After three months in prison followed by six months of house arrest in California, Sunny Garcia has a new appreciation for the sport that made him famous.

Garcia will celebrate his freedom by entering the 2007 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, which is scheduled to start Nov. 12.

"Not to downplay it, but I looked at my time in prison as being on vacation," said Garcia, 37. "After 20 years of doing the (pro surfing) tour, you take things for granted. Prison was a little wake-up call for me. For the first time in my life I got to sit down and think about who I am and what I like to do.

"I forgot how much I really do love surfing. Not just as a sport, but everything about it ... waking up in the morning to put on a pair of boardshorts and go surf. I was fortunate to get paid to do what I love. Now, even though I have no sponsors, there's nothing I want to do more."

The Triple Crown of Surfing features three separate contests on O'ahu's North Shore. It is considered the most prestigious series in the world for professional surfers, and Garcia has won it a record six times.

"Sitting 100 miles inland in prison got me thinking just how fortunate a life I've had being a surfer, growing up in Hawai'i, being around the ocean," said Garcia, who was raised in Wai'anae. "The real hell was getting out of prison and being under house arrest — I was out, but I still couldn't surf."

Garcia pleaded guilty to tax evasion in June 2006, and was sentenced in October 2006 to serve three months at a federal prison in Bakersfield, Calif.

He was allowed to compete in the 2006 Triple Crown of Surfing, although he did not reach the quarterfinals in any of the three contests.

Garcia, who won surfing's world championship in 2000, failed to report on his tax forms that he won more than $400,000 in prize money between 1996 and 2001.

After completing his prison sentence, Garcia spent six months under house arrest in San Diego.

While under house arrest, Garcia completed his community service hours working at Goodwill. He also voluntarily coached the Huntington Beach High School surf team.

Despite sporting a hefty ankle tracking device, he was also able to embark upon a fitness training regimen that has been critical in preparing for the large winter surf that will again set the stage for the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

"This time last year I weighed 225 pounds," Garcia said. "Now I'm down to 190. When I won the world title I weighed 185."

Garcia was expected to arrive on O'ahu this week, and may enter the Xcel Pro contest next week prior to competing in the Triple Crown.

"The thing about the Triple Crown is the anticipation of coming back to Hawai'i and knowing that winter time is going to be big," he said. "It's the challenge of three totally different events and all the possible conditions. Just the anticipation of coming home. Driving over the hill and looking down over the North Shore ... you can't even explain the feeling. There's nothing better. That's when I know I'm still the most fortunate person in the world."