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Indonesia’s Raditya Rondi has started the year on a high, winning the Asian Surfing Championships Tour opener at Desaru Beach in Malaysia on Sunday.

Raditya, who won the ASC overall title in its inaugural season last year, beat Mohd Nazrin of Malaysia in the Monsoon Mayhem International Surf Challenge after 25 minutes of battle in the final.

The Maldives’ Abdullah Areef finished third, while another Indonesian surfer, Gilang, took fourth.

The surfing conditions on the final day lived up to the “mayhem” moniker, with 3- to 4-foot waves closing out on the inside sandbars and rain squalls blowing in and out. Conditions improved for the Men’s Open finals, allowing for a thrilling finale to the three-day competition.

Raditya was all smiles back on the beach after the final, pleased to be starting the 2012 ASC tour season with a win.

“This is my first time coming here to Desaru and it’s been lots of fun, so to take the win today just caps it off,” the 22-year-old surfer from Bali said. “It’s a great way to start off the year.

“We were really lucky that conditions got better in the finals, with the wind all but stopping, so it got pretty good which made it easier to find a couple of nice waves. It was also cool to see all the Malaysian crew again, as I really enjoy surfing with these guys here.”

Raditya said he hoped to retain the ASC title in the second season, though he knew the competition would be tougher.

“There are a lot of good surfers on the ASC tour now and there will be lots more events, so I’ll have to work hard and travel if I want to retain my title in 2012,” he said. “But I’m going to do my best, and this is a great start.”

The ASC tour is just starting its second season, which will include nine events to be held in Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand in 2012.

Raditya clinched the ASC inaugural title last season by winning the Billabong Cherating Pro in Malaysia on Dec. 13, his second victory in the tour after the Rip Curl Surf and Music Festival in Bali on October.

Meanwhile, 13-year-old Annissa Flynn of Thailand took the Women’s Division win on Saturday. She was the youngest of the women finalists, who included runner-up Nur Herwani from Malaysia, third-place finisher Michaela Partin from the United States and Brenda Lee from Malaysia in fourth place.

Indonesian ace and 2011 Women’s Asian Surfing Champion Yasnyiar Gea made a surprising exit in the semifinals.

Canggu Beach in Bali will host the second series, the Oakley Pro, from April 1 to 14.