Pierre Tostee/World Surf League)
Stephanie Gilmore will not be competing in the 2025 WSL Championship Tour. In a post to Instagram, the eight-time world champion announced that she will be extending the year-long sabbatical she began last season.
“After careful consideration, I’ve decided to take another season away from the WSL tour,” wrote Gilmore. “This time will allow me to focus on healing some lingering injuries and redirect my energy toward continuing my adventures of surfing around the globe. I’m deeply grateful for the unwavering support of my sponsors and I wish all the athletes on tour the best of luck this season! See you in the surf.”
The announcement comes just as Gilmore was poised to return to competition after stepping away from the 2024 season, just a week before it was scheduled to start. In that announcement, she explained she was taking a year-long break as a “refresh for myself physically, mentally, and to enjoy following swells and free surfing in new places.”
However, she has always maintained that the decision was to take a pause, rather than retire. When asked in June whether she still planned to return to competition in 2025, she told The Inertia, “I’ve always given the same answer. I said I was taking a year-long sabbatical from competition and I still have hopes and dreams on that side of things, so the plan is to come back in 2025 and see where I’m at.”
Now, it seems that fans will have to wait at least one more year to see her in a jersey. In response to the news, the WSL announced Tuesday Gilmore will be granted the 2026 Championship Tour season wildcard. Since she had already been granted the 2025 season wildcard for her previous year-long sabbatical, the league has elevated Luana Silva as the next in line.
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