Alana Blanchard hopped on the plane Friday afternoon and headed for Australia. It’s a trip she’s taken several times before, usually with friends or family, and usually headed for an Association of Surfing Professionals World Qualifying Tournament. Only this time,
Alana Blanchard hopped on the plane Friday afternoon and headed for Australia. It’s a trip she’s taken several times before, usually with friends or family, and usually headed for an Association of Surfing Professionals World Qualifying Tournament.
Only this time, there were a few changes in the routine. This time, the 18-year-old from Kaua‘i’s North Shore was taking the 10-hour flight to Australia alone and headed to her first surfing competition of the year and first ever as an official member of the World Championship Tour.
After solid finishes on last year’s ’QS — Blanchard finished third at the Midori Pro at Newcastle and made it to the quarters and semis of several competitions — she finished ninth among the women to secure a coveted spot on next year’s Women’s Dream Tour.
“I’m definitely really nervous and really excited,” Blanchard said. “I’ve done so many of these, but on the ’QS. I just want to do my best.”
Blanchard will meet up with her fellow Hawai‘i surfers Bethany Hamilton and Coco Ho once she gets to Australia and then go on to compete against them. They, along with Melanie Bartels and Megan Abubo will start the ASP Women’s Tour in the Roxy Gold Coast Pro at Snappers starting in less than two weeks.
On the first day, Blanchard is slated in the second heat to surf against local Australian Amee Donohoe and Brazil’s Jacqueline Souza.
Before leaving, Blanchard was able to spend about two months of downtime in her hometown.
“I was just surfing a lot and having fun,” she said. “That’s basically how I train. I just surf because I don’t want to get too nervous (for a competition).”
She said that some people do a lot more when it comes to preparing for meets, but complete, set workouts are not her style.
But that’s not to say she takes her surfing career lightly. This is her chosen path for the moment and she wants to start out strong and end up a success.
“This first competition is really important to me because I feel like I can do well at Snappers,” she said. “Also, I really want to do well because the outcome of this competition will determine where everyone gets put.”
Blanchard currently sits in 16th in the world rankings. Blanchard said, depending on how well or poorly one of the 17 on the Dream Tour do, the rankings may all be shifted around.
“I just want to do really well or win the whole thing at the end of the year so I don’t have to do the ’QS again,” she said.
The holding period for the Roxy Gold Coast Pro at Snappers begins Feb. 27 and will hold until March 11.
The men’s Quiksilver Pro, which will feature Kaua‘i’s Roy Powers and Dustin Barca, also has the same holding period.
Blanchard said she will return to Kaua‘i once the competition is completed, then head back to Australia for the second meet — the Rip Curl Women’s Pro at Bell’s Beach.
