Surfing 2021: Stephanie Gilmore chasing historic eighth World Surf League title in revised format
She’ll lose a share of the record but Layne Beachley will be cheering loudest if Stephanie Gilmore can become the most decorated woman of all time in a new finals format.
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Layne Beachley says she won’t mind at all if Stephanie Gilmore negotiates the World Surf League’s new finals format to claim an eighth world title and beats her record.
Beachley and Gilmore currently share the record as the most successful women’s surfers in history, with seven world crowns each.
But Gilmore has the chance to add to her tally if she can negotiate the one-day finals format introduced by the WSL this year, to set up a title showdown against great rival Carissa Moore.
The 33-year-old, who won her first title at age 19 in her rookie year on tour, will need to be on song in a single day of action that will be demanding physically and mentally.
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But Beachley, now the chair of Surfing Australia, believes she can do it and says she would be “absolutely thrilled” to see Gilmore be the stand-alone title leader.
“I’m cheering Steph all the way to the podium and all the way to an eighth world title,” Beachley said.
“As I’ve often said, she sees my record as a stepping stone to her achieving something much greater that what I achieved.”
It won’t be easy though.
While the title is traditionally awarded to the athlete leading the standings at the end of the season, the WSL has instituted a finals event at the famed Lower Trestles break in California to decide the champions going forward.
The top five athletes will surf off in a number of knockout contests to determine a challenger to face the top seed in a best-of-three title decider.
As equal fourth seed, Gilmore will need to win through three knockout rounds — against her fellow No. 4 seed, France’s Johanne Defay, No. 3 and fellow Aussie Sally Fitzgibbons, and world No. 2, Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb — to set up a decider against world No. 1 and four-time champ Moore.
“For someone like Steph, who is the queen of making competitive surfing look so natural and joyful and graceful, I don’t think people would understand how physically, mentally and emotionally taxing that day could potentially be,” Beachley said.
“But Steph is a very experienced and fit and tenacious competitor, so you could never rule her out but she’s definitely got one of the hardest pathways to claiming her eighth world title.”
Beachley, who claimed six of her seven world titles in an incredible run from 1998-2003, said she was right behind Gilmore but not exclusively.
“My heart’s a little torn,” she said.
“I am wholeheartedly in support of Steph winning an eighth world title and believe she has plenty more in her — but I’d also like to see Sally (Fitzgibbons) win her maiden world title.
“And I know Steph would really like to see Sally claim one too.
“It’s a double-edged sword and I’m really grateful that we’ve got two Aussies in contention.”
The world title window opens on Friday (Australian time), with officials set to wait for ideal conditions with the men’s and women’s titles decided in one day.
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Originally published as Surfing 2021: Stephanie Gilmore chasing historic eighth World Surf League title in revised format
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