Kaua‘i’s Leila Hurst and Bethany Hamilton will compete in the quarterfinals of the Billabong Association of Surfing Professionals World Junior Championships in New South Wales, Australia, when competition resumes today. Hurst finished in third place in her Round 1 heat
Kaua‘i’s Leila Hurst and Bethany Hamilton will compete in the quarterfinals of the Billabong Association of Surfing Professionals World Junior Championships in New South Wales, Australia, when competition resumes today.
Hurst finished in third place in her Round 1 heat with a score of 10.90, finishing behind fellow Hawai‘i surfer Coco Ho (11.37 and Brazil’s Gabriela Leite (11.34). Having been sent through to Round 2, the 16-year-old North Shore resident rebounded from her first run by winning the next heat 13.00, just more than 4 points over her opponents — South African Nikita Robb (8.8) and Japan’s Nao Omura (8.4).
Hurst was pit against Ho again in Round 3, only this time she came out with the biggest upset of the day, defeating the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour rookie and
Although the lead flip-flopped back and forth throughout the hotly-contested heat, it was Hurst’s backhand that netted her an 8.83 out of a possible 10 (the day’s highest single-wave score) in the dying minutes that saw the young natural-footer advance through to the quarterfinals.
“The conditions were windy and I was looking for the lefts as they were the better waves running to the shore,” Hurst said in an ASP release. “The lead changed between Coco and myself about five times. I have become much more confident now and I would love to make the final, but at least the semis — that’s my goal.”
Hurst will take on 18-year-old Diana Cristina of Brazil in Quarterfinal 3.
Hamilton had a similar day. Hamilton finished second in her first heat to France’s Alizee Arnaud, Hamilton which was good enough for her to pass Round 2 and go straight to Round 3.
There, she beat Sage Erickson 12.33 to 10.50.
Hamilton will now face Australia’s Laura Enever in the last quarterfinal heat when competition resumes.
Kaua‘i’s Sebastian Zietz, Maui’s Dusty Payne and Kai Barger, the Big Island’s Casey Brown and the rest of those remaining in the men’s Round 1 competition, were held on standby yesterday.
The Billabong ASP World Junior Championships is the premiere junior event in the world, with surfers from seven ASP regions (North America, South America, Australasia, Europe, Hawai‘i, Africa and Japan) as well as wildcards from ASP International and Billabong all vying for the ASP World Junior Title.
