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As we are nearing the beginning of the 2023 CT season, the question arises if Steph can make history again and go back-to-back ? In the meantime, check out below how her GOAT predecessor and surfing idols’ reacted when she won an eighth world title at Trestles. Steph shared this with us and more in Issue 587.
Issue 587 is still on stands, available for purchase online or subscribe to Tracks to read the full article & more premium content.
Has Layne spoken to you and offered her congratulations?
Yeah, of course, Layne’s you know, she is such a classic character, where I was actually hoping that she sent me a message that was just like a ‘fuck you’. But she sent me a really lovely message and said how proud she was and that she knew that I could do it. And she’s always had so much support for this mission that I’ve been on, and she’s always had so much support for this, I really appreciate her kind words and she was always reaching out throughout the year in different moments to say sort of cool, encouraging comments and what not. And, yeah, I can tell she genuinely was happy for me.
I mean, it’s such a strange dynamic, where she’s as competitive as you are, there’s one part of her that wants to preserve the record, but another part that really wants you to accomplish what you did. And as a competitive person, you can totally appreciate that?
Of course, and I also know, like, I was at the‘Rising Tides’ before the contest started. And, and I was looking at the young girls who I’d watched in free surfs, and they all surfed really well, and I was, like, it’s so funny how much emphasis we put on records and themes. And don’t get me wrong, it feels incredible to have this record, because it was a goal of mine, but I could see it in the future being smashed, you know, and that could be Carissa, it could be Caitlin Simmers or Molly Picklum or, you know, any one of these young girls, if they really dedicate their lives to this, this kind of a mission, then there’s really no limit to it. And I have to be okay with that. Because that’s progression.
I know we shouldn’t hang too much on the records. But now that you’ve got the two week preparation, program down, you’ve got to ask the question, does Kelly Slater’s 11 loom as a possibility?‘
You know, I can say it’s two weeks preparation, but it’s probably more like 25 years of preparation for that moment. Yeah, it was nice to share a moment with Kelly after the final. And I said to him, you probably don’t even remember your eighth title. But he remembers everything in detail. But he told me that when he won his seventh title, he said to his friend that he already knew what his name would look like when he wrote it with an eight in it., and I was like, ‘damn, that’s confidence’. And that’s what it takes to win those multiple titles back-to-back. So, oh my god 12 titles, that’s another level. I’m not sure about that.
Mick Fanning was in the commentary booth when you were winning your title.And he actually called you, “Steph Gilmore, the Queen.” How does that nick name roll with you. Do you appreciate it. How does it feel?
Yeah, it was funny. Seeing a lot of the press leading into the event, and yeah, it’s hard not to look when you’re on social media and sort of reading things and some of the pieces, well, some of it gets you fired up and some of it, you know, you’re just sort of proud to know that’s the opinion that that person has. There’s a lot of comments like, ‘Steph’s in fifth, she’s got no chance’ or it’s way too hard. Like, there’s no way anyone could come from the bottom and go all the way through the field. And it was actually Mick who said somewhere that he thinks that I could take it. And I was like, ‘Oh, cool’. Like, I think that Mick was willing to support me in that and I think that’s because of his knowledge of professional surfing. You know, he knew what the conditions were probably going to look like. He knew what my surfing was capable of. And yeah, so that was a cool moment.
Issue 587 is still on stands, available for purchase online or subscribe to Tracks to read the full article & more premium content.
