Gilmore Makes History Again, Breaks Her Own Record With 33rd CT Win
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Griffin Colapinto (USA) won the Surf City El Salvador Pro Presented by Corona, Stop No. 7 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Championship Tour (CT). The competition finished the Semifinals and Finals in three-to-five foot waves at the famed right-hand pointbreak called Punta Roca, also known as La Punta or Punta Chilama. With their victories today, Gilmore and Colaptinto both move into the WSL Final 5 on the road to the Rip Curl WSL Finals. Seven-time World Champion Gilmore’s win marks her 33rd CT victory, breaking her own record for most women’s CT wins.

Gilmore Makes History Again, Breaks Her Own Record With 33rd CT Win
To capture her 33rd CT victory, Gilmore defeated Lakey Peterson (USA) in the Final, Caroline Marks (USA) in the Semifinals, and Isabella Nichols(AUS) in the Quarterfinals. The seven-time World Champion showcased incredible surfing throughout the event and capitalized on her affinity for right-hand point breaks. Gilmore now moves up to the WSL Final 5 in third place from seventh, putting her campaign for her eighth World Title back on track.

“Muchas gracias, El Salvador, this is amazing,” said Gilmore. “Once I got past Caroline (Marks), I was super confident and I knew I could do it. Lakey (Peterson) is an amazing surfer, so I knew it was going to be a tough Final but it doesn’t get any better. I love doing this. I love winning, I love doing this sport. We get to travel and surf fun waves. That’s pura vida. I would love to win another World Title but it’s a long road. There’s a lot more competition to be surfed and a lot of hard work to do, but this is just an amazing experience and I’m so happy to be here.”

Photo: WSL/Nolan

Photo: WSL/Diz

Lakey Peterson Breaks into WSL Final 5 on the Road to the Rip Curl WSL Finals
Peterson (above) moves up one place from sixth to fifth with her runner-up finish and is only 1,280 points below Brisa Hennessy (CRI). The American has come close to winning the World Title multiple times in her career but had to withdraw for a majority of the season in 2021 due to a back injury. This is the first year that Peterson has been in the newly formatted World Title race with the one-day Rip Curl WSL Finals, and she will hope to close in on the WSL Final 5.

“It’s been amazing, thank you to everyone for letting us surf your wave,” said Peterson. “El Salvador is a beautiful country. I’ve really loved exploring, surfing, meeting all the people, and the culture is really incredible here. It feels great to get back on the podium and get some momentum again. I love right-hand pointbreaks, so I was really happy to be here, and to share it with Steph (Gilmore) is always so special. I want to win a World Title and I love Lowers. I’m going to do everything in my power to get there and give it a good crack. There’s a lot of hard work (to be done) and this is a step in the right direction for me.”

Surf City El Salvador Pro Women’s Final Results:
1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 13.00
2 – Lakey Peterson (USA) 10.67

Surf City El Salvador Pro Women’s Semifinal Results:

HEAT 1: Lakey Peterson (USA) 12.70 DEF. Johanne Defay (FRA) 9.67
HEAT 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.50 DEF. Caroline Marks (USA) 9.84

Next Stop: Oi Rio Pro Presented by Corona
The next stop on the 2022 WSL Championship Tour is the Oi Rio Pro Presented by Corona. The competition will open on June 23 and will run through June 30 and will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, WSL’s YouTube channel, and the free WSL app. Check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners. For fans watching in Brazil, coverage of the competition’s Quarterfinals and beyond will continue exclusively on WorldSurfLeague.com and SporTV.