KEY POINTS:
New Zealand surfer Paige Hareb completed the experience of a lifetime when she was knocked out in the third round of the Billabong Pro in Hawaii today.
Hareb, 18, bowed to the brilliance of Australian double world champion Stephanie Gilmore in her first taste of surfing at ASP World Tour level, having earlier shown signs of her talent.
The Taranaki youngster received a wildcard invitation to the season-ending event at Honolua Bay, having qualified for next year's Tour.
She made a nervous start, finishing third and last in a heat involving Gilmore and Australian Nicola Atherton. Her two best wave scores tallied 7.95 compared to Gilmore's 15.15 and Atherton's 8.55.
However, in the subsequent round two repechage heat she produced a significant boilover by toppling world No 2 Sofia Mulanovich of Peru and Australian Melanie Redman-Carr.
Mulanovich led for much of the heat on the way to a score of 13.00 but Hareb snuck victory with 13.25 after scoring 6.25 off her final wave with 26 seconds remaining.
Through to the top-16 elimination phase, Hareb couldn't match Gilmore, the Australian star who has already secured her second Tour crown regardless of the result this week.
Hareb made a bright start with a score of 6.75 but an aggressive Gilmore snared the best waves for the remainder of their 40-minute duel.
The best of them produced scores of 9.75 and 7.75 for a total of 17.50 to Hareb's tally of 9.85.
Hareb was in a reflective mood after emerging from the 2m swell and hot conditions.
Spending time on the water with Gilmore in elite competition was an experience money couldn't buy.
"I was happy to get off to a good start against her and then she just got the next one and kept on getting good ones," Hareb told the event website.
"I was sitting there waiting for a good one but it just didn't come to me.
"It was fun out there, a bit of Aussie-New Zealand rivalry."
Gilmore's comments suggest she had respect for the growing ability of Hareb. She was unwilling to give her a glimpse of victory.
"Paige actually took the first good wave and that fired me up, it got me angry to get the next one and show her who's in charge out there," she said.
"This is probably my favourite wave in the entire world."
Hareb is scheduled to contest the junior world championships in Sydney next month.
- NZPA
