SAN DIEGO — A man who killed professional surfer Emery Kauanui with a single punch yesterday was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison following a murder trial that captivated the wealthy seaside community of La Jolla.

Seth Cravens, 23, apologized to the victim's family and to his own family in a brief statement. Kauanui, 24, suffered the punch outside his mother's house on May 24, 2007.

"I'm really sorry for your guys' loss," Cravens said, turning in his chair to face Kauanui's mother and older brother.

Superior Court Judge John Einhorn said the death was "unforgivable" and sentenced Cravens to 15 years for second-degree murder and five years for an unrelated assault.

Cindy Kauanui choked with emotion as she recounted raising three boys on her own, first on Kaua'i and later in Southern California after Hurricane 'Iniki devastated the island in 1992. Emery, the middle child, loved the ocean.

"Emery loved everybody; he knew the true meaning of aloha," his mother said. "His dream was to travel the world and learn other people's experience in life."

She turned to Cravens and said, "You can find perfect love through Jesus Christ."

Craven's attorney, Mary Ellen Attridge, asked for a sentence of 18 years and eight months, noting her client's age and lack of previous criminal record. The judge rejected her request for a new trial or a lesser conviction of voluntary manslaughter.

Attridge told reporters that her client was "very remorseful."

"It's a very sad occasion," she said. "Obviously this is a case about great waste of human life, both the victim's and Mr. Cravens'."

Prosecutor Sophia Roach said the punishment was fair, though she sought the maximum sentence of 26 years, two months to life.

"This sends a strong message ... and that is that violence will not be tolerated by our community," she told reporters.

'FLYING HAWAIIAN'

Nicknamed the "Flying Hawaiian," Kauanui was a fixture at San Diego's Windansea Beach. The prosecutor played a video of Emery's life to Hawaiian music that ended with Emery saying, "Surfing is my passion."

Cravens and four buddies from La Jolla High School were all initially charged with murder, but the other four pleaded guilty to lesser charges and were sentenced in September to between 90 and 249 days in jail. They included Hank Hendricks, a backup quarterback at the University of New Hampshire who was on summer break when the attack occurred.

The defendants remained close after graduation. Prosecutors initially alleged the "Bird Rock Bandits" — a name taken from a local area — was a gang, but Einhorn ruled the defendants could not be prosecuted under anti-gang statutes because the group wasn't formed specifically to commit crimes.

At the sentencing for the four men in September, Einhorn chastised the defendants for spreading fear in La Jolla with alcohol-fueled fights.

Cravens was convicted Nov. 18 of murder and of other crimes dating back to 2005, including assault, battery and making a criminal threat.

An argument that started at a bar led to the confrontation outside the home of Kauanui's mother.

Cravens knocked the surfer to the pavement.

Hospitalized with severe head trauma, Kauanui died a few days later after being taken off life support.