Stephanie Gilmore’s record-breaking eighth surfing world title is also her biggest and toughest.
The Australian surfer made history during the break in Lower Trestles in California on Thursday, beating the number 1 and five-time world champion Carissa Moore in the title decider.
Gilmore was in tears as she hugged Moore immediately after winning her eighth world title, one more than compatriot Layne Beachley.
Moments later, she let out an animal roar as Gilmore took in the enormity of what she had accomplished.
Gilmore presided at the beach after her historic win in Southern California’s Lower Trestles on Thursday
The Aussie won five straight heats to reach the final, beating five-time champion Carissa Moore to secure her eighth crown
The 34-year-old struggled on final day, winning four rounds back-to-back as the fifth seed in the top-five format.
She also defeated Moore, the defending champion, 2-0 in their dream best-of-three championship decider, meaning the Australian has surfed five heats in one day in a marathon.
“I visualized this so much and I was like, ‘Let’s do this,’” she said.
“Let’s just prove this whole system is wrong – you can get off the bottom, come off fifth and win a world title. That’s damn cool.’
To add to the historic moment, men’s surf greats Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning were part of the commentary team for Gilmore’s title-winning heat win.
“I’m so proud of her, it’s so amazing. She had such a hard way to start the year… it was a real disappointment to Steph,” Slater said.
Gilmore (picture celebrating her world title win) was the No. 5 seed to go to the event
Gilmore won two consecutive heats in the best-of-three final to declare herself the best female surfer the world has ever seen
It was indeed one such season for Gilmore, who had to pull out of the opening round of the world tour due to COVID-19 and then had a poor second event.
By the fourth round at Bells Beach, the world title couldn’t have been further out of Gilmore’s mind – she was more concerned about forced requalification.
Gilmore then gradually improved, winning the El Salvador round and finishing in the top five to set up Thursday’s heroics.
“This has certainly been a challenge. It feels like the shortest season, but the longest year of my life,” she said.
“To start with such a shock at Pipeline, to miss it, and to have a bad one at Sunset — I just had to crawl back.
“It’s just unbelievable.”
Gilmore paid tribute to Moore, calling her “the real world champion” this season.
“In my opinion, she really is the greatest of all time,” Gilmore said.
“I didn’t like this format… the world championship should be crowned in all the different waves.
‘Now I love it.
“I don’t think I’ve won a world title while I’m in the water against the world’s number one. There are not many words that can describe this feeling right now.
‘I’m going mad. I can’t believe it – it’s insane.’
The 34-year-old had an emotional moment in the surf as the magnitude of her performance kicked in
Gilmore’s day nearly ended in her opening game – she got off to a shaky start against Costa Rican Brisa Hennessy.
Judges then called off a crucial block against Hennessy, giving Gilmore the right of way, and she eliminated the match with her final golf score, in the last minute.
She then also came from behind to beat Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb, but she built momentum in the tricky conditions and was too good for France’s Johanne Defay to make the decision against Hawaii’s Moore.
In the men’s final, Brazilian Filipe Toledo won his first world title by beating compatriot Italo Ferreira 2-0 in the decider.
Fereira defeated Australians Ethan Ewing and Jack Robinson on Thursday on his way to the decider.