Balmores won the Miss Hawaii Teen USA title on May 16, 2004 at the Waikiki Sheraton Resort, at the same time Jennifer Fairbank was crowned Miss Hawaii USA 2005.[2] Balmores represented Hawaii in the Miss Teen USA 2004 pageant held in Palm Springs, California on August 6, 2004. She placed first runner-up in the nationally televised pageant, which was won by Shelley Hennig of Louisiana.[3] This was Hawaii's highest placement in the pageant since Kelly Hu won in 1985. In 2005, Balmores appeared on the covers of Women's Health, Outside and Foam magazines.[1] She played the recurring role of Kai Kealoha in Beyond the Break on The N, a series previously given the tentative title Boarding School.[4] She also has a supporting role in the film Soul Surfer. Balmores attended Kalaheo Elementary School and graduated from Kauai High School.[5] She was a visual communications student at Hawaii Pacific University.[1]