Gilmore Wins Fifth ASP World Title

Stephanie Gilmore, a 24-year-old Australia native, secured her fifth ASP Women's World Title in the past six years by winning the Roxy Pro Biarritz last Saturday. The win catapults her into the ranks of Layne Beachley (AUS) and Kelly Slater (USA), who are the only other two surfers in history to claim five or more ASP titles.  

"I woke up this morning and was thinking, 'Nah, it's not going to happen today.' I didn't really feel it. As the day progressed, things just fell into place," Gilmore said in her victory interview.

After a record-setting streak early in her career, winning four consecutive World Titles in four years (from 2007-2010), Gilmore fell to a third place finish in 2011 while recovering from a random, freak attack outside of her apartment in December 2010.

"This year for me was all about improving my consistency and having fun with my surfing," Gilmore said. "From when I started five years ago to where we are now, women's surfing has improved so much. It's an honor to be back up top as these girls push me every day and are all incredible surfers."

Beachley has already predicted that the young surfer will eventually surpass her seven ASP Women's World Titles record. "She is still very young. She's won five world titles before I'd won one," Beachley told the Australian Associated Press. "She's still got plenty of time to win more ... she's loving what she's doing, so as long as she's in that state of mind I have little doubt that she'll smash my record and go close to equaling Kelly's."

Gilmore overtook Tyler Wright (AUS) in the final round to clinch the title.