Pancho Sullivan dominated the all-Hawaiian final at Sunset Beach to win the ASP WQS 4-star Xcel Pro.

After hitting a contest high of 9.77, fellow finalists Kamalei Alexander (2nd), Danny Fuller (3rd), and Makua Rothman (4th) were never really in the running.

"I held back and paddled a little deeper," Sullivan said after the winner's ceremony on the beach, on his strategy to move outside of Sunset's west peak. "The third [9.77] wave of the set really helped me build momentum," as he soon built upon his lead with another crowd-pleasing 8.67.

2007 Xcel Pro defending champion Joel Centeio's quest for a repeat title ended in the quarterfinals, falling to Makua Rothman, who made his third Xcel Pro finals appearance in as many years.

Conditions could hardly have been more perfect as the clean, corduroy lines brought to Sunset Beach by an overnight northwest swell stayed clean through to the final.

"It was a fun, amazing final," Sullivan noted. "The best final ever here, and such an honour to win the 25th anniversary Xcel Pro."

This event is especially important to Sullivan, who chose to concentrate on training at Sunset Beach rather than compete in the World Tour's Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil. He plans to retire from the World Tour at the end of the 2008 season, so this win is particularly poignant.