Steph Gilmore is back on tour, why now?

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It was a long shot for Steph Gilmore, but let's pose this one out.

One of the most emotional and deserving moments of Stephanie Gilmore's career.

She holds the record to herself, officially, an eight-time world champion.

When Steph Gilmore announced, she was taking a year off the world surf lake.

We wondered if she'd really be back.

What an eight-time world champ need to keep competing.

One year turned into two.

She went on adventures, started to kill a brand with her girl gang,

played heaps of guitar, got her own Barbie doll.

Yep, when a beloved athlete appears to be done with competition,

you can't help but want the back.

It's the reason Ashbody has to hose down comeback speculation

any time she's near a microphone.

Well, in about two weeks, we're getting the Gilmore comeback.

At 38 years young, she's back on tour after a two-year sabbatical.

Why now?

In this bonus episode, she's talking comebacks on Patrick Stack.

This is ABC Sport Daily.

Steph Gilmore, eight-time world champ, back on tour after a two-year sabbatical.

Steph, I guess the question every surf fan is wondering is, why are you returning?

Yeah, I think I just am excited to challenge myself against these amazing young women on tour.

The WSL have got an excellent looking schedule this year,

and lucky I get a great opportunity to get the wild cards straight onto the tour.

Those don't come that often, so we're making most of it.

I asked actually Lane Beechley what she wanted to know from you,

and she's a rare someone who's kind of been at your level.

She asked me to ask you how it felt to be returning as a veteran.

Is this whole new wave of competitors who are sort of really cementing themselves,

Molly Pecklem, Aaron Brooks, Katie Simmers.

I mean, Tyler Zabraski is 14 years old.

How are you feeling about returning as a vet?

Yeah, I'll be the oldest on tour, which I was the oldest the last years I was on tour,

but I think it's cool.

I mean, I'm so impressed while the new generation and the young girls on tour

and just the levels gone through the roof, especially in heavy waves.

And I don't know, I kind of feel like after having a bit of time off,

I'm just, I'm almost like a rookie and, you know, I've got like these new feelings

and the nerves and it's just like, I don't know, it's just kind of like going to be a fun adventure.

And I guess at this point too, I don't really have much to lose,

so I'm feeling pretty carefree about it.

And I always have expectations, high expectations of myself,

but I'm pretty excited to just go out there and feel like I can just surf the way I want to surf.

And I'm not, you know, it's not the end of the world if I lose a heat.

I've seen you talk about creating lies about your opponent sort of Michael Jordan style

to motivate yourself.

And I love what that says about your competitive nature and how you find a way to flip the switch.

What kind of lies have you been cooking up for the new wave?

Have you been, you know, workshopping it?

Probably the same thing, you know, like just approaching it as a rookie,

like a completely clean slate and, yeah, like I've got nothing to lose.

So just go out there and be completely tuned in and switched on

and just enjoy the whole process.

You know, I think my expectations are probably lower to bit of what I can achieve in the year,

but at the same time, anything's possible, so just enjoy it all.

Can you remember when you were emerging in the way you looked up to the best in the world?

You know, maybe it was Lane, Beachley or others.

Do you ever think about that contrast that you were once the emerging talent

and now, you know, you're the greatest of all time.

And how this sort of re-emergence sort of grapples with that.

It feels like you've kind of got a foot in both camps.

Yeah, totally.

I just, I guess like, oh, I don't even know how to answer that.

I think it's just an exciting opportunity to challenge myself.

And like you said, the young girls on tour, I know what frame of mind they're in

because I was once that rookie who was challenging the likes of a Lane Beachley

and, you know, the women that I really looked up to, they have super dangerous

and that carefree spirit is really just the most exciting position to be in.

And that's kind of, that's kind of the way I'm looking out for myself.

But yeah, we'll see how it all pans out.

Molly Picklem is obviously at the forefront of things.

World title last year.

And she talks about you as a hero and spoke about how much of a buzz she got

communicating with you after that win.

Like, what's that relationship like?

Because I assume it's somewhat mentee, mentor.

But it's also now opponent, obviously.

Yeah, I think, you know, I mean, obviously it's the latest stages in my career

where you want to be able to pass on knowledge and waste them.

But at the same time, as a competitor, you kind of have to keep a few cards close to your chest

because you don't want to give them all the secrets and then they end up beating you in every hate.

