Fitzgibbons got the best of Ho in the quarter-finals of the season-ending Billabong Pro Maui, but the niece of 1993 world champion Derek Ho earned the nod for top rookie honours after finishing fourth on the tour.

Ho was the only rookie to win an event in 2009 - the Rip Curl Pro Search Portugal - while world No 5 Fitzgibbons' best result was second to world champion Stephanie Gilmore at the Gidget Pro at Sunset Beach.

"This is the best award to win," Ho said.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it's great to have won it with five really strong rookies on tour last year.

"They pushed me really hard and the rookie of the year award means a lot to me."

Ho also twice reached the quarter-finals or semi-finals of events, while Fitzgibbons advanced to the knock-out stages five times without winning a title.

That translated to a slender 121-point (4209 to 4188) advantage to Ho after seven tour stops.

The result represented a significant turnaround after last year's World Qualifying Series, which Fitzgibbons won in record time while Ho was last to qualify for the main circuit.

"Coming into my rookie year, I didn't have any expectations because I was the last seed and the last to qualify," Ho said.

"I kind of qualified for the world tour accidentally and it felt great to know that entering the second-to-last event of the year I was in contention for the world title."

Ho's fellow Hawaiian, Kekoa Bacalso, was named men's rookie of the year after finishing 18th on the tour.