Stephanie Gilmore is back. Chasing her ninth world title, against rivals half her age

3 months ago 5

Stephanie Gilmore - the most successful female surfer in history - will return to the World Championship Tour at age 38 next year in pursuit of a record ninth world title.

Australian surfing’s golden girl will officially end her two-year sabbatical in 2026 and compete against rivals half her age, with the WSL’s overhauled tour a significant lure in Gilmore’s return to competition.

Gilmore took what was originally a year off in 2024 after almost two decades of non-stop competitive surfing, before extending her break last season, which culminated in 22-year-old compatriot Molly Picklum winning her first world title.

Along with long-time sparring partner and five-time world champion Carissa Moore (33), who is also coming out of retirement after giving birth to her daughter Olena last year, Gilmore will take up the gauntlet thrown down by surfing’s next generation - led by Picklum, Caity Simmers and Bettylou Sakura Johnson (both 20) and Canadian teen Erin Brooks (18).

“I’m just so excited to get back there and surf and try and put on a show,” Gilmore said.

Stephanie Gilmore celebrates her record eighth world title in 2022.

“From everything I’ve watched in these last couple of years, the women have just excelled and really progressed at such an incredible rate. So I’m excited to get back there and test myself against them.”

Gilmore will turn 38 in January and won the last of her record eight championships four years ago in a stunning sudden-death run through the 2022 finals from fifth place, and remains the only surfer to do so under the controversial format.

Only Kelly Slater (11 titles) has claimed more silverware in surfing history than Gilmore, with his final triumph at the age of 39 in 2011 making him the oldest world champion in history.

Gilmore’s ‘gap years’ have included a bit of everything. From far-flung surf travel and inking a multimillion-dollar deal with Ripcurl that is among the most lucrative in Australian surfing history, and releasing her own clothing lines, to performing onstage with Spiderbait and releasing a tequila brand with fellow surfers.

She returns to a markedly different tour in 2026, which marks the 50th year of pro-surfing’s world championships.

Gilmore welcomed one of the biggest scheduling shake-ups in history, which has jettisoned the contentious mid-season cut that reduced the men’s and women’s fields in April and was largely unpopular with pro surfers.

The one-day, winner-takes-all finals system has also been abandoned in favour of the ‘first past the post’ format, with extra points awarded in the last event of the season at Hawaii’s iconic Pipeline.

Australia’s most successful professional surfer.

“The schedule for 2026 just looks amazing,” Gilmore said.

“The format that we had the last few years was incredibly tough.

“To have those mid-year cuts and also the final five, I really appreciate them because I understand how hard it was to get over those hurdles throughout the year and then to make the final five and then try and win the world title.

“It was very thrilling in a lot of ways, but us surfers know that the world champions should be decided across all of the events, all the different types of conditions, all year long. And [the season] should finish at Pipeline.

“I think the WSL have really made the best decision, where Pipeline is the pinnacle of professional surfing and to have the world champion be crowned there is going to be epic.”

Gilmore’s World Championship Tour comeback will begin on home soil in the revamped tour schedule, starting at Bells Beach in early April before events at WA’s Margaret River and her home break, Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast.

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