But now Molly's a, she's had an excellent few years on tour

and she's learnt so much and progressed, progressed to her own surfing

and progressed all the women's surfing to a new level.

It waves up pipeline and Tahiti and Fiji.

So yeah, she incredibly inspired by how she approaches heavy surf.

And she's just fearless.

A lot of these young women are super fearless.

And it's, I'm really like, it's inspired by that kind of take.

And so yeah, it's really cool to see that she's leading the charge

and know to have an Australian woman as the current world champ.

It's also something that I'm super proud of.

And yeah, looking forward to challenging myself against somebody like Molly.

Regardless of whether you're competing or not officially like,

I know that you're going to be surfing and I'm interested to know those two years

without being in sort of by and large competitive environments.

How did you find that?

Does it change the way you interact with surfing?

And did you have flashpoints of regrets where you're sort of like,

oh, I kind of, I kind of miss that edge.

Yeah, I mean, I've always enjoyed competing and stepping away

from the tour was obviously quite freeing and a lot of fun.

And it's almost more work because you don't have that set schedule

where you know you're going to be at what dates and what boards you're going to ride

and what waves you're going to ride.

You sort of have to make these trips and make more content for yourself

and sort of work harder for the companies that you're sponsored by

and on tour it seems a little more easy, you kind of can just show up and do your thing.

But yeah, no, it was a nice breather,

but I definitely was watching events that I wish I was in this event.

So that was when I kind of knew that I wanted to go back on

and have another go.

I'm intrigued as well.

Like I was saying countless clips of you surfing snapper rocks and surrounds.

I assume you sort of live up that way.

And it looks pretty hectic in the water.

Like does a world champ get dropped in on in 2025, 2026?

Like is what's it like to surf in such massive crowds like that when you are a car

above everyone else in the water?

Yeah, the Gold Coast is a unique lineup where it's a free for all.

There's kind of no rules and it's great for building competitive surface

because you have to be pretty assertive in the lineup.

But for the most part, there's no real right of way.

It's everyone's dropping in and everyone.

And you know, I'm dropping in a people and they're dropping in on me.

And it's like it's kind of whoever can go the fastest or sit the deepest

might be able to get the most waves.

But you know, I'm used to it.

I grow up here.

So I actually feel strange when I'm surfing somewhere where there's nobody out.

What do you think about localism in 2026?

Like as more people are in the water, surfing booms.

Like how do you see that balance of the conversation where like the oceans for everyone?

But there's also got to be a level of respect around sacred space where

cruise surf at day in day out.

Yeah, localism is there are positive and negatives to it.

You know, I think some places there are a lot of angry local still and they are just trying to

I guess keep like an organized chaos in the lineup.

And I don't know, it can be good.

There are a lot of waves that has sort of been over run with a lot of surfers

like of all different types of skill levels.

And it does make the lineup if it's a heavier wave, a bit more dangerous.

And so it kind of feels like localism works for those types of places.

But at the same time, no one owns any waves.

And so I think should be welcoming for everybody.

So, you know, it's kind of like we're all just out there bobbling around on surfboards having fun.

So we really can't be flexing too hard and taking it too seriously.

It is hard though when you're trying to train and test boards and there's people in the way.

And it can be kind of frustrating.

So I think that's where wave pools have come in really handy.

You don't strike me as a regulator, like I don't imagine you sort of, you know,

definitely not.

I'm definitely not a regulator.

Yeah.

But sometimes I wish I was a bit more stern in my approach to crowds.

But yeah, it's tough one.

One thing you are as busy, launched a tequila brown with your mates,

became a Barbie doll, pretty cool, played on stage with Spider-Bate.

I know you love your guitar.

Like what gives you more anxiety paddling out for a heat or playing on stage with Spider-Bate?

Yes.

I think at this point, definitely playing music on stage during the barely event

when I was competing last year.

And I also was playing in the band.

And I think I was out in the water during my heat thinking about chord progressions

and making sure that I got my solo down right.

And it probably sold a bit of my attention from the actual surf.

Maybe it wasn't a smart idea, but I think it's really cool to be able to have those opportunities.

And also, you know, they're pretty scary to get asked to go up on stage with thousands of people watching.

It's like, you know, you sort of lean towards saying no, but at the same time,

you've got to push yourself to do things you're uncomfortable with.

And you end up having such a good time, which I did.

I absolutely loved it.

