Payne and Ho beat their friends in finals

Buddies still smiling afterward -- someone had to win the Billabong Junior Pro

It was a scenario these fellow competitors and best friends likely often discussed, and even acted out, during their countless surf sessions together: a head-to-head battle for a big contest title, prestige and cash on the line.

The scenario became reality for Maui's Dusty Payne and Granger Larsen, and Oahu's Coco Ho and Carissa Moore, at the Billabong Junior Pro Hawaii yesterday at Kewalo Basin.

Buddies who spend hours together both in the water and out, Payne defeated Larsen in the junior men's final, while Ho beat Moore in the junior women's.

What's more: Larsen and Moore were the defending Junior Pro Hawaii champions.

"Me and Granger surf at home every day together," said 17-year-old Lahaina resident Payne, who won $2,500 with the result. "After he won (last year), I thought, 'I really want to win that one.' It was great to be in the final with him."

Said the 15-year-old Ho, who picked up $1,250 with her victory: "This is by far one of the best wins for my surfing career. It's always been a goal of mine to win a Junior Pro. ... I always surf with Carissa and we have great sleepovers. We always push each other, so for us to be in the final, and me to beat her -- it's good."

The prestigious two-day contest was for Hawaii's best surfers 20 and under, and waves were in the 1- to 5-foot-face range and clean yesterday.

Fifty-two surfers entered the junior men's competition, while 16 participated in the junior women's.

With their victories, Payne and Ho also earned the top seeds to represent Hawaii at the World Junior Pro Championship to be held Jan. 1-8 at North Narrabeen, Australia.

Larsen and Moore again gained entry into the WJPC with their runner-up finishes. With two additional spots available for the junior men, semifinalists Kai Barger of Maui and Torrey Meister of the Big Island also qualified.

"I'm so stoked just to qualify for it," Payne said.

After making it only to the quarterfinals last year, Payne tallied 16.35 total points (out of 20 maximum) for his top two waves to win the 30-minute junior men's final. Larsen had 12.55.

Payne -- who had the highest single-wave score (9.75) of the event in winning his semi -- dominated from the start, and had what proved to be his top two waves -- an 8.00 and 8.35 -- before 15 minutes passed.

On both rides, the regular-footed surfer was able to string one big backside hit after another on left-breaking waves.

"I got real lucky, and chose the right waves and worked them to my best ability," Payne said.

Larsen, on the other hand, never seemed able to find the rhythm he enjoyed earlier in the day, falling multiple times while going for big maneuvers.

"I had a feeling Dusty was going to do good in this final, and I was just nervous," the 16-year-old explained. "I wanted to do good too, but I was (so far behind) and I just kept falling. ... Still stoked on how I did (overall), though."

For the first time at the Junior Pro, the junior women also went to head-to-head competition for their later rounds. With this two-surfer format that is used mostly on the elite World Championship Tours, priority for wave selection alternates after each surfer goes for a wave.

In last year's four-surfer final, Ho was the runner-up to Moore. Ho again trailed early in yesterday's 30-minute decider, but took the lead at its midpoint with big backside maneuvers of her own and a 7.75 score on one of the nicer left-handed sets of the day.

The Sunset Beach surfer never trailed from that point, but did improve her overall score to 16.00 total points with an 8.25 on another left with 30 seconds remaining.

"This year, priority was on my side," Ho said. "I just got luckier. I got a junk one in the beginning, but then got a good one, was able to keep priority for the majority of the heat and get another good one at the end."

Honolulu's Moore finished with 13.00 total.

"I thought Coco surfed great, and I'm super happy for her," Moore, 14, said. "I had a little trouble with the man-on-man (format) because it's new. It's tricky, but you have to play the game and get used to it."