Two icons in one week? After Carissa’s announcement, Steph Gilmore says she’ll step away from the CT in 2024. Photo: Beatriz Ryder//World Surf League
Just four days after Carissa Moore announced her departure from the 2024 WSL Championship Tour, the eight-time Australian world champ Stephanie Gilmore has announced that she will follow suit. In a message posted on Gilmore’s Instagram and in a simultaneous WSL press release, she stated that she would take one year off, but return to competition in 2025.
Gilmore’s post reads:
“I’m planning to take this tour season off as a refresh for myself physically, mentally, and to enjoy following swells and free surfing in new places. I have some projects and trips I want to do, which haven’t been possible while traveling for the tour season. I’m still passionate and dedicated to competing, and I have goals and dreams that I’m still chasing – I’m excited for something fresh this year and I look forward to returning to competition in 2025.”
Just a week before the 2024 tour is set to kick off at Pipeline, the timing of these announcements is curious. Are the near parallel decisions pure coincidence or did Moore’s departure influence Gilmore to do the same? Perhaps Gilmore was inspired by Moore, or felt that a 2024 world title without her wouldn’t mean as much? We reached out to Gilmore’s people for a response but were politely rebuked so that’s purely guess work. It seems like the New York Times interview earlier this week detailing Moore’s exit would have mentioned both partings had anyone inside the WSL PR department known of Steph’s decision.
It’s certainly the end of an iconic run (or at least a pause). Since Layne Beachley won her last title in 2006, Gilmore and Moore have won 13 of the last 16 world championships. Between 2007 and 2015, they combined for nine in a row. That’s some serious hardware between the two.
Unlike Moore, who gave no timetable or indication if she will ever return to the tour, Gilmore’s statement is different in that it assures she’ll be back. The WSL already confirmed in its press release that she’ll receive a 2025 tour wildcard. However, with Gilmore turning 36 next week, she’ll be 37 by the time the 2025 tour rolls around. With a world title finish in 2022 and a sixth-place finish in 2023, she has shown that she’s still among the world’s elite surfers, but in the twilight years of her career (and a crop of gifted young surfers about to qualify), it begs the question if she’ll still have a shot at a world title upon her return.
Gilmore’s vacancy on tour opens a spot for the next surfer in line via the 2023 Challenger Series, Brazilian Luana Silva. Silva previously held the WSL replacement slot, which has now been allocated to Australia’s Sophie McCulloch.
The women’s championship tour officially has opened the door for the next generation of women to take center stage. And as surf fans, we can’t be too disappointed that we will (in theory) be getting a barrage of freesurf content as Carissa and Steph chase swells in 2024.
