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ALANA BLANCHARD WINS VANS HAWAIIAN PRO
Kauai rookie nails first big win of the year; AI loses as men's event runs two heats
When Andy Irons was eliminated during the second heat of the day and the Men's competition put on hold, the Haleiwa beach fell silent.
When fellow Kauaian Alana Blanchard won the Vans Hawaiian Pro on the same surf later that afternoon, the Haleiwa sand got a lot louder.
Blanchard hit a career high today, defeating reigning world champion Stephanie Gilmore to take the Vans Hawaiian Pro. The 19-year-old rookie on the ASP Women's World Tour gave her first full crack at the Vans Triple Crown this year.
After the final two Men's heats of the Round of 96, the women surfed through all four rounds of the event in head-high surf. It was a hard-fought final between Gilmore and Blanchard, with little separating the two, who were equally as impressive on their backhand attack on the lefts. In the end, just 1.12 points was the difference.
The finals started off with a bang with all four ladies taking advantage of a set of waves that rolled through right at the horn. Gilmore got the best of the exchange. She held the lead for the majority of the heat until Alana answered back with four minutes remaining. On one of the larger waves of the heat, Alana put everything into her backhand attack, sticking a floater over an inside closeout section to lock in a 7.83, the highest score of the heat.
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November 19, 2009
