Hank Gaskell needs a sponsor.
Flynn Novak is a humuhumunukunukuapua'a.
Heath Joske's beard commands respect.
The Gudauskas Brothers are surfing in the dark.
Sunny is taking care of business.
Bruce is angry.
Clay Marzo is from Neptune and Andre Silva is going to win the Reef Pro.
When does Maya Gabeira get a wildcard?
Hawaii’s Alana Blanchard (Kauai) hit a career high today [11/19], defeating reigning world champion Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) to post a win in the Vans Hawaiian Pro, the first stop of the $1,000,000 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. Blanchard won $2,500 today but now leads the Vans Triple Crown series ratings that will pay $25,000 to the women’s winner at the end of the three events.
Blanchard, 19, is a rookie on the ASP Women’s World Tour this year and this is her first full crack at the Vans Triple Crown series of events.
The women surfed through all four rounds of the event today in head-high surf.
ALANA BLANCHARD from Jon Hechtkopf on Vimeo.
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. Blanchard with a two-wave total of 14.16, and Gilmore ($1,750) with 13.04. Third place in the 30-minute, four-woman final went to Sofia Mulanovich (Peru, $1,500), and fourth was Australian Rebecca Woods ($1,250).
The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) 1-Star PLA Pro Championships saw local talent Taylor Jensen (Oceanside, CA), 25, take out the men’s division, while fellow San Diegan Cori Schumacher (Cardiff, CA), 34, clinched her second consecutive women’s ASP North America Longboard Title when she won the PLA Pro Championships presented by Gidget in the peaky two-to-three foot wind-swell on offer at South Oceanside Pier.
Jensen, who grew up surfing Oceanside’s beachbreak, was trailing in third place behind Tony Silvagni (Kure Beach, NC), 22, but battled back to overtake the lead by combining two lengthy noserides and progressive turns to eventually place the field in a combination situation before claiming the PLA Pro Championships, the last event on the 2009 regional series.
“I just lucked into a wave,” Jensen said. “Brendan (White) took the one before it and I just sort of lucked into it and it worked out.”
Jensen, who has also been living in Australia, has been splitting his time between the two nations and was thrilled to take out a win at home after traveling back from Australia.
“I was getting really excited about this contest on the flight over,” Jensen said. “There is hardly ever a contest here, so to win one is pretty special.”
Jensen dominated several ASP LQS events this year, claiming three contest victories while finishing No. 11 on the ASP World Longboard Tour. After capping his season off with an additional victory, he’ll look to next year where he’ll be competing as one of the world’s finest longboarders on the 2010 ASP WLT.
