Volcom and ASP* Hawaii are excited to announce Volcom’s first ever ASP-sanctioned professional surfing event: the $120,000 Volcom Pipeline Pro, a 5-star World Qualifying Series event, will open the 2010 professional surfing season on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The event will be held on the three best days of surfing during the January 23 through February 5 period.

The news comes as a major boost for Hawaii’s aspiring pro surfers. Ironically, the birthplace of surfing has suffered in recent years with the weakest of all domestic tours despite offering the world’s premier elite pro surfing series that ends on the North Shore in December each year.

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Patience and faith in his home break of Haleiwa delivered local boy Joel Centeio the biggest victory of his career today, winning the Reef Hawaiian Pro in 6- to 8-foot surf with a late barrel ride and only the mandatory two waves to his credit.

Joel, 26, came from the very first round, winning all seven heats he contested. He now takes an early lead on the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing presented by Rockstar Energy Drink series ratings. His win today earned him $20,000. If he can stay the course and win the Vans Triple Crown series title, it will pay another $50,000 as well as a $10,000 custom Nixon watch.

Runner-up in the final was Florida’s CJ Hobgood, third was Australian Jay “Bottle” Thompson, 27, and fourth was Tahiti’s Alain Riou. Hobgood and Thompson were always within striking distance – requiring less than a 7.0 point ride to turn the tables – but Haleiwa chose to favor her own.

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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).

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