One of Alana's best friends is surfer Bethany Hamilton. Bethany made international news after a shark attacked her and bit off her left arm when she was just thirteen. Alana was out surfing with Bethany the day of the attack.

"That day was really scary. I was next to Bethany in the water. My dad and I paddled next to her, talking to her all the way in after it happened. After Bethany's incident I got really scared of sharks, especially around reef breaks. It's been one of my biggest challenges."

"We grew up surfing together. We push each other. It's pretty cool. We compete against each other all the time, but it doesn't affect our friendship."