[ SURFING ]

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Keegan Edwards styled on the nose during the finals heat on his way to winning yesterday's HLF competition at Kuhio Beach.

Edwards takes his
turn at top of HLF

He made it into the finals twice
last year but was never
able to seal the deal

---

By Brandon Lee
blee@starbulletin.com

Under ominously gray skies with rain clouds extending to the horizon, the time finally came for longboard surfer Keegan Edwards to shine.

Yesterday, Edwards, 20, won the professional division of the Hawaiian South Shore Open at the Queen's break of Kuhio Beach.

The event was the first of four contests for the sixth annual Hawaiian Longboard Federation 2002 Steinlager series.

After surfing well and making two finals during the three series events he entered in 2001, Edwards broke through after finishing no better than second last year. He picked up his first HLF win in the 1- to 3-foot surf and the $600 first prize.

"This is my first victory in the HLF and I'm kind of on a roll," said Edwards, who secured his second consecutive victory overall for the year after taking the Quiksilver Makahiki contest at Makaha back in January.

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Jamie Ballenger, winner of the men's 200 lbs plus division, did a 360 turn in the finals heat.

"I want to keep it going, I'm stoked," he added.

The conditions were glassy with the right-hand waves consistent for most of the day as the professionals took to the water for the finals.

Edwards managed a long noseride on his first wave for a score of 7.6 out of 10 from the judges. He then followed that up at approximately the midpoint of the 25-minute heat by catching the second wave of the biggest set for an 8.5 -- highest of the finals.

After the set, the ocean calmed down and the waves were hard to come by for the first long stretch. Edwards' final scoring ride was only a 4.0, but his two strong scores earlier were enough to carry him to the victory.

The St. Louis Heights resident placed first in all four heats he surfed over the two-day event.

"There were a couple sets that rolled in," Edwards said. "Lucky enough, everyone got a wave.

"I just lucked out and got the best one, I guess.

"I really needed one more wave, but some times two (high scores) will bring you through if no one else catches a third (either). It was just my turn (to win)."

Coming in second to Edwards' three-wave total of 20.1 points was his good friend Kai Sallas, with 18.0. Sion Milosky placed third with 16.1, while Duane DeSoto finished fourth with 15.0.

Among other notables, Tyra Freitas won the hotly contested Wahine division, with Maka Puaa coming in second and Lee Barraclough in third.

More than 200 competitors in 12 divisions participated in the South Shore Open, with the next HLF event set for June 22-23 at Lahaina Harbor.

Sallas had also placed first in all of his heats leading up to the finals, the only one of the four finalists besides Edwards to do so.

Like his buddy Edwards was before the South Shore Open, Sallas is still waiting for his first HLF win.

But some of his disappointment was tempered at least a bit by the fact that Edwards was the one who beat him.

"Me and Keegan surf together every day," Sallas, 21, said. "Yeah, (second) doesn't matter."