Carroll comes out with 9.27

The HIC Sunset Pro kicked off in solid 8- to 12-foot surf Sunday.

After the event was on hold nearly one week into the waiting period, some of the most perfect surf one could ask for arrived to the stoke of the competitors at Sunset Beach.

Since the HIC Pro is a 4-star Association of Surfing Professionals event and a local qualifier for the Triple Crown, many surfers were eager to do well. One surfer who shined on opening day was Makaha’s Charlie "Boy" Carroll.

Carroll, a past finalist, came out with two heat wins and the highest single-wave score of the first day. He scored a 9.27 for an extremely deep barrel ride in his first heat.

"The wave peaked up on the outside when I took off," he said. "I did one turn, then bottom-turned into the inside section, then I knew I was really deep. I thought I was not going to make it, but I just went for it and lucky enough it just opened for me and I came out."

It helped that the conditions were almost perfect in one of Carroll’s favorite surfing spots.

"This morning was really clean and absolutely perfect," he said. "It’s the ideal size and direction for Sunset. I like surfing Sunset because it’s a big open canvas right where you can really lay into your turns, feel out your board and end it off with a good barrel. It’s kind of a gladiator arena out there that takes a lot of work and you really have to put in your time out there to do well because the lineup is the size of a football field."

Another local surfer who did well Sunday was Myles Padaca. Padaca is a past winner of the event as well as a former Triple Crown champion. Padaca has great knowledge of the wave, having surfed it for many years. He is now coaching some of the world’s best young surfers like Carissa Moore and John John Florence on the nuances of Sunset Beach.

"It just feels great to surf Sunset with only three other guys out," Padaca said. "Whenever there is a swell I surf here at least once a day. The last few swells have been really west; this one had a bit of north, so it makes it more open and rippable. Kamalei (Alexander) was on a smaller board, but I rode a bigger one because that’s just what I do."

Roy Powers is making his return to competition after recently taking a hiatus due to a newborn son. Powers is a former ASP World Tour surfer who is looking forward to the winter ahead.

"I feel good, excited and a little nervous," he said. "The waves are up and the conditions are pristine, so I am looking forward to getting good waves and good competition."

Powers will surf in the 11th heat in the round of 96.

The event is likely to continue today, with a lay day on Tuesday due to Election Day. With another west swell coming later in the week, competition could finish up on Thursday and Friday.

Former event winner and contest director Pancho Sullivan advanced, with Makana Eleogram of Maui earning the highest combined heat total of 15.57.

The HIC Pro will be webcast live at vans.com/hicpro, and broadcast on Oceanic Time Warner Cable in Hawaii.