Mullen soared above the waves and the rest of the field to win the Town & Country/Surfer Magazine Air Invitational yesterday at Queen's Surf, Waikiki.

"Life couldn't be better right now," said Mullen, 24. "I'm going to try and start doing more contests, so this is a good start."

The unique contest is based on completed aerial maneuvers. Each surfer must use the wave as a ramp to launch into the air with his surfboard, and then successfully land back on the wave to receive a score from the judging panel. The higher and more difficult the maneuver, the better the score.

Moves normally scored in other contests, such as barrel rides and cutbacks, are not scored in air contests.

"The biggest difference is you can focus on doing airs and not have to worry about anything else," Mullen said. "In regular contests, you have to rip the wave to shreds all the way. In this one, you can set up for that one big move."

Wave heights were only 1 to 2 feet yesterday, but several of the surfers were able to complete dazzling maneuvers above the waves.

Mullen, for example, was able to consistently complete 360-degree spins while in the air.

"The key is getting the right wave to do it," he said. "You need to get lucky and find that wave with a good section."

On his best wave in the 30-minute final, Mullen completed one 360-degree aerial spin, landed back on the wave, surfed down to another open section, and then completed a second 360-degree spin at the end of the wave. The judges rewarded him with a score of 7.5 (out of 10).

"The wave came and I just tried to do whatever I could on it," he said. "I'm usually happy just to get one (air) move. I was lucky I got two on that one."

MACY MULLEN

Still, his two-wave total score of 13.0 in the four-man final was enough to edge two-time defending champion Gavin Sutherland by a half-point. Mullen received $2,000 for the victory.

Kawika Stillwell of Kaua'i was third and Dustin Cuizon of 'Ewa Beach was fourth.

Sutherland had the best score of the final — an 8.5 for a soaring ride that appeared to place him about five feet above the water. However, he could never find a good second wave.

"I tried to do the same things I was doing the last couple years," he said. "I had that one big air, but I didn't get a good back-up, and it takes two (waves) to win."

Sutherland, 28, is one of a handful of surfers who enters air-surfing contests around the world. He grew up on O'ahu, but moved to San Diego this year so that he could enter more of those events.

"Aerials are pushing the future of surfing," he said. "It hasn't been perfected yet, so it's great to see the young guys going out there and trying it."

The contest was part of a full weekend of surfing on O'ahu's south shore.

The Town & Country Surf Grom Contest, an event for boys and girls ages 14 and younger, started yesterday at Queen's Surf and will conclude today.

The Local Motion Surf Into Summer — one of the state's largest amateur contests — started yesterday at the Ala Moana Bowl and will continue there today and tomorrow.

More than 300 youth surfers are expected to participate in the two events this weekend.