As the Xcel Pro surfing contest grows older, the field of contestants gets younger.

That's just how contest director Ed D'Ascoli likes it.

"We've always prided ourselves in giving the young surfers an opportunity, especially the young Hawai'i surfers," he said. "This year is no exception. Due to a lot of different circumstances ... almost every young guy who signed up got in."

The Xcel Pro, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is scheduled to run between today and Nov. 10 at Sunset Beach. Competition will run only on the four days within the holding period when conditions are favorable.

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

"This is our 25th annual event, and a lot has changed since the first one," D'Ascoli said. "But what hasn't changed is that it's still about the surfing and watching guys surf big waves."

The Xcel Pro is not part of surfing's World Championship Tour, so "big names" such as world champion Kelly Slater and Kaua'i's Andy Irons are not in the field.

But the contest is part of surfing's World Qualifying Series, so many of the future superstars of the sport are in.

Joel Centeio of Makakilo won last year's Xcel Pro, but is not entered this year — at least not yet.

Centeio was competing at another contest in Portugal last week, but was eliminated in the early rounds. If he can get back to Hawai'i in time for the opening day of the Xcel Pro, he could get in as an alternate.

Mason Ho, 20, of Sunset Beach placed second to Centeio last year and is entered again this year. He is the son of veteran North Shore surfer Michael Ho, and will receive a bye into the round of 64.

Makuakai Rothman from Sunset Beach is also considered one of the favorites, especially if the waves come up big. He placed third in last year's Xcel Pro, and then won the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach a month later.

Among the other top entries from Hawai'i are 2006 Xcel Pro champ Evan Valiere, 2005 Xcel winner Ian Walsh, Dustin Barca, Jamie O'Brien, Nathan Carroll and Flynn Novak.

In conjunction with the Xcel Pro, the finals of the Billabong Junior Pro In Memory of Ronnie Burns contest will be staged. That contest is for surfers age 20 and younger.

There are several surfers in both the junior event and the Xcel Pro.

"It goes back to what we've always tried to do with the Xcel Pro, and that's give them a chance to compete in what we hope is good surf," D'Ascoli said.

TRIPLE CROWN NOV. 12

The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing is scheduled to start after the conclusion of the Xcel Pro.

The three events in this year's Triple Crown are the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Hale'iwa Ali'i Beach (Nov. 12 to 23), the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach (Nov. 24 to Dec. 6), and the Billabong Pipeline Masters at the Banzai Pipeline (Dec. 8 to 20).