Steph Gilmore Sets Record with Eighth World Title, Felipe Toledo Wins His First
It was a nonstop day of action at Lower Trestles today as the WSL sought to finish the Rip Curl World Surf League Finals before bad weather from Hurricane Kay impacts Southern California.
In a pair of marathon displays of athleticism, both Steph Gilmore and Italo Ferreira surfed their way from match one all the way to the final, contesting three heats each to earn the right to face off against top-seeded Carissa Moore and Felipe Toledo in a best-of-three showdown for the world championship. Gilmore beat Brisa Hennessey, Tatiana Weston-Webb and Johanne Defay on her way to the title bout, while Italo Ferreira was completely dominant in his rout of Kanoa Igarashi, Ethan Ewing, and Jack Robinson.
But the two underdogs saw their paths diverge as they hit the finals. While Gilmore continued her form and ended up dispatching Carissa Moore two heats in a row to clinch her eighth world title (breaking her tie with Layne Beachley for the all-time record), Italo ran out of steam and was unable to match Toledo’s fresh legs and preternatural speed. Toledo and Gilmore both won two heats straight, dismissing the need for a third heat and ending the day an hour early.
A huge congratulations to Gilmore and Toldeo on their wins, as well as to local Honolulu surfer Carissa Moore, who had a dominant season and would have won the world title by a landslide under the former ranking rules. You will always be our champion, Carissa!