The waves were a little inconsistent off Kewalo Basin yesterday, but the late-season consistency of Kai Sallas and the overall consistency of Kamu Auwae were still rewarded.

Sallas won the final contest of the 2008 Steinlager Shaka Longboard Series yesterday at the "Straight Outs" break off Kewalo Basin.

Auwae placed fifth, but clinched the overall title for the 2008 series.

"Straight Outs is kind of a tricky wave; not a place I would normally surf," Sallas said. "But it ended up being pretty fun. You could get some long rides if you found the right ones. It was just hard to find."

The 2008 Steinlager Series featured five contests. Sallas ended the season by winning the last three.

He dominated yesterday's final, receiving scores of 9.0 (out of 10) and 9.0 for his two best waves, giving him a total of 18.0. Sallas, who is 27 and resides in Waikiki, received $1,200 for the victory.

"I think the last time I surfed this spot was for a (scholastic) contest when I was like 15," he said. "But I was able to get a couple good ones, so it worked out."

Genki Kino placed second, Rusty Keaulana was third, and Ezra Rodrigues was fourth.

The Steinlager Series usually draws all of the state's top professional and amateur longboard surfers, but there were several significant no-shows yesterday, including Bonga Perkins, Duane DeSoto and Kekoa Uemura.

"I think what happened is this contest got pushed back and switched around so much, a lot of the guys forgot about it," Sallas said. "And some guys are away, doing other stuff."

Yesterday's contest was originally scheduled to run Sept. 13 at Hale'iwa, but it got postponed twice due to insufficient conditions.

Because of the small turnout, Sallas had to win three heats yesterday to earn the first-place check. In most of the other contests, he would have surfed five heats.

"I came out here, made my money and did my job regardless of how many people showed up," Sallas said.

Sallas finished at No. 2 in the 2008 ratings, primarily because he missed the second contest of the year.

Auwae placed fifth or better in each of the five contests this year to win the overall series for the first time in his career.

"My goal was to make the finals in every contest, so I was actually disappointed to not make it today," Auwae said. "But when I found out I took the series, I felt better."

Auwae, who is 29 and resides in Nanakuli, is considered a "local pro," and does not travel to compete in international contests.

"I have a regular job, and I don't have the money to travel," he said. "I just like to focus on the contests here. That's good enough for me. But if any sponsors want to send me some place, I'll listen."

In any case, the surfers are hoping the Steinlager Series can return in 2009.

"Without this series, we really don't have anything for longboarding," Auwae said. "We need this."

Sallas added: "When I don't compete for a while, I feel rusty. If anything, these contests keep our skills sharp, so it's important to keep it going."