While the 21-year-old fell to American Caitlin Simmers, 18, in the final, Picklum’s perfect score was nailed in what’s widely rated as one of the best-ever women’s heats on the Championship Tour against Hawaii-local Bettylou Sakura Johnson in a thrilling semifinal win. 

World No. 5 Picklum flew through the barrel on her backhand side to earn the only 10 in the women’s competition. 

“I feel like for me personally, there’s no more fitting place than Pipe to give me my first 10,” said the NSW surfer, who will also represent Australia at this year’s Olympics in Paris.  

“ I’m just so, so happy– 10 points, it’s hard to come by,” she said. 

“With the wave I needed a score and I know she’s capable of a 10, so I just took off and I just thought it’s got some draw to it and I may as well roll the dice and try.”

“But 10 points, I love it, I want more.”

In the end, Picklum finished with a score of 10.64,  behind Simmers’ 12.66 score. Nevertheless, even Simmers had praise to heap onto Picklum’s historic heat. 

“Molly’s a guru, she’s probably the best girl out here in my opinion,” said Simmers about Picklum. “One heat out here is like months of experience, and getting barrelled in a heat with your friend is the most fun thing in the world.”

Commenting on all of the “epic” performances of the day, Picklum wrote on Instagram after the event: “Wow what a day for women’s surfing. So inspired by the women before my time who charged and push the limits and of course my girls who are pushing it in todays generation.”

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A post shared by Molly Picklum (@picklummolly)

“Pipeline is for the fucking girls!”

Despite this year’s epic performances from female surfers at Pipeline, women have only been allowed to surf the sport’s most challenging and dangerous wave since 2020.

Three years ago, Australia’s Tyler Wright claimed victory at the first women’s World Surfing League (WSL) tour event to be held at Pipeline. 

Before that, women surfed at a different Hawaiian location– Honolua Bay– for the findal event of the tour, while Pipeline was reserved for the men. Following a fatal shark attack during the 2020 Maui Pro, however, the women moved to Pipeline out of caution. 

Nevertheless, Picklum’s perfect 10 on the deadly wave seems to have cemented that “Pipeline is for the fucking girls,” as Simmers declared after her heat. 

“This wave is terrifying; I respect everyone who wants a part of it and everyone who doesn’t because it’s really scary out there,” said Simmers.

“It starts with all the girls that battled the guys and barely got any waves, and I hope that this event showed the girls can do it. We’re getting spat out all day, and it’s pretty cool to see. I’m really happy to be a part of it.”

The post Aussie surfer Molly Picklum scores first women’s perfect 10 at Pipeline appeared first on Women's Agenda.

The historic victory will go down as a significant moment in women’s surfing, marking a big step toward gender equality in the sport.

In a tight final where few waves were ridden, Wright managed to win by 1.1 points, coming away with a two-wave score of 8.34. She scored 3.17 in the final moments to secure the win.

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The women’s competition was moved to Pipeline after a local was attacked by a shark at Honolua Bay last week, shortly before the semi-final was scheduled to take place.

“It feels pretty unreal right now, it’s been a hell of a week…for both the surfers and WSL,” Wright said afterwards.

.@tylerGwright just made history.
Congratulations, Tyler on winning the Maui Pro at Pipeline pres. by @ROXY. pic.twitter.com/iD6l2y3zgy

— World Surf League (@wsl) December 21, 2020

Wright thanked the WSL for “showing true leadership” by giving women the opportunity to surf at Pipeline for the first time. She said it was a “great day for women’s surfing”.

“It was devastating what happened in Maui but I also want to say thank you to WSL for giving us the opportunity to surf Pipe, to make history, I definitely don’t take this for granted,” she said.

“To have this opportunity today is something truly special and I think I’ll probably more soak it in later than now.

“It’s a real equaliser out there now because it’s the first for the girls to be out there right now…it’s such an incredible moment in time.”

Wright also acknowledged “the women who came before” who “had way more skin in the game” at Pipeline, which is regarded as one of the heaviest, and best, waves in the world.

In a post to Instagram prior to the event, Wright said she was honouring those women.

“I paddle out in this event to honour those that have come before and put in the time because I have not (at pipe), and to the next generation of young self empowered women who got next. I hope that all lineups have the space for Women and that you feel like you belong because you do!” she wrote.

“And to the young men, who show up and stand up, thank you and we need more of you.”

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A post shared by Tyler Wright (@tylerwright)

It was Wright’s first win since 2017, following a long recovery from illness that saw her sit out the past two seasons of surfing.

On top of a being a personal triumph for Wright, winning the female surfing event at Pipeline has been lauded by other women in the surfing world for its significance.

Retired professional surfer and WSL women’s commissioner Jessi Miley-Dyer said it was a nod to the generations of women surfers who have fought to prove women can surf breaks like Pipeline, that have traditionally been reserved for men.

“Tomorrow we will run the first ever women’s CT at Pipeline and it was probably today that I really thought about how historic of a moment this is for our sport. I mean. Wow,” she said on Instagram.

“But also pride, for the past generations of women who pushed themselves over the ledge in the most competitive line-up in the world hoping it would happen one day by proving that they could.

“For the five women we have competing tomorrow, enjoy this moment. We are all behind you, generations us.”

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The post Tyler Wright just made history, becoming first woman to win a WSL final at Pipeline appeared first on Women's Agenda.