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“I had pretty much let go of it,” said Stephanie Gilmore, “and two hours later to find out that I had won the world title again was so crazy. I think that’s when I just had to let the emotions out.” Photo: Heywood/Roxy
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The last time I saw Stephanie Gilmore was at a bowling alley in Orange County. She bowled a strike in front of a giant group of people. All watched closely as she stepped to the line and clunked the ball onto the slick lane. The pins hit the floor. Everyone was very happy about it. The time before that was on the rooftop of our Venice office for a fiesta. Everyone was also very happy about her presence there, too. But it was about time we reconnected in a context more fitting with her forte: winning world titles. That’s what Stephanie Gilmore does. And yesterday, on Thanksgiving Day 2014, Gilmore won the closest title race in the history of women’s surfing – and the last ever ASP Women’s World Championship. Yesterday she rode an emotional roller coaster, shed tears, rejoiced, clinked tequila glasses and deepened her already-robust legacy in the history books of surfing. Here’s what she had to say about it all.
Well…what’s shakin?!
You know. Not much. Just having a bit of a hangout. Just talking smack to the cameras.
Right…I don’t know about that! Where are you right now? And how do you FEEL? Give me the energy.
We’re still in Maui. Hanging out near Honolua Bay. We’re just taking a couple of days to chill out before we head to the North Shore, but it feels good! I’m tired. Yesterday was crazy. We had such drama. It was a wild ride of emotions for a few hours. It was pretty draining, but it all worked out in the end – for me anyway. (Laughs)
Yesterday you said you owed Carissa a drink. What kinda drink did you get her?
I did. Well, I don’t think she was drinking, but I definitely drank enough tequila for the two of us. But she was cool. We did some karaoke last night. And did you know that Carissa Moore is an incredible singer? I think some people know. She has a song on iTunes.
I did actually! She has a song called Love Down On You. It’s awesome.
Alana was like, “Get up and sing! That’s your forte!”
I’ve heard it. It’s that Jawaiian music that just makes you happy. So this was strictly a karaoke-off or was it a dance-off too?
A combo. That sums it up pretty perfectly.
So, as I understand it, this was the closest World Title Race in history. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
It’s a great thing. Definitely. It kept it all very exciting, and from the very beginning of the year I felt like Tyler, Sally, Carissa and myself all had such similar results. We all had some wins. We all had some pretty terrible throwaways. It was pretty up and down, and that’s why it was so close in the end. And for sure it was the toughest world title that I can remember in my career to try to win. And if was good for the sport as well. The audience was so engaged in it. Everybody I spoke to was like, “Yes. Go for it! Or Go Sal. Or Tyler. Go Carissa.” There was so much support from all around the world the whole way through, which I haven’t really felt in any year that I’ve been on tour.
You started the year off with a big win on the Gold Coast. I think, despite the ups and downs of the year, the taste of victory at the outset is too strong in igniting that killer instinct to not punctuate it with a title. Any champion who wins the first event of the year – I think it infinitely heightens the likelihood of closing out the deal.
Well, I didn’t win an event at all last year, and I think that’s why I started out the year so determined to win. And I definitely think whoever wins the first event is always in a great position – even though it’s so far from the World Title, still for some reason everyone really remembers that first event. It’s more like a psychological thing. Definitely, Snapper and Lower Trestles were probably the two highlights for me and the two that boosted my confidence to try to bring home the title.
Obviously, you just won your sixth world title and you cannot be more thrilled. But part of me thinks you would have preferred a best of three surf off. I’d argue that you’d have enjoyed that more. True or false?
No that’s true. I definitely felt my actual performance on Maui wasn’t very good. I would have loved to have won the event and won the world title. That would have been the ultimate. Coming down to watching that final was so nerve wracking. Part of me hoped that Carissa wins to sort of take the easy road out. At the same time I was like, “Ahhh…I kind of feel like I need to prove myself here,” and a surf-off would have been the perfect way to go back out there and do some proper surfing. At the same time, I was like, “Man, Tyler Wright is surfing so good, I don’t want a surf off. I’ll just take the trophy.”
Now, you know you have to beat Layne’s seven, right?
