Local surfers end drought at Xcel Pro

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

The 20th annual Xcel Pro couldn't come soon enough for professional surfers on O'ahu's North Shore.

"I haven't surfed in a contest for a while, so it felt good just to get out there again," Myles Padaca said. "The Xcel Pro is always a great warm up. You get all the jitters out, and it kind of sets the tone for the season."

The third round was completed yesterday in 4- to 8-foot waves at Sunset Beach.

For the Hawai'i surfers who don't compete on the world tour, the Xcel Pro ends a nine-month contest drought. The last professional contest staged in Hawai'i was in February.

"A lot of us choose not to go on tour," Padaca said. "So this is the most important time of year for us."

Many of the so-called big names in the sport — such as Kelly Slater and Andy Irons — are at another world tour contest in Brazil, so this year's Xcel Pro field is highlighted by North Shore experts like Padaca.

"Experience definitely plays a major role, especially here at Sunset," Padaca said. "You got swells coming from all directions, and it's slow with a lot of lulls, so you have to know what's going on out there if you want to get the best waves."

True to the statement, the North Shore surfers were the primary standouts yesterday.

Nathan Carroll, who lives at Sunset Beach, recorded the best scores of the day in his third-round victory. Although only 18, Carroll learned to surf at Sunset Beach and is now a regular there even when the waves approach 20 feet.

His experience showed with scores of 8.5 and 8.0 for his two best waves yesterday.