds whipping the waves.

It was a bit messy out there, with a northwest windswell in the water. But surfers on the north side of the pier made the best of the day, especially as offshore winds got strong at about 10 a.m.

Here’s some snaps of the day (and a slideshow here.)

The ninth stop of the ASP World Championship Tour finally got underway today in Peniche, Portugal after three days without competition. 

Day one was called off due to the lack of swell, day two was too big and stormy and on day three the contest site on the beach was completely damaged due to the large surf.

So finally the world’s top 45 surfers have taken to the water at the 2009 Rip Curl Pro Searchat a backup spot called Mohle Leste which is down the beach from the main contest site Supertubos. 

The waves have dropped quite a bit in the last day, but are still offering the competitors plenty of contestable waist to head high surf.

Due to the three consecutive days of no competition, contest organizers have opted to run the new Round One elimination format which means one surfer will be going home early.

The Rip Curl Pro Searchofficial waiting period wraps up on Friday, October 30th.  To watch the live webcast, go to live.ripcurl.com.

Wedge local Kevin Mel Thoman shot me an e-mail to let me know that the bodysurfing spot was looking good today, with nice sets rolling through before the afternoon winds got on it.

The water is still nice, at about 68 - 70. Here’s some snapshots he sent over:

OC Register reporter Fred Swegles was following San Clemente’s Patrick Gudauskas all weekend, and reports that the OC local surfer is  standing taller this week in his bid to qualify for surfing’s major leagues in 2010.

Here’s what Swegles wrote:

Gudauskas’ second-place showing Sunday at the $145,000 Local Motion Guaruja Pro in Brazil elevated him to fourth in the ASP’s World Qualifying Series standings. He’d been fifth.

It’s significant, since he secured his highest point score of the year, 2,188, and got to discard his low score, 1,225, from his previous best-seven results, upon which ratings are based.

 Normally the top 15 WQS surfers qualify for the ASP World Championship Tour. Gudauskas just missed last year, coming so close that he has been an injury substitution at WCT contests this year.

Read more from Swegles story here.

Are you in the market for a new surfboard or have you ever thought about wanting to shape your own board? 

Well here’s a really cool event where you’ll find everything you’ve ever wanted to know about a surfboard.

The third annual Sacred Craft Surfboard Expo is happening next weekend in San Diego.  Some of the best shapers in the business will be on hand mowing foam, along with the manufacturers.

The legendary list of craftsman include: Rusty Preisendorfer, Pat Rawson, Robert August, Bruce Jones, Gary Linden, Bing Copeland and many more.

The Sacred Craft Surfboard Expo has something for everyone from board demo’s to seminars to artwork to music.  And as always there’s the ‘Tribute to the Masters Shape-off’ with this year’s honoree, Dick Brewer.

This year’s event is also introducing the Vintage Surfboard Antique Road Show where expert appraisers will be on hand.  So if you’re attending the event and you have some collector boards in your quiver that you might like to part with, bring them too and find out what they’re worth.

The first 100 attendees through the door will be put on a special “early bird” drawing for a chance to win a new Firewire fish surfboard.  Admission if FREE for groms 16 and under and $5 for everyone else.  For more info. on the big shindig, go to sacredcraftexpo.com.

Where: Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar

When: Saturday, October 10th 10 a.m to 6 p.m and Sunday October 12th 10 a.m to 4 p.m

Contest organizers called off the Hurley Pro contest for today, so the competition down at Trestles will resume Saturday.

The waves were never good enough for the pros, and forecasters are saying tomorrow may shape up to be better. Saturday will be a full day starting at 7 a.m.  - they still need to get through Round 4, then it’s down to the quarter finals.

Keep posted for updates.

Checking out Trestles for waves

Just talked to Robert Shadley with ASP, who said the Hurley Pro contest is on hold this morning and the contest has a chance of running later today.

“We’re waiting for conditions to improve,” he said. “A call will be made later this morning on what we’re going to do.”

The next call on whether it’s a go will happen at 10 a.m.  Shadley said if conditions improve, the contest will run later today with the hopes of getting through round 4 of the contest. The finals will definitely be held Saturday, he said.

“The swell is supposed to be better tomorrow,” he said.

Check back at thehurleypro.com for updates.