SEVENTH HEAVEN
STEPH EYES RECORD
CAN Steph wrap up her seventh world title before Hawaii?
Yes, by simply winning this week’s Roxy Pro scheduled to start at Hossegor, France today.
But is it as simple as all that? If Steph is runner-up and her nearest rival Lakey Peterson reaches the semis, Steph can still win.
A win for Peterson would mean the world title race was alive in Hawaii.
Anything lower than semis down to quarter-finals would see the world title decided in the final event at Honolua Bay in Maui next month.
Unless, of course, Peterson bombs out early at the Roxy Pro, which is a most unlikely scenario.
Steph has been consistently strong this year with three World Championship Tour wins.
Last year’s world champion Tyler Wright has wrestled with injuries, preventing the two-time world champion from being a contender in 2018.
Three-time world champion Carissa Moore is coming home hot after winning at the Surf Ranch Pro in Kelly Slater’s wave pool in the US.
Moore is not in world title contention this year but could prove to be a spoiler in the Hossegor beachbreaks where the Hawaiian won last year from Peterson.
If that result was repeated with Steph bowing out in the semis, the world title would go on to be decided in Hawaii.
Gilmore’s achillies heel is on her backhand on lefthander beach breaks. But if Steph doesn’t nail it in France, I’m sure Honolua Bay, where she has dominated in the past, will be a victory lap.
When Gilmore first burst on to the World Tour by claiming the 2007 crown, she spoke about aiming for 10 world titles.
Right now that would be the furthest thing from her mind. Her sole focus is on world title No.7.
At 30 years of age, Gilmore is at the peak of her illustrious career but with the state of women’s surfing rapidly improving every year, 10 may be out of reach.
A seventh is totally achievable to match Australia’s other greatest women’s world champion Layne Beachley.
As a seven-times world champion, Beachley holds an unbeaten record and last week the head of Surfing Australia ably demonstrated that she still has what it takes to win, claiming the inaugural World Masters Women title at the Azores.
The difference between Gilmore and Beachley is that Steph has more WCT event wins than Layne or anyone else and in my mind that makes her the greatest women’s surfer ever.
Go Steph, you’ve got this!