Molly Picklum has hit peak form, riding the celebrated Supertubos waves to win the Rip Curl Pro Portugal event and move back into pole position to retain her world surfing title.
"Right now I'm on top of the world ... literally!" roared the 23-year-old Australian after her victory over America's former world champion Caitlin Simmers in Friday's final had rocketed her back to the top of the World Surf League standings.
Picklum's triumph at one of surfing's most famous venues, giving her the maximum 10,000-point haul that ensures she's overhauled Hawaiian Carissa Moore at the top, came at just the perfect post-season moment with just two events left.
The Gosford star has enjoyed a shiny nickname ever since she referred to herself as feeling like "a glow worm in a cave" while riding inside a deep barrel wave.
So she was quick to offer a shout-out to her friends and family back home, who she knew would be watching her first triumph of the season in the early hours.
"I just want to say thank you to all of them, I know they stayed up for this one. The glow worm absolutely did it, and I love you all so much!" Picklum said, after being given a triumphant ride on a jet ski and then throwing herself into the water, both exhausted and exhilarated as she let the surf wash over her.
"I just love it when I get to win in front of them, and actually do it for them.
"So many people support me and put so much energy into me. I just love winning to give back to those ones that give to me.
"I wanted to do well here. It was a dream of mine for me. Supertubos, it's like a cross between the Brazil energy and then (Hawaiian) Pipeline, and those two together are like my two favourite things.
"So, oh my God, I'm so so grateful to win here.
"It was literally a dream of mine, and dreams come true. It's so baffling."
Picklum was delighted to "kind of hit my stride right at the right time" as she now sits atop the leaderboard on 48,950 points to Moore's 47,065, with another Hawaiian Gabriela Bryan third on 44,865 with two more events left, the Philippines Pro and the Pipeline.
Picklum didn't have a great record against 2024 world champ Simmers, having lost six of their previous eight head-to-heads, but she was in control of their final from the moment she delivered a superb 7.83-point effort on her third wave, to build on her opening 5.50.
Simmers couldn't respond, offering Picklum's fans on the beach a belated scare when she managed a best of 6.67 on the ninth of her 11 rides.
However, the Australian, who only had a half-dozen outings, eventually triumphed with her combined two-wave score of 13.33 to the American's 12.84.
In the men's final, American Griffin Colapinto made history after becoming the first person to win three Portugal titles.
And Colapinto did it in a final for the ages against three-time world champion Gabriel Medina, of Brazil.
The Portuguese Pipeline lived up to its name as Colapinto and Medina traded excellent rides, pushing each other to go deeper and more critical with every barrel.
“How good were the waves out there?” said Colapinto, who climbed to third in the rankings after his win. “The battle with Gabriel was unreal ... Portugal has a big place in my heart."
The tour heads next to a new stop in the Philippines before the last event of the year at Pipeline, where 1.5 times points will be on offer.
- with Reuters
