Experience triumphed over youth yesterday at the 1-Star Qualifying Series Sponsor Me Sunset Open presented by Da Hui.

Former Triple Crown Champ Myles Padaca, 38, won the professional surf event in 16- to 20-foot waves. He beat out Kauai's Alex Smith, 19, who finished second at the first contest of the Association of Surfing Professionals' Hawaii season. Padaca was stoked on the waves offered at Sunset Beach yesterday.

“;Conditions were pretty epic and you couldn't ask for a better day,”; Padaca said. “;It was really trying conditions and I'm exhausted. I feel like a triathlete or something.”;

Padaca, a fixture at Sunset, affectionately calls the surf break “;our office.”; His local knowledge of the break paid off in the final heat, getting the victory over Smith, Jonah Morgan (third) and Billy Kemper (fourth).

“;Billy Kemper, Alex and Jonah were surfing really good,”; said Padaca, whose last contest victory came nine years ago. “;It's good to finally win an event again. I'd like to dedicate this win to my friends that passed away this past year: Delta Thompson, Om Foldger and this guy, Richard Finney, who was instrumental in developing my career on the Big Island.”;

All day Padaca used the strategy of catching a big wave, then backing up the high score with a wave from the inside of the lineup. While Padaca stuck to his game plan and rarely wiped out, Smith wasn't as fortunate.

The young surfer dazzled the audience and judges all day with his smooth approach to the heavy waves. He had two opportunities to win the final, once in the beginning and another in the waning seconds. At the start of the heat, he fell on a wave with a high scoring potential. Then in the last 25 seconds of the 30-minute final, Smith needed a three-point ride, but couldn't catch the necessary size wave.

“;It was one of the slowest heats of the day,”; Smith said of the lack of high-scoring rides in the final. “;All my other heats I was catching wave after wave, but it was a little different in the final.”;

Although he didn't win the event, this was still Smith's best result at Sunset Beach so far.