French Qualifying Series (QS) surfer Maud Le Car has long been a star in Europe, but on Tuesday at the Vans US Open of Surfing she reached a new level of notoriety in Huntington Beach. In her Round Two heat against Championship Tour (CT) heavyweight Stephanie Gilmore, she tore into the punchy lefts running toward the famed HB Pier and eliminated her powerhouse opponent. For Le Car, who is ranked No. 29 on the QS and is surfing as a wildcard, taking down one of the most successful surfers of all time was a massive coup. For Gilmore, who has six World Titles to her name and is currently ranked No. 3 in the world, the loss was a shocker. In her post-heat interview, Gilmore said she'll try to shake this one off with a good freesurfing session, then turn her attention to Trestles.
Le Car will hit the water again on Wednesday for Round Three, which starts at 7:30 a.m. PDT.