Eight-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore will return to the World Surf League's Championship Tour next year after being awarded a season wildcard. The Australian surfer stepped away from competitive surfing in 2024, two years after winning her most recent world title in 2022.
Gilmore, 37, will make her competitive return at next April's Bells Beach Pro in Victoria, the first CT event of the season. The Murwillumbah-born surfer won her first world title as a 19-year-old in 2007 and went on to claim four consecutive championships.
“The last few years, I've enjoyed time off to do some exploration and other things,” Gilmore said in a statement. “But I'm looking forward to heading back to the CT in 2026 and seeing how I compete against the young talent on the tour.”
Gilmore has won 34 CT events, second only to Kelly Slater across the men's and women's tours. Her 2022 triumph gave her a record eighth world championship.
“I'm mostly excited just to see how I go in these challenges again,” Gilmore added. “When you step away from competing full-time, you can really switch off and it can be hard to get back into that headspace. But I'm excited to feel that energy and that challenge again.”
