One surfer's great day can be another's nightmare.

Take the first day of the women's Reef Hawaiian Pro yesterday at Haleiwa in 5-foot wave-face heights. This 6-star World Qualifying Series event turned out beautifully for Carissa Moore and awfully for Bethany Hamilton.

From the start of the first jewel of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, Moore surfed with poise and power. She looked to be riding the momentum from her win at the Billabong Pro Junior at Sunset Beach in October.

The Honolulu surfer easily won the Reef's trials, gaining entry into the main event by beating five other Hawaii surfers.

She used her wild-card entry to the fullest, winning each of her heats in the first and second rounds convincingly. This was Moore's best Triple Crown performance to date and it's not a surprise that Haleiwa is near and dear to her heart.

“;I love surfing Haleiwa, it's my favorite wave on the North Shore,”; Moore said. “;I'm just super stoked for the opportunity to get into this event. It would be cool one day (to win the Triple Crown) if it works out, but until then I'm just going to go with the flow and enjoy things.”;

On the other side of the dream-nightmare scenario is Hamilton.

In the last heat of the day, under gray, overcast skies and rain, Hamilton was done in by fellow Kauai surfer Alana Blanchard.

According to contest officials, Hamilton only needed to make it to the semifinals of the Reef Hawaiian Pro to qualify for the 2009 World Championship Tour.

Most remember Hamilton from the tragic shark attack on Halloween 2004, when the goofy-footer lost her left arm. Since then, Hamilton has made a miraculous comeback, winning numerous amateur titles and inspiring wave riders and landlubbers with her resolve and spirit.

When Hamilton and Blanchard met in the second round yesterday, both were chasing qualification to the world tour, thus raising the stakes for the childhood friends.

In the final minute of the heat, Blanchard was in first place with a two-wave total of 15 out of a possible 20. Hamilton was in third, facing elimination and needing a backup wave to improve her single scoring ride of 6.5.

A head-high wave rose out of the horizon. As the clock ticked down and the rain poured, Hamilton furiously paddled for the wave.

Blanchard was sitting deeper than Hamilton and could have let her friend catch that necessary scoring ride. Instead, Blanchard caught the wave, negating any chance for Hamilton to advance out of the heat.

“;This was an unnecessary tactic and this wasn't the first time,”; said Hamilton's coach Ben Aipa after the heat.

Blanchard explained that she didn't really need the score, but since she was deeper in the wave, by rights it was hers to take, so she took it, as she would any other wave.

Advancing out of the heat with Blanchard was Brazilian Silvana Lima.

Both ladies will meet Moore and South African Rosanne Hodge in the quarterfinal.