If Oahu's surf-blessed and laid-back North Shore is considered "country," then what about Tasmania, site of the O'Neill Coldwater Classic, now underway on the remote island in extreme southern Australia?

The frontier state has been called the "island of inspiration," and one competitor truly inspired is none other than Sunny Garcia, who was raised on Oahu's gritty west side but grew up riding the North Shore waves.

"Tasmania is the coolest place, all the people are really nice and they have been looking after me really well," Garcia told the Tasmanian newspaper, Mercury.

Garcia, 40, a former world champion trying to recapture his youth and qualify once again for the ASP World Tour, has advanced to the round of 24 in the O'Neill competition, a six-star qualifying contest with valuable points awarded to high finishers.

It's good to see a mellower Sunny doing well after all he has been through, from a 2006 prison sentence for tax evasion to a subsequent messy divorce. "It was a hard time in my life but I feel stronger for it," said a power surfer who was once the most colorful character on the World Tour, legendary for his wild temper. "It showed me how much I enjoyed surfing and beating everybody."

When competition resumes at Marrawah, Garcia will face Royden Bryson and Marco Giorgi. "Who?" he might ask.

-- Photo of Marrawah, site of the O'Neill Coldwater Classic on remote Tasmania, courtesy of O'Neill