The tradition of the Xcel Pro came on Hawaiian time for Joel Centeio, but better late than never.

Centeio won the 24th annual Xcel Pro yesterday for his first professional victory in a North Shore contest.

The final day was run yesterday at Sunset Beach in wave-face heights that ranged from 4 to 10 feet throughout the day.

"This is a huge relief," said Centeio, who is 24 and resides in Makakilo. "I've been waiting for six years, ever since I turned pro, to get a big win like this."

Centeio won a world amateur championship in 2000, and has been pegged for stardom ever since. But yesterday was his first victory since he joined the World Qualifying Series — the international series for up-and-coming surfers hoping to qualify for the World Championship Tour — in 2002.

Perhaps fittingly, the Xcel Pro has developed a reputation as a launching point for many young surfers. Among the surfers who won the Xcel Pro at a young age include Andy Irons, Bruce Irons, Fred Patacchia Jr. and Pancho Sullivan.

"Just looking at some of the names on that list is so impressive," Centeio said. "And now I'm on it with some of the best."

It didn't come easy.

Centeio won the 35-minute final with a high-scoring wave in the final minute.

After trailing for most of the heat, Centeio caught his final wave as time was winding down and proceeded to complete three precise carving maneuvers along the top of the wave.

The judges rewarded him with a score of 7.77.

"It was kind of a small wave, but I was focusing on hitting it as hard as I could," he said.

But on the very next wave, Mason Ho rode through a barrel and received a score of 6.7.

"I turned around and saw Mason get barreled and figured he won," Centeio said. "I was so happy when I saw my friends running on the beach. That's when I knew I won."

Centeio's two best waves in the final received a total score of 16.1. He received $10,000 for the victory.

Ho led for most of the final, but finished in second place with a two-wave score of 12.73.

"Joel surfed really powerful," Ho said. "He deserved it. He surfed unreal and he beat me, fair and square."

Ho, who is the son of famous North Shore surfer Michael Ho, advanced through both his quarterfinal and semifinal heats with last-second waves.

"I guess I had my luck earlier, so maybe it ran out in the final," Mason said. "But I'm definitely stoked with second."

At 19, Ho was the youngest of the four surfers in the final.

He also barely made it into the contest — he was the last "alternate" to get in.

Makuakai Rothman of O'ahu's North Shore placed third. He also made the final heat last year, when he finished fourth.

Alex Gray of California posted the best score in the semifinals, but finished fourth in the final.

Wai'anae's Sunny Garcia, the 2000 world champion, was eliminated in the fourth round.

The Xcel Pro is considered the kickoff event for the famous North Shore surfing season.

The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is scheduled to begin on Monday. The first event in the Triple Crown is the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Hale'iwa Ali'i Beach.

FINAL RESULTS

1, Joel Centeio (Hawai'i), $10,000. 2, Mason Ho (Hawai'i), $5,000. 3, Makuakai Rothman (Hawai'i), $3,000. 4, Alex Gray (California), $2,400. 5 (tie), Shane Beschen (California) and Kekoa Bacalso (Hawai'i), $2,000. 7 (tie), Jordy Smith (South Africa) and Jesse Merle-Jones (Hawai'i), $1,700. 9 (tie), Marcus Hickman (Hawai'i), Killian Garland (California), Myles Padaca (Hawai'i) and Evan Valiere (Hawai'i), $1,500. 13 (tie), Wesley Larsen (Hawai'i), Raymond Reichle (Hawai'i), Reuben Balmores (Hawai'i) and T.J. Barron (Hawai'i), $1,300.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.