Surfers who braved the rising costs of gasoline and airline tickets to get to Ala Moana Bowls the past three days were greeted with a rising swell.

The result was a priceless experience for many of them at the Hard Rock Cafe/Burger King State Championships. The final day of the three-day contest was completed yesterday in pristine 2- to 5-foot waves.

The event is the season finale for the Hawai'i Amateur Surfing Association, and more than 270 surfers from around the state participated.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience to surf on a day like this with only three girls out there," said 15-year-old Erika Steiner from Hanalei, Kaua'i. "All three days were good, so it was way worth it to come here for this."

Steiner won the girls longboard division and placed fourth in the girls shortboard division.

The top surfers from the state championship contest will represent Hawai'i at the Surfing America USA Championships at Huntington Beach, Calif., in August.

Yesterday, state champions were crowned in 25 divisions.

Kylen Yamakawa was the surprise winner in the prestigious junior men's division. That division is for surfers age 18 and younger, and many of them are on the verge of joining the professional tour.

But Yamakawa, who is 16 and a sophomore-to-be at 'Iolani School, has at least three more years on the amateur circuit.

Because he was surfing against older competitors in the junior men's final, he said he stayed away from the stronger surfers.

"I'm a slower paddler than all those guys, so I stayed inside while they were outside," he said. "But it worked, I guess, because I got two waves before those guys got anything."

Dege O'Connell of Hana, Maui, placed second, Kapu Ping of Wahiawa was third, and Levi Gonzales of Kailua, Kona, was fourth.

The junior men's division was one of three divisions that offered prize money, and Yamakawa received $500.

"Winning money is always nice," Yamakawa said.

O'Connell, who was the junior men's runner-up for the second consecutive year, said: "This contest gives money, so it's one of the best ones."

Ha'a Aikau of Waimanalo received $500 for winning the boys (ages 13-14) division.

Keanu Asing of 'Ewa Beach placed second in both the boys and open divisions. Last week, Asing was surfing in France as part of the Hawai'i team at the World Junior Championships.

"That was like going against the world's best, and this is like going against the state's best," Asing said. "They're both tough."

Nage Melamed of Hanalei, Kaua'i, also received $500 for winning the girls shortboard division.

"These were some of the best contest waves I've ever surfed," said Melamed, 14.

Many of the youth surfers in the state championship contest will participate in the National Scholastic Surfing Association Championships later this month at San Clemente, Calif.

"This is good preparation for nationals," Melamed said.

The state championship featured divisions for shortboard surfing, longboard surfing, bodyboarding and stand-up paddle surfing.

La'akea Davis of Waimanalo won two divisions, taking the men's longboard and open longboard titles. Davis, 21, is an unsponsored competitor, so he is hoping this week's results can boost his resume.

"These contests are how you learn to compete and meet a lot of people in the sport, so hopefully, it helps me move up to something bigger," Davis said. "The waves were perfect the last couple days so that helped."

FINAL RESULTS

BODYBOARDING

Men: 1, James Clancy. 2, Bradda La'a. 3, Dayne Kim. 4, Mark Gervacio. Junior men: 1, Alex Brown. 2, Travis Smith. 3, Kapena La'a. 4, Oliver Seitz. 5, Rusty Akeo. 6, Corin Foster. Boys: 1, Matthew Holzman. 2, Kainoa French. 3, Cody Lucas. 4, Storm Magsaday. 5, Kailon Tyndzik. Dropknee: 1, Kapena La'a. 2, Bradda La'a. 3, James Clancy. 4, Rusty Akeo. 5, Dayne Kim. 6, Mark Gervacio. Launch: 1, Alex Brown. 2, James Clancy. 3, Booboo Cazimero. 4, Mark Gervacio. 5, Dayne Kim. 6, Kailon Tyndzik.

SHORTBOARD SURFING

Menehune: 1, Chaz Kinoshita. 2, Ian Gentil. 3, Elijah Gates. 4, Imai Devault. 5, Tatiana Weston-Webb. 6, Uluboy Napeahi. Boys: 1, Ha'a Aikau. 2, Keanu Asing. 3, Kaoli Kahokuloa. 4, Sheldon Paishon. Junior men: 1, Kylen Yamakawa. 2, Dege O'Connell. 3, Kapu Ping. 4, Levi Gonzales. Men: 1, Davin Jaime. 2, Chris Foster. 3, Brad Young. 4, Theodore Landt. 5, Pancho Peterson. 6, Nakoa Decoite. Masters: 1, Scott Shimoda. 2, Christian Enns. 3, Darren Mahoe. 4, Brice Yamashita. 5, Alessandro Costa. 6, Derrick Chang. Senior men: 1, Todd Murashige. 2, Miguel Graham. 3, Adam Escobar. 4, Robert Howard. 5, Greg Hunter. 6, Stephen O'Brien. Grandmasters: 1, Kal Faurot. 2, Mark Shima. 3, Les Tabuchi. 4, Eddie Pieper. 5, Raymond Shito. 6, Tommy Reyes. Open: 1, Christian Enns. 2, Keanu Asing. 3, Forrest Troxell. 4, Tanner Hendrickson. 5, Dege O'Connell. 6, Scott Shimoda. Girls: 1, Nage Melamed. 2, Missy Valdez. 3, Lani Doherty. 4, Erika Steiner. Women: 1, Nina Dodge. 2, Mia Melamed. 3, Takako Yago. 4, Dana Tortuga. 5, Virginia Fajardo. 6, Kalindi Jacoby.

LONGBOARD SURFING

Menehune: 1, Kaito Kino. 2, Slater Trout. 3, Tatiana Weston-Webb. 4, Kiko Lindstedt. Girls: 1, Erika Steiner. 2, Hana Harrison. 3, Vanessa Martinez. 4, Kylee Cunningham. 5, Anabelle Marvin. Junior men: 1, Joshua Lindstedt. 2, Nelson Ahina. 3, Dennis Walsh. 4, Bullet Obra. 5, Shaun Walsh. 6, Tai Graham. Men: 1, La'akea Davis. 2, Mau Ah Hee. 3, Dane McCallum. Legends: 1, Koapaka Brown. 2, Malcolm Ing. 3, Gilbert Perea. 4, Roger Kinnaman. Senior men: 1, Gino Bell. 2, Gavin Hasegawa. 3, Daniel Stein. 4, Tomo Saito. 5, Dean Nakamaru. Grandmasters: 1, Tommy Reyes. 2, Warren Hoohuli. 3, Stephen Katayama. 4, Eddie Pieper. 5, Kimo Miranda. 6, Les Tabuchi. Women: 1, Racheal Spear. 2, Izumi Baldwin. 3, Annabelle Marvin. 4, Heather Faustin. 5, Chie Matsuoka. 6, Amelia Obra. Open: 1, La'akea Davis. 2, Mau Ah Hee. 3, Gino Bell. 4, Gavin Hasegawa. 5, Bullet Obra. 6, Les Tabuchi.

STAND-UP PADDLE

Open: 1, Miguel Graham. 2, Candice Appleby. 3, Dwayne Akau. 4, Dean Nakamaru. 5, Slater Trout. 6, Kimo Miranda.