Tweed surf legend Stephanie Gilmore to return to pro tour

AUSTRALIAN surfing legend Stephanie Gilmore is set to return to the professional tour after accepting a wildcard for the 2026 season.

The eight-time world champion, who grew up on the Tweed, has spent two years out of the water, having won her last world title in 2022.

She represented Australia at the Olympics in Tokyo and is second only to Kelly Slater for most championship tour wins.

“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,” 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 and seeing how I compete against the young talent on the tour.”

Gilmore burst on to the scene as a 17-year-old in 2005 when she won her first event as a wildcard at the Roxy Pro on the Gold Coast.

Two years later she qualified for the tour and went on to win four straight world titles.

Now 37, Gilmore believes she still has plenty to achieve against a new crop of talented surfers.

“I look back on my time on tour and all the events that I did well at and my performances and think, ‘I definitely could have surfed better there’,” Gilmore said.

“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.”

Gilmore will make her competitive return at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, an event she has won four times, on April 1.