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Stephanie Gilmore Makes History, Winning an 8th World Title At Trestles

Stephanie Gilmore has become the greatest female surfer of all time, with an impressive display of athleticism by winning a total of 5 heats in one day to secure a record breaking 8th World Championship!

Stephanie Gilmore Makes History Winning an 8th World Title At Trestles

If you didn’t have a chance to tune in to all the action, here’s the day’s highlights:

 

After weeks of anticipation following the last event in Tahiti, Finals Day was called on at Lower Trestles this morning. The rocky shoreline quickly became standing room only as fans claimed their spot in the sand to catch the world’s best surfers battle it out for the chance to lift a World Title aloft at the end of the day.

 

In clean, sizeable conditions the women took to the water first, with 7x World Champ Stephanie Gilmore paddling out with Brisa Hennessy in Heat 1.

 

Brisa opened the heat in style with a strong 7.00 point wave. Not to be denied, Steph found her groove towards the back half of the heat and in true buzzer beater style, clinched the winning points on her final wave.

Stephanie Gilmore Makes History Winning an 8th World Title At Trestles

Stephanie Gilmore Makes History Winning an 8th World Title At Trestles

Heat two saw Steph match up with fierce Brazilian, Tatiana Weston-Webb. An amazing heat with the two going wave for wave, seemingly inching one another out of top spot every few minutes. Steph managed to hold the top spot with her 7.00 & 8.30

Stephanie Gilmore Makes History Winning an 8th World Title At Trestles

Stephanie Gilmore Makes History Winning an 8th World Title At Trestles

By the time heat three kicked off, it was clear that Steph was on a roll and whilst Joanne Defay made a keen match up, she had to work hard to match Steph’s energy or her 8.83 + 8.00 point rides, subsequently jetting Steph one step closer to the crown, and into the final heat.

Stephanie Gilmore Makes History Winning an 8th World Title At Trestles

Stephanie Gilmore Makes History Winning an 8th World Title At Trestles

The competition site was a buzz with the very real possibility Steph was just two heats away from claiming an 8th or Carissa Moore adding to her collection, a 6th World Title. With the crowds swelling, and the fans at fever pitch, it seemed as though Steph’s focus was as sharp as ever.

Stephanie Gilmore Makes History Winning an 8th World Title At Trestles
Steph set the tone of final heats early, firing through the lineup with an 8.33 ride and managed to carry that intensity all the way to the final buzzer of her second heat. With the crowd and competition site erupting in cheers, Steph cemented her name in history. 8X WORLD CHAMPION!

Stephanie Gilmore Makes History Winning an 8th World Title At Trestles

Stephanie Gilmore Makes History Winning an 8th World Title At Trestles

Stephanie Gilmore Makes History Winning an 8th World Title At Trestles

Congratulations Stephanie! Infinitely stylish, infinitely cool, and definitively the Greatest Female Surfer of all time.

Stephanie Gilmore Makes History Winning an 8th World Title At Trestles

Images Courtesy of WSL