‘Up for the challenge’: Gilmore sets new goal after win
Melissa Woods |
Making no promises about a ninth world title, surfing great Stephanie Gilmore says she has more in the tank after reclaiming her Gold Coast crown in her return to the world tour.
The 38-year-old saved her best for last at her hometown break Snapper Rocks, scoring a whopping 9.50 among her total in the final to clinch an epic victory over 21-year-old Brazilian Luana Silva.
“I feel like I just got better and better every heat and I finally pieced it together in the final there,” Gilmore said after her record-extending 34th tour win.
“I still feel there’s more in the tank but it’s funny, I just paddle out in finals and I just switch in. I have so much clarity out there.”
It was the seventh time Gilmore had won the event, coming 21 years after her first victory in 2005 as a 17-year-old wildcard.
She said it reaffirmed her wavering belief she still had what it took to match it with the best after two years away from full-time competition, having been rocked when eliminated in the opening round at Bells Beach and Margaret River.
After 21-year-old Bettylou Sakura Johnson claimed the younger generation of surfers would “smoke” returning veterans Gilmore and five-time world champion Carissa Moore, Monday brought a win for the old guard.
“A lot of my feelings, those restless nights thinking, ‘Can I do this anymore? Do I have it in me?’, it’s because I’ve been watching the women’s events from a distance and just thinking, ‘Oh, my goodness, like, these girls are insane’,” Gilmore told the WSL.
“I just wanted to be a part of it, and to have this moment here like this, I’m tripping out.
“Those two first events where I lost first round, I was thinking, ‘You’ve got to lose the ego’.
“When you’re in the peak of your winnings you just feel invincible and you have to detach from that person and be like, ‘I’m something new, I’m something different’.
“I’ve learned a lot, I’ve changed a bit, and just accept what it is and approach things with a fresh mind.”
The next event is at Raglan, New Zealand, later in May before tour stops in El Salvador and Brazil.
Gilmore, who has climbed to No.7 in the rankings, admitted some competition sites wouldn’t match her style in terms of surfing as perfectly as at Snapper Rocks.
“I have so many weaknesses in the events coming up so it’s just a great challenge for me, to see if I can rise to the occasion and improve my weaknesses and show up against these young women who are just pushing the boundaries like you’ve never seen,” she said.
“I’m up for the challenge, but this is a surprise to me so I’ll take it one step at a time, one trophy at a time.”
AAP