Surfing’s best take world title to the wire

IT’S official. Only five women – including three current or past champions – can win this year’s women’s world surfing crown in Hawaii and three of them are Aussies.

Defending champion Tyler Wright and Sally Fitzgibbons are favourites for the title but six-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore is still in with a chance.

The only surfers capable of beating an Australian to the world crown are Americans, with Courtney Conlogue a strong contender and threetime world champion Carissa Moore, like Gilmore, an outsider for the 2017 title.

The world title race will be decided in Maui, Hawaii, in the final event of the 10-leg women’s world tour which can be activated from November 25. Tyler Wright is the defending champion in Maui, a crown she won after last yare securing her debut world title with an event in hand in France.

This year Fitzgibbons goes into Maui with the tour lead, but when the allowed two discard are worked in, Wright is in the rankings leaders.

The least complicated way for Fitzgibbons, Wright or Conlogue to win the world title is to win the final event.

If Fitzgibbons or Wright both finish third in Maui and Conlogue fails to advance into the final, Wright will defend her world crown.

If Fitzgibbons and Wright finish fifth, Conlogue doesn’t advance past the quarters and neither Gilmore or Moore win the event, Wright will again defend her crown.

“Its just so exciting to be part of a world title race like this,’’ said Fitzgibbons, who has only made the final at Maui once in four attempts.

“You know you have to bring your A-game.

“It being so close, it’s like the ultimate motivation.’’

Moore has the best antecedence at the final event of the year having won the Maui event twice and made the last three finals.

ITS JUST SO EXCITING TO BE PART OF A WORLD TITLE RACE LIKE THIS. YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO BRING YOUR A-GAME ...

SALLY FITZGIBBONS