This past week we were graced with a southwest swell that arrived just in time for local and international surfers who were here to compete at our beautiful beaches.

Knowing the conditions were good and all these great contests were happening simultaneously, it was difficult to plan how to cover everything without missing any of the exciting action.

Traditionalists would say there is no soul in covering a World Tour event, so why even bother? Supporters of Dane Reynolds would say it would be crazy not to cover an event that is bound to have some of the best competitive surfing ever witnessed.

Well, I did my best and managed to be in San Clemente on Saturday for the final day of the Boost Mobile Pro presented by Hurley, and then drove back to Ventura to witness the final day of the 11th annual Donnie Solomon Pro-Am presented by the Western Surfing Association.

While the atmosphere of these two events may have been very different, both contests achieved goals of raising support and awareness for some really great causes, and proved that the soul of surfing is alive and well in the heart of California.

The Foster's ASP World Tour was at trestles in San Clemente last week for its sixth stop. The event raised awareness for the current environmental and political issues affecting the lower trestles area. The state of California wants to build a highway right through the preserve at trestles, and activists gave information on how the public can help preserve the existing environment. The contest proved to be the most exciting World Tour event of the year, with the final day seeing some of the best waves California has had in 2007. Ventura's Reynolds arguably surfed better than anyone in the contest making eight-time world champion Kelly Slater very happy, while managing to anger an entire Australian continent by defeating current No. 1 Mick Fanning and No. 2 Taj Burrow.

Reynolds was the man to beat until he came up against Floridian C.J. Hobgood in the fourth round. Hobgood put Reynolds on the ropes right at the beginning, getting the only barrel of the contest and backing it up with some technically perfect surfing.

The best heat belonged to former Ventura local Taylor Knox and Slater. Slater unleashed his bag of tricks, putting Knox in a combo situation needing a total of 18.24 out of 20 to take the heat. That's when Knox caught the wave of the day, literally destroying the lip of the wave with some critical forehand turns and floaters that scored him the only perfect 10 of the contest. Knox had one more wave that could have won the heat for him, but fell after a tail sliding snap giving Slater the heat win.

The finals saw two guys in their mid-30s battling it out after having to surf three previous heats in the same day. Thirty-four-year-old Pancho Sullivan lost to an 35-year-old Slater after outlasting and outclassing all of the younger competitors. Slater clinched his 34th elite tour victory, breaking the longstanding record held by Santa Barbara native Tim Curran.

Slater has been in the final of the Boost Mobile Pro for the last four years. He finished runner-up in 2004 and 2006, and claimed wins in 2007 and in 2005. The win in San Clemente put Slater 230 points behind ratings leader Fanning, positioning him in a comfortable spot to take his ninth world title.

The Western Surfing Association made its second stop at Seaside Park in Ventura to host the Donnie Solomon Pro-Am.

Every year a group of friends and dedicated surfers congregate to Seaside Park to remember one of the most inspirational surfers of our time. Solomon died in December 1995 surfing big waves at Waimea, Hawaii, exactly one year after legendary big-wave rider Mark Foo lost his life surfing big waves at Mavericks in California.

Solomon, who volunteered for the Red Cross shortly after three people lost their lives in the rainstorms of 1992 and 1993, encouraged people to receive training in first aid and CPR as well as lifeguard training. While traveling and competing in the World Qualifying Series, Solomon visited Red Cross facilities throughout the world.

The spirit of Solomon is reflected in every participant and event organizer that has ever been associated with the event, and the message of helping is passed on to future generations of surfers through the words of Solomon's father, Randy, and by the actions of all the people who put the event together every year.

It was great to see all the families who came out to support the event from as far away as Oregon, including the Kudlas and Zemkes from San Clemente, the Kehoes from Santa Monica and the Lawsons.

There were some fantastic results, but everyone who competed is a winner for just taking part in the greatest surfing competition held in Ventura.

Every year the contest gets bigger and better, but ultimately the organizers would like to see "The Donnie," as it is commonly known, become a World Qualifying Series event.

I know I will be back next year to support the event and I hope to see all of those great smiling faces and hands holding the sign for peace. Just like Solomon did.

— If you have any information regarding the local surfing scene, e-mail David Burroughs at runemason@yahoo.com. The Surfing Scene appears Tuesdays in The Star.