Meet Alana Blanchard, Pro Surfer, Health and Women’s Advocate

For most of us, the ocean is a fierce, majestic force. For Alana Blanchard, it’s her home away from home. After learning to surf at just four years old, Alana has felt an unbreakable connection to the sea. It was this connection that set her on a course toward a professional surfing career — and needless to say, it’s the ride of a lifetime.

Known for her fearless and fluid surfing style, Alana has made major waves (no pun intended) in the world of competitive surfing. On top of achieving some incredible athletic feats, Alana has also made a name for herself as a model with some of the world’s top surfing brands, including Rip Curl and Reef.

Given that Alana was born in Kauai, Hawaii, her love for the ocean and affinity for surfing doesn’t come as a huge shock. When she was just four years old, her dad, Holt, took her out and taught her how to surf.

Just a few short years later, at the age of 9, Alana competed for the first time — and from then on, she was hooked.

Alana continued refining her craft, getting better and better each year. In 2005, she secured her first major win at the age of 15: the top spot in the shortboard category at the inaugural T&C Women’s Pipeline Championships.

“I wasn’t always the most competitive surfer,” said Alana. “[But] I always liked proving people [who doubted me] wrong.’”

And prove them wrong, she did.

Career: Taking the Surf World by Storm

Throughout her career, Alana has cemented her position as an unstoppable force. By the time she was 17, she was ranked in the top 15 female surfers in the world. She traveled across the globe, competing in a variety of international contests and winning the likes of The Women’s Pipeline Championships, The Rip Curl Girls Festival Junior Pro, and The Billabong Pro Pre Trials in Hookipa.

As mentioned, surfing wasn’t Alana’s only professional pursuit. On top of her athletic achievements, she was also a spokesmodel for her former sponsor, Rip Curl. While her fellow surfers got to relax between contests, Alana was constantly traveling to and from photo shoots. Despite feeling grateful for the experiences, Alana has since reflected that she struggled with her dual responsibilities.

“I wish I could have concentrated a little bit more on one or the other, but at the same time, it was really cool to have both [modeling and surfing],” she said.

Alana is also a strong advocate for women in surfing, a passion that’s taken many forms. For example, from the time she started competing professionally, Alana was determined to do things her way. This included wearing small bikini bottoms while competing — something female surfers weren’t doing at the time. Despite receiving hate (mostly from men online, she shares), Alana never wavered in her decision. Whether it’s board shorts or thongs, Alana is a firm believer that women should feel empowered to wear whatever they want when they hit the waves.

In 2017, Alana took this passion a step further by founding her own foundation — the Alana Blanchard Foundation (ABF) — which is dedicated to supporting female talent in surfing.

Newest Projects: Making Waves on Social Media

While surfing is still her first love, Alana hasn’t shied away from exploring new interests, one of them being social media.

With nearly 2 million collective followers, Alana has been making a name for herself on social media, documenting her life, career, and travels. Often featured in her posts and vlogs are her family, which includes her husband, fellow pro surfer Jack Freestone, and their two young sons, Banks and Koda.

Although the family still resides in Hawaii, they can often be found venturing on surf trips all around the world, with a couple of their latest taking them to Australia and Mexico. Much like her father did with her, Alana is instilling a love of surfing in her boys from a young age.

According to Alana, having kids has never deterred her from living her dreams; if anything, it’s made her reality all the more incredible.

“[Jack and I] have been traveling our whole life as professional [surfers], and having kids wasn’t going to stop us,” she wrote in a 2022 Instagram post. “Yes, it’s harder, and sometimes things don’t go your way. But the moments you do get are so much [sweeter]. I will forever remember these moments.”

Alana’s social media presence has even allowed her to connect with new sponsors. From Dermalogica to Cured Nutrition to Vuori Clothing, Alana has partnered with a wide range of companies that align perfectly with her surfy, coastal brand.

And in January, you can see Alana starring in the newest season of Hulu reality series, Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, alongside some other famous faces including Stephen Baldwin, Denise Richards, Brody Jenner, and model Kayla Nicole (who–spoiler alert–opened up to Alana about her very public breakup with Taylor Swift’s boyfriend and Kansas City Chiefs star, Travis Kelce)

Alana Blanchard Fun Facts

• Alana’s friends and family call her Lana.
• In October 2003, Alana was surfing with her best friend Bethany Hamilton when Bethany was attacked by a tiger shark. The attack and Bethany’s story were depicted in the 2011 film Soul Surfer; in the film, Alana was portrayed by Lorraine Nicholson.
• Alana follows a vegan diet.
• Alana has been publicly opened up about her struggles with disordered eating and how she overcame them. She hopes that sharing her story will help others on their road to recovery.

Keep Up With Alana Blanchard

Surfer, spokesperson, mom, social media marvel  — with all the hats she wears, it’s safe to say there’s never a dull moment in Alana’s life. Want to hear more about it? We thought you might. For the latest scoop on Alana’s incredible life and career, be sure to check out her episode of the Team Ignition podcast.

Follow Alana on social media: