DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Pancho Sillivan rode the lip of the last wave he caught during the finals of the Xcel Pro at Sunset Beach yesterday. It was his third career victory in this event.
Focus helps
Sullivan win
Veteran Hawaii pro surfer Pancho Sullivan knows how to maximize limited opportunities.
The 30-year-old Pupukea resident does not travel with either world tour, getting paid primarily to surf the big waves on Oahu's North Shore and compete in a handful of events held there each winter season.
In the finals of the season kickoff event yesterday, Sullivan overcame both a trio of up-and-coming young pros and a major lull that provided not a single wave for most of the 35-minute heat, to win his third career Xcel Pro title at Sunset Beach.
The dearth of waves "really starts to get in your head a little bit, you start second-guessing your game plan," Sullivan said. "But I've started working with a coach -- Rainos Hayes -- and he really emphasizes that I be confident in my ability -- which I am. Also, really focus on getting the set waves, putting myself in positions to get those waves, and making those waves count."
"I just feel blessed to be able to surf for a living, get an opportunity to get in the ocean every day, and I just try to take complete advantage of that," he added. "Surfing in these contests is just one aspect of the sport that I enjoy, but it definitely feels good to win."
For the 20th edition of the Xcel, waves yesterday were in the 8- to 12-foot-face range with occasional bigger sets. Though Hawaii pros dominated the contest bracket, Mainland U.S., Australian, Japanese and Puerto Rican surfers also participated, with the total draw for the three-day event numbering nearly 140 surfers.
A two-star World Qualifying Series event, the Xcel also served as the final contest in the three-event Hawaii Pro/Am Circuit (the other two events were held in early 2003).
Sullivan, who's been surfing Sunset Beach for over two decades, demonstrated his mastery of its tricky conditions and fickle waves by nabbing two solid scores out of his three total rides in the final -- the last of the pair coming with only a few seconds left.
"What I express in my surfing is commitment, and I try to dig deep and surf every wave as hard as I can," Sullivan said. "Ultimately, the most critical maneuvers are going to win the event, and that's what I'm looking for."
With an incoming tide causing the lull in the action, the other three finalists -- Hawaii's Fred Patacchia Jr. and Nathan Carroll, and Australia's Nick Muscroft -- also managed just three waves each, but all struggled to get even one good score.
On his way to victory in the final and the $5,000 winner's check, Sullivan wasn't even pressured until there was less than a minute left. Patacchia, the defending champion, finally managed to get a solid 12-foot wave with 30 seconds remaining, and completed a successful backside barrel ride for a 9.5 (out of 10 maximum) wave score -- highest of the final.
But Sullivan immediately answered back, taking the final wave of the heat and twice gouging huge rail-to-rail turns before following with two more off-the-top maneuvers as the final horn sounded. He received a 7.7 for the ride, and combined with a 7.5 he received earlier, sealed the victory with 15.2 total points.
"I was out there and couldn't get into a rhythm, and I knew I needed something big," said Patacchia, 21, who ended up in second place with a 13.3 total, winning $2,500. "I knew if I wasn't (to end up) in fourth (place), I needed to get shacked (barreled). ... It's definitely beneficial to go for it at Sunset, but, you know, Pancho Sullivan is almost impossible to beat out here. In order to beat him, you have to do something spectacular."
Muscroft, also 21, finished in third with 7.6 total points and won $2,000 in prize money, while Carroll, 19, took fourth and $1,500 with just 4.5 points.
Embarking on his fifth season surfing the North Shore, the Xcel was Muscroft's first Hawaii event ever. The young Aussie further punctuated his debut by being the only surfer during the entire event to receive a perfect 10 score, coming after a nearly impossible three-second disappearing-then-reappearing act he pulled through a big barrel during the semifinals.
Being in the final with Sullivan and two other Hawaii pros "was a bit intimidating, definitely," Muscroft said, "but I knew it was what I had to expect. It was hard, but those guys are all cool out there -- I was just stoked to surf with them. ... I couldn't be happier."
Carroll had a chance to win the HPAC series entering the Xcel final, needing to place second or win. With his fourth-place result, North Shore surfer Love Hodel took the title.
A longboard expression session was held between the semis and final, with former Hawaii world champion Dino Miranda scoring the win and $500. Hawaii's Kapono Nahina and Joey Valentin rounded out the top three spots.
The next event of the men's season is the first of the prestigious Vans Triple Crown of Surfing -- the Vans Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa, which begins its waiting period next Wednesday.