That’s so funny. I feel like I’ve spoken more about seven world titles more than I have six. My very first world title that I won that was definitely the most popular question. Every world title I’ve won since then was like, you know you’re getting closer to Layne’s record. Two years ago even it felt so far away to try to win seven world titles. It’s getting closer, and I don’t doubt that I can actually do it, and I know it’ll keep getting harder and harder to win. And if I still love it, then I’ll definitely chase after it, but for now, I’ll just have to enjoy number six.
Of course. Well, this is kind of a cool fact: You won the last ASP World Title ever. Next year, it’d be your first WSL title.
You’re right. That’s a cool way to look at it. I’ve never seen it that way. At the start of the year I thought to myself that it’d be so cool to win a world title in the first year of the takeover, and I think that’s part of the reason I’ve been so driven to do well this year, is because to have the new ASP come in, and they have a vision for the tour. And that to me rejuvenated my whole purpose of being on tour. So at the start of the year I thought it’d be so cool to win this year, because it’s in new hands and it’s a breath of fresh air on the Tour for everyone.
I wish I could have been there, but I watched the webcast and you seemed really emotional and bubbly and your smile was back. It was very visible how excited and invested you were in this. It almost reminded me of your first World Title.
Definitely. I don’t know if it’s because we were back here in Maui where I won my first world title. It was just such a crazy morning as well. There were probably a few different reasons why I was so emotional, but it was also a tough battle to try to win the world title. I really think that because of the start of the morning after I lost my quarterfinal, I was so disappointed and I had pretty much let go of it. I had just given Sally and Tyler the perfect opportunity to do what they do best, which is win events and be consistent. So yeah, I had pretty much let go of it, and two hours later to find out that I had won the world title again was so crazy. I think that’s when I just had to let the emotions out.
Last time we caught up and I had watched Stephanie in the Water, we discussed what it means to be the best. Why it’s something you feel a need to do – to be the best. I feel like you might be in a different place emotionally now for a question like that – around why you work so hard to be the best in the world. In a moment like this, what’s your answer to that question?
To be honest, it doesn’t feel like I’m working really hard. It is obviously. I’m doing everything I can to be in the best position to try and win the world title, but I enjoy it so much. I enjoy traveling and surfing and competing and performing on this stage that the ASP gives us. It doesn’t really feel like I’m working so to speak. Talking about the tour and the new ASP breathes new life into the tour and they have a vision for it – that drives me at the moment. Being part of something that’s on the brink of doing some massive things. To me, that has helped me confirm that, yes, I want to keep winning world titles and being the very best.
I also think it’s such a moment by moment thing. Every single event that I go to, I still get excited and nervous, and that means I’m still interested. So why not every single time I’m there try to do my best? And, I’m just competitive too. I doesn’t matter what I’m doing. I want to win. And I don’t think that ever leaves somebody. You’re sort of born with those types of competitive drives.
Within the film, I think a lot of if was about believing in yourself. Recovering from trauma – to be victorious both physically and emotionally – I feel like this is a moment of validation in believing in yourself and what you’re capable of.
Definitely. A lot of those things are in the movie, and that’s the sort of stuff that I’m living right now. Imagining at the start of the year for things to fall into place and going throughout the year and achieving the little steps and goals along the way. It’s such a cool thing to experience. If you can really believe in yourself and find that mental focus and just that love for something – when you really love something, you’ll find a way to succeed.
I know you’re Australian, but did you have a Thanksgiving dinner last night?
After the event we hung out on the contest site and watched the sunset at Honolua. It’s such a magnificent place to hang out on the cliffs and watch the sunset. That was pretty much my Thanksgiving to just sit there and say thanks to all my friends and family for hanging out and supporting me at the contests and just have a few drinks on the hilll, which was really cool. No turkey though. We didn’t have a chance to get any turkey.
Well, maybe we’ll get turkey on the North Shore. Congratulations again, Steph.
That sounds good. We’ll see you at Lei Leis.
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“It doesn’t matter what I’m doing,” said Stephanie Gilmore. “I want to win. And I don’t think that ever leaves somebody.” Photo: Heywood/Roxy