Three days after a professional surfer died in North Shore waves, the world's top professional surfers were back in action yesterday.

The O'Neill World Cup of Surfing — the second jewel of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing — took place at Sunset Beach with waves ranging from 8 feet to 15 feet.

On Friday, Tahiti surfer Malik Joyeux, 25, died in a surfing accident in 6-foot to 10-foot waves at the Banzai Pipeline, which is about a mile away from Sunset Beach.

Joyeux died from asphyxia due to drowning, with a head injury as a contributing cause, according to autopsy findings released yesterday by the medical examiner's office. The autopsy listed the manner of death as "accidental."

Joyeux was from Paeea, Tahiti.

Joyeux's accident occurred during an off-day from competition. He was not entered in the O'Neill World Cup, but all of the competitors in the event either knew him or knew of him.

"We choose this life to surf and Malik's situation was an unfortunate thing," said Wai'anae's Sunny Garcia, a former world champion. "It was just a freak accident. You can't let that hold you back. I think we all realize that we're taking a chance every day we go into the water."

Sunset Beach surfer Pancho Sullivan added: "I think it rattled everybody in the surfing community. But as professionals, you have to move forward and realize that this is what we do."

Randy Rarick, executive director of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, said surfers will pay a private tribute to Joyeux tonight at the Pipeline Masters pre-contest dinner.

A memorial ceremony for Joyeux will be tomorrow around 2 p.m. at the Banzai Pipeline beach.

At yesterday's event, lifeguards were patrolling the water on two personal watercraft.

"I always feel a little on edge, but when something like that happens to a really good surfer, you're really on edge," said big-wave surfer Brock Little, who was part of the water safety patrol team yesterday. "It just makes you aware that it could happen at anytime."

Yesterday's action was halted at midday when the big waves became "unruly," according to Rarick.

But he said Joyeux's accident had nothing to do with his decision to postpone the contest.

"Obviously, a situation like that makes everybody take notice," Rarick said. "But from a competitive standpoint, it doesn't have any bearing on what we do here. It's two totally different situations."

Despite unruly waves at Sunset Beach, Rarick said the fast-breaking waves at the Banzai Pipeline — the final leg in the Triple Crown of Surfing — are considered more dangerous.

The Rip Curl Pro Pipeline Masters is scheduled to run Dec. 8 to 20 at the Banzai Pipeline.

"Once we go to Pipeline, I think we'll all be watching each other a little more closely," Little said. "But who are we kidding? That day (of Joyeux's accident) at Pipe was perfect. The waves were really good, not that big, and it still happened. You just never know."

Because of that, Little said surfing deaths may be virtually inevitable.

"Unfortunately, it's already happened to a few people in my lifetime," he said. "You hope it never happens again, but it's probably not the last."

Joyeux is survived by his mother, Helene Joyeux; father, Michel Ibarz; brother, Teiva Joyeux; sister, Thilan Joyeux; fiancee, Kamakea Bambridge; sister-in-law, Nina Heiberg and grandmother, Jeanine Joyeux.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.