If the Burger King Hawai'i Amateur Surfing Association State Championships was any indication, many of Hawai'i's top youth surfers are ready to super-size into a professional career.

The three-day contest was completed yesterday in 1- to 2-foot waves at the Ala Moana Bowl. More than 200 surfers from around the state were invited to participate in the event.

"I was amazed at what some of the kids were doing," said David Shipley, who served as head judge for the contest. "I know Australia has a lot of great kids, but I think the cutting edge of surfing is right here in Hawai'i. There are definitely some professionals coming out of this group."

This year's state championships offered prize money for the first time in the 45-year history of the contest, and the surfers showed that they were worthy.

"It gave the kids a little taste of what's out there, and hopefully it will inspire them to continue to a professional career, because a lot of them have the talent to do it," Shipley said.

Maui surfers were especially impressive, taking top honors in the two top divisions — open men and junior men.

Kai Barger, a senior-to-be at King Kekaulike High, collected $500 for winning the open men's division, which is for any age. He had a two-wave score of 17.23 (out of 20), which was one of the highest totals of the contest.

"Winning states means a lot," Barger said. "You do contests all year leading up to this. And Bowls was firing, so it was fun just to be out there."

Fellow Maui surfer Matt Meola was a surprise winner in the junior men's division. That division is for competitors age 18 and younger, and many of them are on the verge of becoming full-time professionals.

He was one of three Maui surfers in the junior men's final, joining Granger Larsen and Dege O'Connell. Kaua'i's Alex Smith was the other finalist.

Meola, 18, is in his second year of competitive surfing. He is a recent home-school graduate.

"I was surprised to be in there with those guys," said Meola, who also received $500. "We go against each other in Maui all the time, so it was good."

Meola received a two-wave score of 13.40, edging O'Connell's total of 13.35.

"It was close the whole way," Meola said. "I think anybody could have won it."

Meola also placed second in the open men's division, even though Larsen described him as "the underdog" among the Maui surfers.

Larsen also made both finals, placing third in junior men and fifth in open men.

"Maui rules," he said with a laugh. "Actually, the waves were pretty good, so it was anybody's game."

O'Connell said: "There's a little bit of island pride in this. We're always cheering each other on, except when we're against each other. But we definitely want Maui to do better than the other islands."

Makaha's Alessa Quizon won the girls division, and also received $500. Quizon is only 13, so she defeated several older females to win the state title.

Coco Ho of Sunset Beach placed second, Alana Blanchard from Kaua'i was third, and Leila Hurst of Kaua'i fourth.

"I think it was neat that all the islands were represented well," Shipley said. "It seemed like there were at least a couple of great performances from a lot of different kids."

The heat of the day went to O'ahu's Keanu Asing, who won the boys division (ages 13 to 14). He received a near-perfect 9.5 (out of 10) and an 8.75 for a two-wave total of 18.25. That division, however, did not offer prize money.

Other surfers receiving prize money included Kainoa Haas, who won the "air show," and Pono Grace, who won the bodyboarding junior men's division.

The top performers in the contest can represent Hawai'i at the Surfing America U.S. Championships at Huntington Beach, Calif., in October.

Many of the Hawai'i surfers will also compete in the National Scholastic Surfing Association National Championships at San Clemente, Calif., later this month.

