With 5 minutes left in the final heat of the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Ali'i Beach Park, and 20- to 25-foot wave faces bombarding Hale'iwa, Roy Powers had his three fellow finalists beat and waiting on the beach.

In the process, the 26-year-old Powers qualified for the 2008 World Championship Tour after falling off the tour in 2006. The young, regular-footer from Hanalei, Kaua'i won in impressive fashion by getting two gaping tubes in the final, netting a 9.17 and a 9.67, the highest two-wave total (18.84) of the contest.

"I'm so stoked right now, everything just came together," Powers said. "To get a barrel out at Hale'iwa and make it? C'mon! And to get two of 'um? And win the event? It's not 2-foot Hale'iwa, it's 12-foot and it's serious out there."

Powers faced off against Australian WCT surfers Bede Durbige and Joel Parkinson, who would finish in second and third, respectively. Also joining them was Waialua's Sean Moody, who finished fourth, but was genuinely stoked for his good friend's victory. In fact, Moody even helped shoulder Powers up the beach after the final.

"(Powers) deserved it, he needed it and he needed the points to qualify for the (WCT), more power to him and I'm happy for him," said Moody, who fell victim to the strong currents in the final. "I got pretty pounded out there and got a couple of sets on the head. My mind wanted to do it, but my body couldn't do it."

Earlier in the day, Moody and Powers eliminated 2007 Foster's ASP World Champion Mick Fanning and defending Triple Crown champ Andy Irons in the quarterfinals. From there, the two local boys dominated Australians Jay Thompson and Dean Morrison in the semifinals.

"Me and Sean (Moody) are really close and to be out at Hale'iwa with him, I'm so stoked," Powers said. "We'll remember this forever and that's what dreams are made of."

Surfing four heats at epic, 10- to 12-foot Hale'iwa with one of your best friends. Taking out two world champions. Winning the first jewel of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing and qualifying for the WCT at the same time. Priceless. Powers values it all and now has a great chance for his childhood dreams of being crowned Triple Crown champ.

"To me, to a Hawaiian, to someone that's grown up here, winning the Triple Crown is everything," Powers said. "It's where legends are made and it's what matters, at this point. I would rather win a Triple Crown than a world title."