And I mean, being a rock star is, is, you know, weird lifelong dream.

I'll probably be a weird struggling rock star at this point, but I really enjoy playing guitar.

And hopefully there's more opportunities to get up and play with some bands.

I feel like there's plenty of musicians who want to be surfers and vice versa.

What was the biggest positive from the year or two years off?

Relationships, mental health.

You know, I know that you have long desire to improve your cooking.

Was there anything in particular that you loved getting better at or that you felt like,

like, oh my god, I'm so different in that space.

Yes, so launched a tequila brand with my friends as well.

It was a really busy off time.

So lots of guitar, launched a tequila brand with my friends, which is doing really well.

And I'm having a lot of fun with it.

And then, of course, a highlight of probably my, you know, definitely a huge moment in my career

was to be honored as a Barbie doll and to be a part of the Barbie dream team,

which is, you know, group of women from all over, you know,

all kinds of different athletes, astronauts, musicians, like it really highlights the philosophy of Barbie,

which is sometimes you need to say it to believe it.

And you can be whatever you want to be.

And so, yeah, that was super cool.

And they didn't actually sell our Barbies, but they made me one.

And yeah, it's really cool to have that honor.

What's it like saying yourself in Barbie form?

I can't imagine.

Yeah, I think the mold for my Barbie was probably the original mold,

except she has, like, quite flexible ankles and knees.

So she can actually serve.

But yeah, she's really cool.

She's got a kilo of ribco etsy.

And that was actually modeled off my ribco collection.

It's super special.

Like, I never thought that that would be something that would happen in my career that's pretty proud of that.

I know that you've been trying to use some of this time to get on adventures as well.

Is there something that you wanted to do that the tour had kept you from doing that you finally got to do?

I don't know, maybe it was a place you wanted to visit.

Something you got to take off.

I mean, I feel like I was able to do so much stuff.

I even was on tour.

But yeah, these last few years, I was able to do a few more trips.

You know, got to do a trip with Tom Kern and Mason Ho.

Got to do another trip with me, friending and Mason Ho.

And then I did another trip to Solomon Islands, which is a place I never got to go to before.

And serve some new waves.

And it's just cool to adventure around and serve a new place that maybe now has ever been served before.

So there's a real thrill to adventuring in the ocean like that and then doing it with great people

and sharing the stoke of surfing with the local communities that you show up and meet.

They're all really great experiences that I had that time off.

You're not alone in taking time away from the sport.

I see John John Florence sailing around the world with these little family chasing adventures and waves.

If you compare notes at all with with John John, a fellow world champ.

A little bit. Yeah.

No, John, John is, you know, he really is the ultimate surfer the way in which he's a world champion.

He is the best surfer in every type of wave.

He's surfing huge waves.

He's doing airs and small waves.

He's really like so comfortable in the ocean.

And now for him to just jump on a sailboat with his family and take off and search a wave.

He's really living the ultimate surf adventure dream.

And then to film it all and share it with his fans.

He's just absolutely killing it.

I think almost any surfer you could talk to would say that he's the pinnacle of the ultimate surf offer.

We're not even at bells yet.

So this question might say I'm a little bit, you know, forward facing.

But I know that you missed the Paris Olympic Games that were obviously at Chopu from a surfing perspective.

Is it part of you at all that he's gunning for Los Angeles 2028?

I'm not sure it's, yeah, the qualification for Los Angeles is next year.

So it sort of goes off.

They've just changed it.

It's the first few events of the world surf league.

And then you go to an ISA, which is a different, different governing body.

And they have their own event.

And you sort of have to do a qualification through that.

So there's a couple of different routes that you can take to try and qualify.

And yeah, I'm not sure.

I think we'll see how this event or these, these events in the next few months go and see how I feel.

And lower tressels where the Olympics will be in Los Angeles will be.

It's one of my favorite waves.

And I definitely don't get there in the past.

But I'm not completely counting it out.

But yeah, it's not exactly etched into the diary just yet.

One step at a time.

We understand it.

Bell's looms.

I think Australian surf fans are so excited to see you back in the water doing your thing.

Steph, thanks so much for your time.

Appreciate you being so generous with it today.

No worries.

Thanks Patrick.

Our fun is Steph Gilmore.

Can't wait to see her competitive bells.

We will be back in your feed with normal programming Monday.

Catch you then.

Thanks to the WSL for the extra audio you used in this episode.