The rest of the elite surfers on the World Championship Tour are in Brazil, but Pancho Sullivan is right where he wants to be — at Sunset Beach.

Sullivan is a member of the WCT, but he opted to skip the contest in Brazil so he could compete in the Xcel Pro at Sunset Beach.

Sullivan, who was raised at Sunset Beach, won his third-round heat in impressive fashion yesterday. The second and third rounds were completed in 4- to 8-foot waves.

"I could have gone to Brazil and tried to get a good result there," said Sullivan, 35. "But it was a situation where I wanted to come home and get healthy and spend more time with my family."

Sullivan has been bothered by a neck injury all year, and is ranked No. 36 on the 2008 WCT. Only 45 surfers are allowed to compete on the WCT, including Kelly Slater, Andy Irons and Bruce Irons.

The Xcel Pro is part of the World Qualifying Series, so the field features mostly younger competitors.

In any case, Sullivan said this will be his last year of world-tour surfing. Starting now, he wants to do most of his surfing in Hawai'i.

"I'm traveling 200 days of the year on the tour," he said. "It's a great way to make a living, don't get me wrong. But being away from my family for that long is something I don't want to sacrifice any more for any amount of money or prestige."

Sullivan and his wife, Haunani, have a 4-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son.

Sullivan has long been considered a stalwart in North Shore waves, and the Xcel Pro has been one of his proving points. He has won the Xcel Pro a record-tying three times (1998, 2000 and '03).

"Any opportunity to surf at Sunset is big for me," he said. "This is my home break. I thrive on this wave and these conditions."

The Xcel Pro is considered the annual kickoff event for the North Shore surfing season, and Sullivan is treating it as such.

"I wanted to surf in this event to see where I'm at as far as my injuries," he said. "It's not 100 percent, but it's definitely better. Just sleeping in the right bed and being able to relax at home, I think makes a big difference."

Other standout surfers from yesterday's third round included defending champion Joel Centeio, Kaipo Jaquias, Tommy O'Brien, Ola Eleogram, Dusty Payne, Kamalei Alexander, Evan Valiere and Kekoa Bacalso.

One more day of competition remains to determine a champion. For information, visit http://www.xcelwetsuits.com or call 596-7873.