First Carissa, Now Steph
Four days after Carissa Moore announced a quasi-retirement, Steph Gilmore has followed suit. This morning the eight-time world champion announced she was stepping away from competition for a year.
“I am planning to take this time as a refresh for myself physically, mentally, and enjoy following swells and free surfing in new places,” said Gilmore, who's 35-years old. “I have some projects and trips I want to do, which haven’t been possible while traveling during the season. I am still passionate and dedicated to competing, and I have goals and dreams that I am still chasing - I’m excited for this year to activate those and I look forward to returning in 2025.”
Though Caroline Marks won last year's women's title, Steph and Carissa have collected twelve of the last fifteen world titles and with both absent in 2024 it opens the door for a new guard.
In 17 years on the Championship Tour, Steph has accumulated a record 33 event wins. She most recently won a record-breaking eighth World Title in 2022 and earned seven top-five event finishes last season.
Steph has made clear this is a one year break and she'll return in 2025 with a season wildcard - something already assured by the WSL.
Steph's withdrawal changes the 2024 CT lineup with Luana Silva stepping in to fill her spot. The explanation for that is somewhat convoluted but explained here by the WSL:
"Under the WSL Rule Book, Gilmore’s spot continues down the 2023 CT rankings, and it is not allocated to the first replacement as this is a pre-season withdrawal. The next qualifier on the CT is Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), who is tied with Brisa Hennessy (CRC) and wins the tiebreak due to heat wins (4 to 3). Fitzgibbons as Gilmore’s replacement via the CT opens up a spot via the Challenger Series. Luana Silva (BRA), as the next ranked surfer on the Challenger Series, then qualifies for the CT in Fitzgibbons’ absence on the Challenger Series’ rankings. Silva will start her 2024 season at Pipeline, marking her return to the CT."
Comments
This is really weird, with both coming the week before the season starts
...or you see the next wave on the horizen.
& rather surf dreamy, glassy, barrels deep in indo ...
without the show
She finally took my advice , her brand is bigger and has more cred than the WSL .
Did Stef see the forecast of ten foot unruly Pipe?
Sorry I'm a massive fanboy of Stef's. haha
I think everyone is realising that the 2024 season is a waste of time until the the WSL gets themselves sorted and changes things .
Big Wake UP required.
No top 5 finals at sloppy venue . Go back to the accumulated Points over the season .
"Under the WSL Rule Book..." Haha, yes. And it's 32 ad hoc amendments.
The steadfastly stick to the rules they make up as they go along.
Absolutely
Wonder what their incentive schemes are from the Clothing Companies....
You would think some kickers in there based on WSL performance ?
This is a more dignified way of saying: "F**k the WSL"
Now we need JJF & Medina to leave and the WSL might start to slowly understand how they have fucked up
I'm tipping JJF will not do whole tour - i reckon he will drop El Salvador and Brazil. I remember him saying he is concentrating on Olympics this year.
I hope you're right. Pipe, sunset and MR only.
Now do Kelly.
Kelly who ?
Sophie McCulloch now on tour after pipe. This is great but pity she couldn’t be in pipe draw.
Its actually a bit shit when you think about it. She gets on tour but misses the first event. Thats a crap way to start and puts here at a disadvantage from day one. Give Carissa the wildcard and let Sophie surf. Also a bit rough for Brissa. They had the same points. Let them surf off maybe just before the event.
imagine of John John and Jack Robinson also quit and we got a year of free surfing edits from all four of them..
JJF's tenure on tour seems very, very insecure- be very surprised if he does a full year.
I would pay to watch JJF on the slab tour with his brother.
x2
Just leave the whole performing seal tour to the Brazilians. They can battle it out for their champ at Trestles every year.
Who said that Brazilians like the Trestles finals?
The Brazilian that hates big waves and wins it every year
The Brazilian world champion.
I see there is confusion between plural and singular. Brazilian vs Brazilians... Anyway, I haven't met any Brazilian fans or Brazilian pros who enjoy Trestles, apart from Toledo.
I am always amazed how the forum enjoys bringing Brazzos into unrelated conversations - eg. Steph stepping away from the tour for 1 year :D
Fair points. If i was Brazilian i would be very happy with Toledo and the trestles setup. As long as he stays on tour and as long as Trestles remains the final stop, he will keep winning world titles.
But its great to hear that Brazilian surf fans don't enjoy it. We all need to get together to make a stand.
However, one point regarding Toledo and Trestles is that (coincidentally) he won only when he was in front in the number of points in the regular season. The year Medina was ahead Toledo lost to Medina - in Trestles.
True. Two heats in onshore 2’ mush - nek minute world champ
The current **champ
Did a brazzo or two just win the big wave event ?
I like Sprouts suggestion .
How many titles did Kelly win after the first retirement ?
Mo(o)re likely than Carissa to make a comeback imho .
Carissa has better things to do , she thinks :)
Such great role models for the others .
Exciting 2 think who will now Step(f) Up !!!
I know an 11 year old that has just was asked to join the Olympic Surf squad .
2 young atm , probably :) .
Steph will find the Intense fire to compete again within 2 years ( 12 months imho ) .
She is still building a Legacy ( think Kelly ) .
Below zen suggests Wright . Love it , she CAN Step(f) Up instantly . She will grow being Top Dog imo .
Cool, that will free up Tyler to compete in the ultimate heavy left.
And we know how much she froths on those.
Pickles for team Oz, she'll have a dig on a heavy left. I suspect Steph's decision may have been different had the Olympic site been at La Grav
Love Steph, but "excited to activate" is pure WSL corpo speak bullshit. Feels like they are trying desperately to stage manage the two biggest stars of womans surfing bailing within a week
Must be change in the air scheduled for a year from now.
Sounds like both the legends know it and don't wanna be a part of the current shit show. (step away).
Imagine being a sporting organisation that loses 13 world titles from your tour in the space of a week.
Good point.
Carissa a bit of a surprise, Steph less so. I really doubt she’ll come back other than an odd wild card. At 35, perspectives change.
Pregnant
Stephs my favourite surfer but I think she knew she'd be up against a new breed of young chargers in heavy waves.
Americans would have you believe Carissa is the GOAT.
Silly Americans.
There must be a better way of watching the world's best on the best waves than WSL. Does it have to be a comp. to be interesting? I wonder.
Good on her, deserves a break.
Hope she just posts herself up at all the heavy lefts for a year and comes back and shuts us all up.
Maybe the only gap in her stellar career.
Go shadow Moana at Pipe for a season and those sisters at Chopes.
Even if she retired fully it would be no surprise 35 years old 17 years on tour, not many people do the same job at the same place for 17 years.
Good on her take a year off or retire if you will, you deserve it Steph.
Steph can't/won't keep up with the young guns. For someone who has done so much over her career even the title win at Trestles must've been slightly embarrassing having been out surfed most of that year. Looking at another barrel dodging session at big pipe just around the corner, it probably seems like a good time to take a break.
How would Layne's surfing match up against the new breed?
Horrendously
Steph got nothing to prove. Surfed and beat the best there was over near 2 decades and consistently finished on top
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