FINAL RESULTS

SHORTBOARD SURFING

Air show: 1, Kainoa Haas. 2, Derek Wong. 3, Nathan Carvalho. 4, Kaimana Jaquias. 5, Lahiki Minamishin. 6, Dorian Blanchard. Open men: 1, Kai Barger. 2, Matt Meola. 3, Albee Layer. 4, Nathan Rex. 5, Granger Larsen. 6, Kekoa Cazimero. Girls: 1, Alessa Quizon. 2, Coco Ho. 3, Alana Blanchard. 4, Leila Hurst. Menehune: 1, Luke Hitchcock. 2, Ian Gentil. 3, Kain Daly. 4, Kaohi Kahokuloa. Boys: 1, Keanu Asing. 2, Kyle Galtes. 3, Kylen Yamakawa. 4, Ian Bowman-Perreira. Junior men: 1, Matt Meola. 2, Dege O'Connell. 3, Granger Larsen. 4, Alex Smith. Masters: 1, Ben Lacy. 2, Darren Mahoe. 3, Julian Johnson. 4, Brice Yamashita. 5, Scott Kawasaki. 6, Derrick Chang. Men: 1, Makana Ciotti. 2, J.D. Irons. 3, Pancho Peterson. 4, Davin Jaime. 5, Brad Young. 6, Devin Machado. Grandmasters: 1, Kal Faurot. 2, Mark Shima. 3, Brian Suratt. 4, Russell Lewis. 5, Eddie Pieper. 6, Rudy Valentino. Women: 1, Yukiko Whiteside. 2, Mia Melamed. 3, Izumi Morito-Baldwin. 4, Virginia Fajardo. 5, Chie Matsuoka. 6, Kalindi Jacoby. Senior men: 1, Robert Howard. 2, Adam Escobar. 3, Christian Budroe. 4, Todd Murashige. 5, Kent Brown. 6, Steven Iwanaga.

LONGBOARD SURFING

Menehune: 1, Nelson Ahina. 2, Kaoli Kahokuloa. 3, Keoni Perkins. 4, Jackson Hollingsworth. 5, Vanessa Martinez. 6, Kainoa Philpotts. Girls: 1, Kristen Steiner. 2, Erika Steiner. 3, Alana Mock. 4, Heather Faustin. 5, Ashley Ahina. 6, Hana Harrison. 7, Kylee Cunningham. Junior men: 1, Cedric Caires. 2, Bullet Obra. 3, Manuhoa Kane. 4, Tai Graham. 5, Lyon Young. 6, Shawn Walsh. Senior men: 1, Gino Bell. 2, Dean Nakamatsu. 3, Daniel Stein. 4, Jimmy McInnis. 5, Layton Sun. 6, Tomo Saito. Women: 1, Stacia Ahina. 2, Chie Matsuoka. 3, Akoi Pada. 4, Virginia Fajardo. 5, Izumi Morito-Baldwin. 6, Susan Nishida. 7, Mia LaLonde. Legends: 1, Craig Balmores. 2, Brian Suratt. 3, Les Tabuchi. 4, Eddie Pieper. 5, Herb Pruse. 6, Rudy Valentino. Open men: 1, Geoff Wong. 2, Kekoa Enriquez. 3, Nelson Ahina. 4, Les Tabuchi. 5, La'akea Davis. 6, Candice Appleby. Men: 1, Kekoa Enriquez. 2, La'akea Davis. Masters: 1, Shane Hamamoto. 2, Puna Moller.

BODYBOARDING

Boys: 1, Ellison Kobayashi. 2, Travis Smith. 3, Drake Humiston. 4, Boo Boo Cazimero. 5, Kailon Tyndzik. 6, Miki Minamishin. Junior men: 1, Pono Grace. 2, Kapena La'a. 3, Mackenzie Yoshida. 4, Arec Colon-Aldeguer. 5, Bradlee Titus. 6, Pohaku Kekaualua. 7, Tyson Smith. Men: 1, Jason Oh. 2, James Clancy. 3, Mark Gervacio. 4, Josh Giron. 5, Dayne Kim. Launch: 1, Arec Colon-Aldeguer. 2, Dayne Kim. 3, Mackenzie Yoshida. 4 (tie), Mark Gervacio, Jason Oh, Kailon Tyndzik. Women: 1, Summer Hillen. 2, Maili Enos-Branigan. Dropknee: 1, James Clancy. 2, Josh Giron. 3, Kapena La'a. 4, Mark Gervacio.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.