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With three minutes left in the final heat of the North Shore Surf Shop Pro Junior on Thursday, Ian Crane sat in fourth place, in need of a miracle.
The San Clemente, Calif., surfer caught a picture-perfect Sunset Beach wave and smashed it to pieces with some powerful backhand moves. His 8.5 score was good enough to propel him to victory in the junior men’s under 21 division of the 3-star-rated event, contested in 3- to 4-foot waves.
“I am super stoked right now,” Crane said. “It feels weird because I had never made the final before. I didn’t really have a strategy. I was just having fun out there with no worries.”
Crane’s wave gave him a 12.75 two-wave score out of a possible 20.
Fifteen-year-old Seth Moniz of Hawaii Kai finished second at 12.25. Moniz was ripping and led the final until Crane caught his winning wave.
“I had no clue I was winning in the end,” Moniz said. “My brother was telling me I needed an 8 the whole time. I am stoked I got second, though. Last year I only made one heat.”
Keanu Asing of Ewa Beach (11.30) took third and Parker Coffin of Ventura, Calif., (11.15) finished fourth.
On the women’s side, 13-year-old Moana Jones of the North Shore took the 16-and-under junior division.
“I’m feeling really good and super happy,” Jones said. “This is my first win in a junior pro. I was praying the waves were going to be exactly how they were. My dad told me to go out there have fun and do what I do.”
Jones put up a two-wave score of 15.50.
The North Shore’s Mahina Maeda, 14, took second at 13.00.
“I am not stoked right now,” Maeda said. “It’s not about the money or anything, I just wanted to win at my home break. I am happy that we got to surf really good Sunset though.”
Brisa Hennsey (6.00) finished third and Bailey Nagy (3.15) was fourth.
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