Carissa Moore, 16, becomes youngest surfer to win a Triple Crown contest

Hawaii's Carissa Moore on Thursday won the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Haleiwa on Oahu's North Shore, and became the youngest surfer to win a Vans Triple Crown of Surfing contest.

More amazing is that Moore, 16, won every heat in the contest, beginning with the preliminary trials round, and among those she prevailed against in the final, in 4- to 5-foot surf, was seven-time world champion Layne Beachley.

Beachley, 36, finished second in a drama-filled final. Fellow Australian Laura Evener was third, and Hawaii's Coco Ho, 17, was fourth.

"It was an honor to be in that heat with all those girls," Moore said. "It was so close with Layne. And then my really good friends Laura and Coco were surfing really well the entire event."

Moore always has something sweet to say about her rivals, but she's a notorious giant-toppler. Ho is simply sly. With a victory in the six-star qualifier, Ho could have clinched a spot on the 2009 ASP Women's World Tour.

But because she trailed for most of the heat and had no chance of winning as time was running out, she chose to help Moore.

With less than a minute left and Beachley needing only a decent score to overtake Moore, Ho dropped in on the same wave as Beachley and performed an aerial above her head, effectively shutting down Beachley's scoring potential.

"It was pretty good Hawaiian teamwork," Beachley said. "I'm sure if Coco kicked out of that wave I could have still hit the lip, but as I was bottom-turning I saw Coco go for an air. And, well, that just ruins any chance of doing anything. That's what happens here in Hawaii."

You wouldn't hear such nice talk if this had occurred in a men's competition.

Moore now leads the prestigious Triple Crown, a series that resumes with the Roxy Pro Sunset beginning next week at nearby Sunset Beach.

—Pete Thomas

Photos: Carissa Moore is in peak form en route to becoming the youngest surfer to win the Reef Hawaiian Pro, the first leg of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

Credit: Covered Images / Vans Triple Crown of Surfing

Comments

[Hurly]

The ASP should take Coco's 4th place prize money and give it to Layne Beachley. Behavior like that should not be tolerated in a professional contest. Coco did more than help her friend win. She smeared the image of the entire professional surfing circuit, and showed the world that on the North Shore, the locals are supposed to win at any cost.