Sunny Garcia won the battle of the world champions during the second round of the Vans World Cup of Surfing on Monday.

Garcia, the 2000 men’s world champ, squared off against fellow Hawaii surfer Carissa Moore, the 2011 women’s world champ, in the 4- to 6-foot waves at Sunset Beach. Mitchel Coleborn and Alain Riou were also in the heat.

Moore received a wild card into the men’s event, which is the second jewel of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

The heat started out with Moore catching two waves and Coleborn catching one within the first minute and a half. Both waves garnered modest scores, Moore with a 2.93 for a hard cutback. Coleborn got a 4.17 for two cutbacks of his own. A huge lull ensued and no waves of consequence came until nearly 20 minutes later.

After the break, Coleborn and Moore were the first to catch waves. Moore registered a 4.9 for a huge top turn to floater combination. It was her best wave of the heat. Coleborn got a 5.4 for a nice backside snap to cutback.

Garcia waited.

Then it happened. He stroked into a meaty right and did a huge layback snap on an oncoming section. It had tons of spray and he had total commitment. It netted him a 5.93 for one move.

With 2 minutes to go, Garcia got another wave featuring two of his patented hacks that were good for an 8.00.

Garcia won the heat and Coleborn advanced, with Moore and Riou eliminated by placing third and fourth, respectively.

"I really wanted to make that heat," Garcia said. "I think she (Carissa) was being a little nice. At the end of the heat, she was sitting inside of Mitch and I kind of bullied my way right past her and I got the wave I needed. Tactics became part of the game. I think she was just being polite and I was just trying to make the heat.

"She surfed good, but there was just not a lot of waves. If the waves were really good, I think Carissa would have done a lot better."

The highest heat total of the day went to Hawaii’s Kekoa Bacalso, who netted a 14.67.

"(Sunday) was a bit sloppy with a really north swell and lots of closeouts," said Bacalso about the 10- to 12-foot conditions on the previous day. "Today cleaned up a lot and is about half the size. It’s typical Sunset Beach — just really tricky.

"That would be amazing to win the Vans Triple Crown," Bacalso said.

Bacalso qualified for the Triple Crown’s next event — the Billabong Pipe Masters — for scoring a perfect 10 with an impossible backdoor barrel at the Volcom Pipe Pro earlier this year.

Other Hawaii surfers advancing to the third round of the Vans World Cup of Surfing were Evan Valiere, Jamie O’Brien, Torrey Meister, Pancho Sullivan, Olomana Eleogram, Joel Centeio, Ian Walsh, Tonino Benson, Keanu Asing, Ian Gentil and Mason Ho.