The pro surfing spotlight remains on Kelly Slater, who later this week is expected to clinch his tenth ASP World Tour title, but the Slater hoopla should not take away from what Stephanie Gilmore has accomplished.
Gilmore, 22, on Monday clinched her fourth consecutive world title during the quarterfinals of the Rip Curl Women's Search competition at Porta Del Sol, Puerto Rico. She then went on to win the event by defeating Carissa Moore in the final in two- to three-foot waves.
"I actually dreamed this one up last night," Gilmore said afterward. "Maybe I'm still dreaming. It's been a monumental day for me."
It's monumental for women's surfing, too. Gilmore, like Slater, is a dominant force. She has won four titles in four years on the ASP Women's World Tour, and since no male surfer is poised to establish a dynasty the way Gilmore has, she's now the most likely surfer to match Slater with 10 world titles.
Gilmore also kept alive her chance to match fellow Australian Layne Beachley with six consecutive titles. Beachley, who retired with a women's record seven crowns, won six in a row from 1998-2003.
Gilmore defeated Moore, a standout rookie, by a best two-wave score of 13.80 to 11.10, in mostly sloppy conditions.
The men's Rip Curl Search, the ninth of 10 World Tour contests, also is being staged in Puerto Rico and will resume with the third round when conditions improve.
South Africa's Jordy Smith has a slim mathematical chance of taking the race into the season-finale in Hawaii, but Slater can clinch his tenth title with a third or better in Puerto Rico, or if Smith gets beat in the early rounds.
No other male surfer has won more than four world titles.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo of Stephanie Gilmore courtesy of © ASP / CESTARI
Comments