Q&A with ALANA BLANCHARD
By: Justin Porter Biel
Alana Blanchard is one of the world’s biggest proponents of surfing. A native of Kauai, Alana began surfing at four years old and has been chasing waves ever since. A competitive surfer, model, and swimsuit designer, Alana Blanchard is the ambassador of this years’ Los Cabos Open of Surf.
Destino Los Cabos caught up with Alana to talk about her role as event ambassador, the appeal of surfing in Baja and learn more about her philanthropic efforts through the Alana Blanchard Foundation.
This is your second year as the ambassador for The Los Cabos Open of Surf. What is about Los Cabos, and this event in particular, that you enjoy the most? I’ve always loved Cabo. It’s such an amazing place. There are good waves and the people are really nice. I love this event because its one of the most prestigious women’s qualifying events and helps showcase all the top women’s talent.
What’s it like to act as the ambassador for the largest pro surfing event in Latin America? What’s your favorite part about the role of ambassador? I’m so excited to be an ambassador for this event! I’ve been coming to Cabo for the last six years, and every year the contest gets better. There are fantastic hotels here, and Los Cabos is a great place to visit overall. But I think the best thing about this event is that I get to represent all the women surfers. Female empowerment is an essential cause in my life, so being the ambassador for the Los Cabos Open of Surf in a real honor.
Destino Los Cabos June issue is all about surf. What is one thing that about surfing in Baja that has surprised you? I love venturing up or down the coast. There are so many fun places to surf that not everyone knows about yet. One of my favorite waves would have to be Shipwrecks because it’s an adventure to get there and the wave is super fun.
What is one thing about travelling in Baja that has surprised you? I’ve been surprised by how many great waves there are in Baja. I didn’t think there would be world-class waves here, but there are tons to choose. Even better, Baja is a calm, uncrowded, tranquil place to surf. The quality of waves in Baja is a bit of a secret. I feel a little guilty talking about it publicly, but more people should really consider Cabo when it comes to destination surf travel.
Outside of being at the contest, how do you spend a typical day in Los Cabos? It’s easy to relax and surf all day. I also love going on an adventure and finding little waves with no one out. And then, after a big day of surfing, I head to Flora Farms for some yummy dinner and to enjoy the beautiful location. The restaurant is a great place to chill-out and watch the sunset.
You created the Alana Blanchard foundation to help talented female surfers excel in the sport of surfing. Can you tell us more about the foundation? How is the foundation involved in this year’s event? We created the Alana Blanchard Foundation to empower young women with talent who didn’t otherwise have the resources to travel for competition and advance their surfing career. At ABF we’re about girl power, and we want to help women thrive in an industry that is mostly dominated by men. We want girls to feel empowered, to be their best, both in and out of the water. At the Los Cabos Open of Surf, we’re running another ABF challenge event, and the winner is going to take home a cash prize to put towards the costs of future events to help advance their surfing career.
You created a career by pursuing your passion in the sport of surfing. What has surfing taught you about life? Surfing has helped me to adapt to all situations. With surfing, you never know what you’re going to get, so you learn to go with the flow. That’s similar to life. In life, we don’t know what’s coming our way, but it helps if we can be adaptable.
Is it ever too late to start surfing? What would you tell visitors to Los Cabos looking try surfing for the first time? No, it’s never too late to start surfing. Surfing is just meant to be fun, so as long as you’re having fun and not taking it too seriously, go for it. Also, don’t worry about how good you are and just concentrate on how it makes you feel. You’ll end up progressing that way, and you’ll have a lot more fun.
