Young surfing prodigy Molly Picklum on what it takes to ride the biggest waves in the world

She’s just 20 years old, but a young NSW surfing extraordinaire has scored herself a spot at one of the world’s toughest surfing competitions in Hawaii.

Red Bull surfer Molly Picklum at Urban surf park in Melbourne. Picture: Rob Leeson.

SURFING prodigy Molly Picklum is on the ride of her life.

The 20-year-old from Gosford, NSW secured one of five coveted spots in the 2023 WSL Championships, which kicks off in Hawii, via the Challenger series.

She’ll join fellow Aussie and eight-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore on the tour, which travels from the US to Portugal, and both Victoria and Western Australia.

“Surfing some of the most powerful waves in the world is one of the most humbling experiences, and Hawaii is the place to go and test yourself,” she told The Daily Telegraph.

Molly Picklum, 20, is the first non-Hawaiian to win the Vans Pipe Masters surfing competition. Picture: Rob Leeson.

Picklum had the biggest win of her career just weeks ago, when she took out the Vans Pipe Masters in Hawaii, and became the first non-Hawaiian woman to win the title.

“There can’t be any second guesses against mother nature,” she said.

“If I’m doing my best, I’m happy with that effort. I do have the confidence that my best will be able to match those powerful waves.”

The Central Coast surfer will represent Australia alongside sporting legend Stephanie Gilmore in the upcoming 2023 WSL Championships in Hawaii. Picture: Rob Leeson.

Picklum says her parents are beach people, who had her out in the ocean from the time she could walk.

“I got put on a board with my dad on a camping trip at Scotts Head when I was 4,” she recalls.

She only surfed on camping trips until the age of 7, when she started going out every weekend.

“I wasn’t that into it. I enjoyed surfing as a beach hang on the weekend. Then around 12, I started surfing before and after school every day. It became an addiction.”

In the “cut throat” sport, where only a handful of women can compete on tour year-round, she adds that mental strength and self-belief are just as important as physicality.

The low-points and losses are something Picklum explores in her upcoming Red Bull TV documentary What It Takes.

“Every surfer on tour is one of my idols. When I’m in the rashie and rubbing shoulders with them, I’m in awe,” she said.

“I’m super grateful for the Aussie females before me who created a path way for us to have a career. I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve been through, because women weren’t accepted in surfing. I feel like I’m grabbing that torch and walking it forward for them.”

Molly Picklum: What It Takes airs on Red Bull TV on January 31.