Tyler Newton of Kaua'i earned a trip to Australia by winning the Rip Curl GromSearch National Final contest last weekend at Salt Creek, Calif.

Newton won the boys 16-under division, and will represent the United States at the International Final next April at Bells Beach, Australia.

"I'm so stoked," Newton said. "I can't wait to go to Bells."

Another Kaua'i surfer, Koa Smith, won the boys 12-under division (the International Final in Australia only has a 16-under division). He also placed fourth in the boys 14-under division.

Among other Hawai'i surfers, Keanu Asing placed second in the boys 14-under division, Ashley Hunter placed fourth in the girls 16-under division, and Alex Smith placed sixth in the boys 16-under division.

BIG-WAVE SURFING SEASON ON THE WAY

The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is scheduled to start next week, and the big-wave surfing season is not far behind.

The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational could run any day between Dec. 1 and Feb. 28. The contest runs at Waimea Bay only on a day when waves are at least 20 feet (or 40-foot faces) and surfable.

The list of invited surfers for "The Eddie" was released last week by Quiksilver.

The chosen 24: Clyde Aikau, Ross Clarke-Jones, Shane Dorian, Keone Downing, Sunny Garcia, Mark Healey, Michael Ho, Andy Irons, Bruce Irons, Noah Johnson, Brian Keaulana, Rusty Keaulana, Titus Kinimaka, Brock Little, Peter Mel, Jamie O'Brien, Myles Padaca, Paul Paterson, Tony Ray, Makua Rothman, Kelly Slater, Jamie Sterling, Pancho Sullivan and Darryl Virostko.

Because of its high standard, the contest has been completed just seven times since the first one in 1984. Kaua'i's Bruce Irons won it the last time it was completed, in 2004.

MORE INVITATIONS FOR BIG-WAVE SURFERS

Invitations also went out this week for the 3rd annual North Shore Tow-In Surfing Championship.

Twenty two-man teams were invited, including seven teams from Hawai'i.

The contest has a holding period of Dec. 15 to March 31. It will run on a day when waves are at least 20 feet (or 40-foot faces) off Hale'iwa.

In tow-in surfing, one partner operates a personal watercraft, and the other surfer is "towed" into the wave via a rope attached to the watercraft. The partners must alternate between driving the watercraft and surfing throughout the contest.

Hawai'i teams who were invited: Garrett McNamara/Keali'i Mamala, Noah Johnson/Sion Milosky, Shane Dorian/Ian Walsh, Jamie Sterling/Mark Healey, Dan Moore/Mark Anderson, Makua Rothman/Ikaika Kalama, Archie Kalepa/Buzzy Kerbox.

Teams from Australia, Brazil, California, Tahiti, South Africa, Chile and Mexico have also been invited.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.