Picklum wins Hawaii surf final to share rankings lead

Melissa Woods | February 20, 2023

Molly Picklum has won her first World Surf League final at Hawaii’s Sunset Beach and will now share the yellow jersey with Carissa Moore as the rankings leader.

Australians now lead both the men’s and women’s competitions, with Jack Robinson’s semi-final showing in the Hurley Pro enough to keep him at the top of the leaderboard after two events.

Competing in her first championship tour final, 20-year-old Picklum won a thriller against American Caroline Marks with the decider going down to the wire.

She had to eliminate Australia’s two-time world champion Tyler Wright in the semis as well as defending Sunset champion Brisa Hennessy on Sunday to make the final.

The NSW central coast surfer scored 10.90 to edge Marks, who posted a two-wave total of 9.90.

It appeared an error by Picklum with 90 seconds left on the clock might hand the 21-year-old Floridian the title, when the Australian lost priority after making a start to paddle onto a wave.

But Marks was unable to make the most of the late opportunity to find the winning score.

Waves were scarce early on in the women’s final and Picklum said it was difficult to navigate, with back to back scores of 5.50 and 5.40 enough to seal the victory.

“I’m pretty baffled – it was pretty slow and then it was just a big flurry of waves at the end,” Picklum said post-win.

“I’m super stoked to have taken it out. This event is so challenging.”

Five-time world champion Moore, who won the Billabong Pro at nearby Pipeline earlier this month, was ousted in the quarter-finals by fellow Hawaiian Gabriela Bryan.

She and Picklum hold an 860-point lead over Pipeline runner-up Wright, while reigning world champion Stephanie Gilmore sits at world No.11.

Picklum said she wanted to hold onto the leader’s jersey right through to the WSL Finals at Trestles in California in early September.

“It is just a jersey colour but I’m stoked to be on the top because it’s honestly where I want to be and where I believe I can be,” Picklum said.

“The end goal is Trestles so hopefully I’m wearing it all of this year.”

Picklum missed the mid-season cut last year, when the women’s field was reduced to 12, and had to battle her way back on tour through the challenger series.

She showed her big wave promise last December when she became the first non-Hawaiian women’s winner of the invitational Vans Pipe Masters in Oahu.

“I’m proud of myself for just chipping away, and to keep trying even though there’s so many setbacks and so many emotions and mind games in it all,” Picklum said.

“Moments like these make it all worth it.”

Tour leader after his Billabong victory, Robinson maintained that status in the men’s rankings despite falling to Californian Griffin Colapinto in the final four.

The men’s decider was a high-quality, heart-stopping affair with reigning world champion Brazilian Felipe Toledo posting a late 9.47 score to snatch the win from Colapinto.

Toledo moved to second on the back of the win with Ethan Ewing the next best-placed Aussie in 11th.