Born in Murwillumbah, New South Wales in 1988, Stephanie Gilmore first surf board was a 5′9 Local Knowledge bought from a second hand furniture shop. She learned to surf at 9 or 10 at Kingscliff, then with improvement moved up to the legendary points at Snapper Rocks and Greenmount.

Stephanie Gilmore is the most talked about athlete in women’s surfing. Still a teenager and a first-year rookie on the ASP World Tour, Steph has already done more than most of us can dream…

‘Steph surfs too good for her own good,’ observed Curren. ‘She surfs like a guy,’ observed everyone else. Weeks later, Steph went on to ring the Bell and slide into no1 spot on the Women’s WCT, her rookie season.

Photo: Warbrick