INTERNATIONAL: Bethany Hamilton, was a last-minute replacement at the World Surf League event in Hawaii, qualifies to face world and Olympic champion Carissa Moore.

One-armed surfer Bethany Hamilton of the United States has produced a remarkable performance to come through the elimination round of the first event of the 2022 World Surf League (WSL), the Billabong Pro in her native Hawaii, on Sunday (January 30).

The 31-year-old lost her arm in a shark attack near her home in Hawaii in 2003 when she was just 13. She had already been competing since she was just eight years old, and within just a month of the attack, she was back on her surfboard. She continued to compete regularly, finishing runner-up in the 2008 World Junior Championships as well as making the semi-finals of a WSL event in Fiji in 2016.

Hamilton had not competed in the WSL since 2018, but last week, she was given a last-minute call to replace Stephanie Gilmour in the Billabong Pro after the Australian pulled out after testing positive for COVID-19.

"I'm just so stoked to be here," said Hamilton. "I don't feel I had a lot of prep, and then today was a lot different, it's just a bit of an adjustment and then coming into the elimination round. I'm just so stoked to be here. It's just been an amazing month at home surfing and re-signing with Rip Curl for five more years and I just like, I'm in full mommy mode, but like still trying to keep my surf shape and rip as hard as I can and just have fun with life."

She has added; "It's just been an amazing month at home surfing and re-signing with Rip Curl for five more years, and I just like I'm in full mummy mode, but like still trying to keep my surf shape and rip as hard as I can and just have fun with life."

Hamilton also signed last week a five-year deal with Rip Curl which will see her involved in a number of surfing projects including a masterclass video series scheduled to be launched in late February.