With his arm out of a sling and a smile back on his face, Alex Smith said yesterday that he is eager to duel teammate Shaun Hill for the 49ers' starting quarterback job.

It's an odd competition — a former No. 1 pick vs. a player who wasn't even drafted — but Smith said he welcomed the challenge.

"Competition is part of the game. If anything, it's going to make us better," Smith said. "The best part of it is, Shaun and I are really good friends. We'll both work extremely hard, give it our all and let the chips fall where they may."

Smith, in his first public appearance since the sour ending to his 2007 season, participated in a celebrity crab-cracking competition at Union Square in San Francisco. The charity event raised about $10,000 for the 49ers Foundation.

Smith endured a wretched season a year ago, suffering a separated throwing shoulder and clashing with Coach Mike Nolan.

But he seemed rejuvenated by the off-season, both in body and in spirit, now that he is on the mend from a December shoulder operation.

Smith said his arm stayed in a sling for six weeks after the surgery. His range of motion is already much improved and he hopes to get clearance Wednesday to resume throwing.

In the meantime, Smith said he has no second thoughts about his much-debated decision to go under the knife.

"Not at all," he said. "To be 23, with so much more ahead of me, it's nice to get it fixed."

Smith said he has spoken with new offensive coordinator Mike Martz, but added that he will have to hit the field before he can learn much about the complex system.

He is also excited about the addition of Isaac Bruce, the longtime St. Louis Rams star who agreed to terms with the 49ers on Friday.

"Absolutely," Smith said. "Even last year, you watched him with the Rams and he was catching a lot of balls and making a lot of plays. It's a big plus for us that he's already played with Martz for so long."

Smith's repaired shoulder didn't help him much when it came to cracking crab. Kicker Joe Nedney won the competition handily, nearly doubling the next highest total. ("I'm feeling crabby today," Nedney explained.)

Proceeds from the event go to needy children in the Bay Area. A year ago, the 49ers Foundation raised $1.5 million, its highest total ever.