North Shore Kaua‘i’s Alana Blanchard won her heat yesterday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Midori Pro in Newcastle, Australia.

Blanchard, who is in her first official year on the professional circuit, is now one of two Hawai‘i surfers left in the competition.

Blanchard scored consistently high scores on the 2- to 3-foot waves to score a total 14.06, over Australians Amee Donohoe and Jessi Miley-Dyer. Ninth-ranked Miley-Dyer fell short with 10.93, while fourth-ranked Donohoe received disappointing scores to finish third with a score of 7.40.

Blanchard moves on to the quarters to face Brazil’s Bruna Schmitz who finished second in her heat to Australia’s Sally Fitzgibbons.

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(Source: Lanaly Cabalo, Kauai Garden Island News)