Hand picked top moments from the world of surfing in 2018.
Equal Pay For Professional Female Surfers in 2019
The World Surf League had announced back in September that the women will be getting the same prize money as the men on tour starting during the 2019 season. They are the first U.S. based sports league to do such a move. WSL CEO, Sophie Goldschmidt, comments, “This is a huge step forward in our long-planned strategy to elevate women’s surfing and we are thrilled to make this commitment as we reveal our new 2019 schedule. This is the latest in a series of actions the League has undertaken to showcase our female athletes, from competing on the same quality waves as the men, to better locations, and increased investment and support.” Prizes will be equal at $100k for first, $55k for second, $30k for third.
Mick Fanning Retires
Three-time world champ, the legendary Aussie Mick Fanning, retired after a memorable RipCurl Pro Bells Beach event back in April. The champ is still killin’ it though. He has been exploring the true meaning of surfing and can be seen in multiple short films, including RipCurl’s “The Search”.
The Surf Ranch Pro
The World Surf League brought the tour to a man-made wave pool for the first time in history. It wasn’t just any pool, but Kelly Slater’s super secret (for years) wave pool that he has been perfecting. The event had a brand new format for competition and brought a lot of drama…the good kind. Cant wait for this to come back next year and years to come.
World Titles
Stephanie Gilmore dominates the women’s 2018 season and takes her record-breaking 7th world title since 2007. Gabriel Mendina secures his second world title after advancing to the final at the Billabong Pipe Masters.
Big Wave Records
Last year, Rodrigo Koxa rode the biggest wave at 80 feet in Nazare, Portugal and holds the Guinness World Record announced in the spring of 2018. This year, Gaya Gabeira surfed the largest wave by a female at 68 feet at the same location.
The Boarder's Journal 