An honour to sit alongside Layne: Stephanie Gilmore makes surfing history with seventh world title
Stephanie Gilmore has won a history-making seventh world surfing title, matching trailblazer Layne Beachley’s record.
Stephanie Gilmore has claimed her seventh world title after her only rival for the women’s professional surfing crown, American Lakey Peterson, cracked under the pressure of their showdown at the Maui Pro in Hawaii.
Gilmore produced a commanding performance to dominate her opening heat in large and powerful waves at Honolua Bay.
Following Gilmore into the water for the next heat, Peterson suffered a shock loss, which relegated her to sudden-death round two.
She had to beat Alana Blanchard or the world title was Gilmore’s — without the Australian needing to get her hair wet.
As Gilmore watched from the cliff, unable to stand still, hands on her head, Blanchard caught two of the biggest waves of the day, getting tubed three times and hammering the
lip, to hand Peterson her nightmare result.
But it was a dream for Gilmore — who was due to surf pressure-free in round three later today.
As the realisation title number seven was hers sunk in, Gilmore took a couple of swigs of champagne and said: “Oh my gosh, this next heat is going to be interesting!”
She added: “Surfing means everything to me. I’ll never forget being a young girl and surfing all day.
“Nothing else mattered. I love surfing. Surfing’s the best. I have so much joy when I do it.”
The rest of the contest shapes as a victory lap for Gilmore after she matched Layne Beachley’s record of seven world titles.
Of sharing the record with Beachley she said: “It’s an honour to sit alongside you, Layne. Thanks for setting the standard.”
“You’ve been a huge inspiration for my entire career and for so many female surfers all round the world.
“To equal you is amazing. What an honour.”
Beachley is currently in a remote area of Tasmania, but her joy reached across the seas.
“When Steph commits her mind to a task it takes something monumental to stop her,” she told The Australian by text message.
“Exuding joy, naturally talented and fiercely focused, the smiling assassin has done it again,” she said.
“Seven-world title wins establishes her as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
“Irrespective of competition results, Steph is a beautiful girl, both inside and out, who deserves all the success she creates. No-one deserves it more than Steph and I am extremely proud of her.”
Beachley then tweeted the sentiments worldwide in a series of posts.
Success cannot be built on that which has not been celebrated and I can’t wait to shower her in congratulations and celebrations when we both collect our latest world title trophies at the WSL crowning in March 2019.
— Layne Beachley (@LayneCBeachley) November 27, 2018
Queenslander Gilmore won her first world championship in 2007 — a year after Beachley’s last — and defended her crown from 2008-10 before she reclaimed it in 2012.
At 30, Gilmore is likely to surpass Beachley as the most successful women’s surfer but quickly played down suggestions that Kelly Slater’s record haul of 11 world titles could be a target.
“I hate that question,” she said when asked if the American legend’s mark was in jeopardy.
“I’m just going to lap up seven. But this is so, so cool.”
Gilmore was concise and calm in her first heat — posting 16.16 points out of 20 to win it from Alana Blanchard and Sage Erickson, as opposed to Peterson, who proved nervous and hesitant on the water.
— with AAP
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Congratulations @Steph_gilmore, 2018 WSL World Champion! 7x ðŸ†ðŸ†ðŸ†ðŸ†ðŸ†ðŸ†ðŸ† @jeep #Steph7 pic.twitter.com/QyV9hI4ALb
— World Surf League (@wsl) November 26, 2018
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