Top New Zealand surfer Paige Hareb has beaten compatriot Sarah Mason in California to confirm her place on next year's women's world championship tour.
Hareb needed to win her second round heat at the seventh and leg round of 2012 series, the US Open at Huntington Beach to guarantee a fourth successive campaign on the Dream Tour next year.
The Taranaki surfer comfortably beat young Aucklander Sarah Mason by 13.0 points to 8.10
Hareb went on to finish third in a third-round heat involving Australian Sally Fitzgibbons and Coco Ho of Hawaii but she is still alive in California as she faces a fourth round repechage heat against Pauline Ado of France.
Earlier, Ado did the New Zealander a huge favour by beating Australian arch rival Rebecca Woods in their second round heat, ensuring Hareb would finish in the top-10 surfers who automatically re-qualify for next year.
Mason's loss to Hareb ended any hopes the 17-year-old had of a top-10 overall placing. Ranked 13th before this week, Mason needed to win the event to have achieve that goal.
NZN