Watch: The Biggest Turn in Women’s Surf History

Will the 2024 Hurley Pro Sunset Beach go down in surf history?

As a whole, probably not. But what about Molly Picklum’s hail mary, go-for-broke, absolute banger of a turn in the semifinals? Yeah. That’ll be remembered.

“Picklum throws down biggest hammer in women’s history,” touted the WSL. And Picklum went on to win the contest, beating Bettylou Sakura Johnson, backing up her runner-up finish at the Pipe Pro, and taking an early lead in the rankings.

“What a moment! Defending a title is so hard in our sport because the ocean is in charge,” Picklum said, “The ocean played its part for me and I’m really, really happy it did that. Every event feels different, so I’m just taking it for what it is and trying to find the little fun moments in between it all. I definitely wasn’t as confident in this event but I always kept belief and I think that’s one of my strengths.”

On the men’s side, Jack Robinson dropped a near-perfect 9.87, for a searing open-face hack, followed by not one, but two, tubes on a single wave. That, and a solid backup of an 8.17 was enough for a win over Kanoa Igarashi.

“It was a crazy last few months at home, I had a baby and everything before coming here and it’s all new and just adapting,” said Robinson. “I’m just enjoying it so much today. I know I didn’t start good at Pipe but it didn’t matter, I was just trying to enjoy it so much and it’s so special. It was a cool wave, almost bending, and I’ve never been tubed twice on the inside here. And to have a Final with Kanoa, we’ve grown up together, we’ve been doing this for a long time. It’s a cool history and a lot more to come.”

But back to the women…

Related: Molly Picklum Surfs Near-Perfect 10...with One Single Maneuver (Clip)

With Carissa Moore and Stephanie Gilmore stepping away from competition, Picklum and Caity Simmers are emerging as potential favorites for the World Title in 2024. But don’t count out reigning champion Caroline Marks. Who will win in the end?

TBD, of course.

But one thing’s for certain, with Pipe and Sunset in the books with two historic, glass-shattering performances, women’s pro surfing is the most exciting it’s been in…well, maybe, ever.

Next stop, Portugal.

***

Don't miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels.

Whether you're a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos.