Wild fight for women’s title
THREE-TIME world champion Carissa Moore has predicted a “crazy” World Surf League title race this season as athletes raise the bar in the wake of Tyler Wright’s dominance.
Wright claimed five of the 10 events on tour last season and made another two finals to dominate the year on her way to a maiden world crown.
Moore, who along with sixtime world champion Stephanie Gilmore has had a stranglehold on the tour for almost a decade, said she had been impressed by Wright’s mental approach in her breakout season.
“That approach that she took into every event and every heat was all about her and she didn’t believe anything other than that she could win,” said Moore, who advanced to the quarter-finals with a win over Gilmore in their nonelimination Round 3 heat.
“So that was really inspiring and I think it’s pushed us all to surf better.”
Moore beat Gilmore in the dying seconds after a priority error by the Tweed Coast product handed the Hawaiian a final chance to snare a winning score.
Moore grabbed the chance with glee but knows Gilmore is focussed on a record-equalling seventh title this season.
“I could definitely feel her focus and I can tell she’s really fired up and excited and she’s totally in form,” Moore said.
“I can tell she’s fit and I can definitely tell she’s going to be (a contender). It’s going to be a crazy title race this year.”
Moore watched Gilmore open the heat with a score of 9.17 and the Snapper local seemed to be in her element until making the late error.
“It’s always tough when your competitor opens up like that, especially when it’s Steph Gilmore, this is her home break ... it was probably the hardest draw out of the whole round,” Moore said.
“I respect her so much and I knew I had to give it my best.”
Gilmore is not thinking about the world title now, despite more than 60 per cent of Roxy Pro winners going on to win the championship that year, including Gilmore in 2014, Moore in 2015, and Wright last year.
“It’s out there but it’s in the background, it’s a long way from day one of the first event of the world tour,’’ she said of a seventh world title.
“I haven’t won an event for a while, I haven’t won a world title since 2014. So I have got a lot of work to do.”