Growing up on Kauai, Alana Blanchard started surfing at age four. With her father Holt by her side, she grabbed her first wave at Hanalei Pier. By the time she was nine, she had already entered her first contest, and by 12 her surfing was way ahead of her time.

That same year, 2003, was also the year that Blanchard’s best friend and surf buddy Bethany Hamilton – only 13 years old herself – was attacked by a tiger shark. Blanchard’s family was on the beach that day and Blanchard was in the water with Hamilton when she witnessed the traumatic event firsthand.

Still today, fans want to know: Are Bethany Hamilton and Alana Blanchard still friends? The young and still shredding moms may not get to see each other as often as they’d like, but they remain good friends and look forward to reconnecting at the annual Keiki Classic in Kona.

The shark attack was a defining moment for both surfers. While Hamilton mustered her strength and began the arduous road to recovery, Blanchard’s career took off. At the ripe age of 14, the regular foot secured a sponsorship deal with Rip Curl and was on her way to becoming a highly valuable brand herself. By age 18, Blanchard was on the World Tour.

Her bottom turns were turning heads, and so was her modeling. Alana Blanchard surfing fans were everywhere! She dominated the 2005 T&C Women's Pipeline Championships, taking first place. She continued to win events, including the Roxy Pro Trials in Haleiwa and competed off and on for the next several years.

In December 2017, Blanchard and her pro-surfer fiancé, Jack Freestone brought little Banks Harvey Freestone into the world, and motherhood seemed to really center her. Blanchard is also a big deal on social media with millions of followers on Instagram and YouTube. Is Alana Blanchard surfing still? Not only is she still surfing, but in May 2017, she created the Alana Blanchard Foundation to encourage and support the development of female surfers. In 2019 she competed in the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, coming in 17th place.