As the calendar kicked over to the year 2000, Steph Gilmore was a prodigious 12-year-old from the NSW north coast who regularly hopped the border to feel the glide on Coolangatta’s points.

Her dad, Jeff, loved surfing and guitar, and would pay Steph a buck to play the major scales when she wasn’t whipping through turns. Maybe the music helped, but from an early age she rode a wave like someone stringing together a series of perfect chords. One of the first songs Steph learnt in full, was Bob Dylan’s ‘The Times They are  a-Changin’. By 2005 Steph had become an instrument of that change, ushering in a new era of women’s surfing when she skipped class to claim the 2005 Roxy Pro as a 17-year-old wildcard. En route to victory the schoolgirl over-achiever had swept past World Champions, Layne Beachley and Sophia Mulanovich. By 2007 Steph was claiming her own, maiden world crown. Seven more Titles down the line and she has become the most decorated surfer in women’s surfing history. However, while we’ve loved watching her hoist silverware above her smiling visage, Steph’s legacy hinges on much more than competition statistics. Her surfing has universal appeal, underpinned by a style that’s the envy of every surfer and complemented by a knack for riding eclectic craft. Then there’s the famous Gilmore je ne sais quoi, as she effortlessly segues from dripping-wet, virtuoso wave-rider to the savvy and sophisticated woman; somehow pulling off the whole act while always striking a genuine chord. 

To celebrate her appearance on the cover of Tracks #600 we invited Steph to reflect on a few pivotal themes in a career that has always kept us entertained and promises much more to come. 

A defining moment growing up?    

I was surfing in a Snapper Boardriders ...