Surfing icon and local legend Stephanie Gilmore has made official her plans to return to full-time competition on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) in 2026. Gilmore, the eight-time World Champion, stepped away from competition in 2024-25 after claiming her record-breaking eighth World Title in 2022. She has been granted the WSL CT Season Wildcard, guaranteeing her entry into the 2026 CT season, which will mark the tour’s 50th year.
“I’m really excited that I’ve accepted the 2026 WSL Championship Tour season Wildcard,” Stephanie Gilmore said. “The last few years, I’ve enjoyed time off to do some exploration and other things, 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. I’m mostly excited just to see how I go in these challenges again. 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. I’m definitely excited to get back to all of those locations.”
Gilmore, who burst onto the scene in 2005 as a 17-year-old wildcard claiming her maiden CT victory at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, quickly established her dominance. By 2007, she qualified for the CT and immediately won both the Rookie of the Year title and the World Title. She went on to achieve an unprecedented eight World Titles (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2022).
Throughout her career, Gilmore has set a new standard for smooth, flowing, yet powerful rail surfing. She is widely regarded as a surfer’s surfer due to her impeccable style, incredible poise in the tube, and laid-back attitude. However, her performance at the 2022 WSL Finals, where she achieved the unthinkable by coming from fifth place to claim five dominant heat wins and secure the eight-time World Championship, demonstrated she possesses as much grit and tenacity as any competitor. She is the only surfer to achieve this feat within the WSL CT Finals format. Gilmore has claimed 34 CT event wins, a total surpassed only by Kelly Slater (USA).
Looking ahead to the 2026 schedule, Gilmore mentioned specific goals for her return, and locations where she hopes to improve her track record.
“I look back on my time on Tour and all of the events that I did well at and my performances and think, ‘I definitely could have surfed better there,’” Gilmore continued. “Then there are places like Pipeline and Tahiti and Fiji that are such thrilling places to surf, and to be able to go and compete there in great waves is part of the goal for me to do well in these locations where I don’t have great results yet. The whole schedule looks like so much fun, and I’m really excited about it all.”
Since competing full-time, Gilmore has maintained a busy schedule. She represented Australia at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in her last two full seasons on Tour. More recently, she has been travelling the world on The Search alongside Rip Curl teammates such as Tom Curren, Mick Fanning, and Mason Ho.
She also launched two signature Rip Curl x Stephanie Gilmore apparel collections. Beyond surfing collaborations, she has jumped onstage for guest performances with Australian rock and roll legends Spiderbait. Additionally, Gilmore launched her new Tequila brand, Cinca, in collaboration with fellow former CT competitors Macy Callaghan, Nikki Van Dijk, Dimity Stoyle, and Laura Enever.
Despite the flurry of activities, Gilmore is looking forward to the structure that professional competition provides.
“I’ve had incredible opportunities over the last few years, and it’s actually been busier than I could have imagined,” Gilmore said. “It will be nice to get back on Tour and have a schedule mapped out for the year. It’s been fun, but I’m looking forward to getting back into a bit more of a routine, so we’ll see where that leads me.”
You can catch Stephanie Gilmore back on Tour at Bells Beach.
Gilmore will officially make her competitive return at Stop No. 1 of the 2026 Championship Tour, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, on April 1, 2026. She has won the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach event four times previously.
