The waves came up, but many of the Hawai'i surfers went down at the Billabong World Junior Championships yesterday.

The third round of the men's division was completed in 6- to 8-foot waves at North Narrabeen, Australia.

Five of the six remaining Hawai'i surfers were eliminated in the third round.

The only Hawai'i surfer to advance to the fourth round was Tonino Benson of Kailua, Kona. He defeated Japan's Nobuyuki Osawa in the third round.

"I think there's a big difference between big reef breaks and big sand bars and that's why the Hawaiians had a bit of trouble today," Benson said. "There are a few waves similar to this where I live. I think that gave me an advantage."

Benson, 18, is a former world amateur champion and the 2007 national scholastic champion. He is scheduled to face France's Romain Cloitre in the fourth round.

The five Hawai'i surfers eliminated were Casey Brown, Mason Ho, Granger Larsen, Clay Marzo and Kyle Ramey.

Brown, who is also from Kailua, Kona, was a hard-luck loser in his third-round heat. Brown had the lead late in the 30-minute heat, but South Africa's Brandon Jackson caught a winning wave as the final horn sounded.

Needing a score of 4.0 to beat Brown, Jackson received a score of 4.67 on his final wave.

Ho, who finished third at last year's World Junior Championships, also suffered a tough loss. Needing a score of 5.8 to win his heat in the closing minutes, Ho received a 5.17 on his last wave.

Of the 16 surfers remaining in the men's division, five are from Australia.

The top seed of the event, Brazil's Adriano de Souza, was upset yesterday by Australian Owen Wright.

The contest is considered the world championship for surfers age 20 and younger, professional or amateur.

The girls division did not run heats yesterday. Hawai'i surfers in the girls division are Coco Ho, Leila Hurst and Alessa Quizon.