Molly Picklum on building confidence to take on the world’s heaviest break

'It’s beautiful and frightening all at the same time'

Surfer Molly Picklum’s secrets to taking on the world’s heaviest break. Image: Getty

As 21-year-old Molly Picklum hits the waves of Teahupo’o at her first-ever Games, we spoke with the surfer about preparation, instincts and enjoying the moment while tackling the world’s heaviest break.

From her first waves at Terrigal as a toddler to the awe-inspiring and terrifying Teahupo’o break where the world’s best surfers will vie for Olympic hardware, 21-year-old Molly Picklum meteoric rise is already one for the history books. But repping the green and gold with her fellow Irukanjis – Tyler Wright, Jack Robinson and Ethan Ewing – is a highlight on her resume.

“I’m feeling excited!” Picklum says. “This will be my first time at the Olympics and I can’t wait to be part of our Australian team.”

Taking on Teahupo’o

The setting for surfing’s second appearance at the Games, following a debut at Tokyo, has taken a serious step up. Teahupo’o in French Polynesia is an iconic spot on surfing’s World Championship Tour, renowned for its breathtaking barrels and bone-breaking reef.

“The reef is an aspect of Teahupo’o that is really scary although the different angle of swells can really change the magnitude of the wave, which makes it challenging yet at the same time so intriguing,” Picklum says. A wipe-out on that shallow and razor-sharp reef is how teammate Ewing shattered two vertebrae in 2023. Given the potential outcomes of paddling onto the heaviest wave in the world, fear is an obvious factor to overcome.

“Mentally I am open to the possibilities and what dangers there are. I think the better you get, the more control you have on the wave,” Picklum says. “The more control you have, the more you can trust your instincts and enjoy being in the moment.”

It takes specific and well-honed skills to take on these turquoise terrors unscathed, let alone finish on the podium. For Picklum, plenty of practice has been essential for getting her body and mind in the best place possible.

“I have worked hard at being physically strong and have gained a mental strength and confidence to take on this wave,” she says. “As a team, we have been fortunate to have some time at Teahupo’o together to train and I’ll be leaning on all of my experience in those conditions.”

Molly Picklum in a practice session at Teahupo'o. Image: Getty

Doing it for the girls

The location is especially poignant for female surfers who saw the spot removed from their tour in 2006 without consultation and only reintroduced 16 years later in 2022. Picklum knows plenty about proving what women can do in the waves as part of the ‘Pipeline is for the f***ing girls’ showing at the 2024 Pipe Pro in February, scoring the first women’s perfect 10. “Women’s surfing is in such an exciting place and I know that when we have the opportunity to represent our country in the Olympics the performances will be even stronger,” Picklum says. “I will be giving it my all and I’m sure the other girls will be as well.”

Surging through setbacks

Picklum’s accolades haven’t come without a few obstacles. After dominating the Australian Pro Junior Series, being crowned the Female Rising Star in 2020 and making the Championship Tour in 2022, the WSL’s controversial mid-year cut ended her rookie season early. “I was incredibly disappointed but I learnt so much as a result,” she says. Competing hard over the next six months saw her back on the tour and ticking off some of surfing’s biggest honours, taking two championship wins and the world number one ranking. “I honestly believe these experiences have helped build resilience and given me the tools to deal with challenges that have come my way. I still have so much to learn but I’ve realised that’s ok.”

You can catch Molly Picklum and the rest of the Irukanjis in the first heats starting July 27.

Originally published as Molly Picklum on building confidence to take on the world’s heaviest break