Central Coast surfing star Molly Picklum, 20, of Terrigal has taken out her first-ever Championship Tour win at Sunset Beach Hawaii, beating arch-rival Caroline Marks to go to the top of the world rankings heading into the third CT round in Europe.
Picklum qualified for the World Surf Leages’s Championship Tour last November after just falling short the season before.
Picklum’s performance at the Hurley CT Pro event has surprised surfing commentators and fans around the world, most of whom expected the more experienced female world surfers to dominate the Championship this year.
“I was pretty baffled; it was pretty slow and then big firie waves at the end,” she said after the event.
“I’ve got so much water up my nose I can’t even like see straight.
“I’m super stoked to have taken this event out; it is so challenging. Yeah, I’m just stoked.”
Picklum previously took out a 5th position at the Billabong Pro Pipeline event in Hawaii in January.
Shey now heads off to the third round of the Championship Tour at the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, held in Peniche, Leiria, on Portugal’s central Atlantic coast.
David Abrahams
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