Surfing-Old guard trio back to challenge young guns as elite world tour returns

SYDNEY, March 30 : Surfing's elite world tour kicks off this week at Australia's Bells Beach with Stephanie Gilmore, Carissa Moore and Gabriel Medina returning to the circuit to face off against a new guard that has raised the performance level in their absence.

The trio, who stepped away for a variety of different reasons, might find a different level of competition on the 12-stop tour, now in its 50th year - particularly on legs that feature large, powerful waves.  

"I am so stoked to be back," five-times world champion Moore, who had her first child last year, told Reuters. 

"Being away for two years really gave me a renewed sense of appreciation for the sport - getting to do something that pushes me out of my comfort zone every day and challenges me and takes me around the world and meet great people."

Moore won gold at the Tokyo Olympics and took 2024 off the tour to focus on defending her title on the intimidating reef break of Teahupo'o in Tahiti. 

Competing while pregnant with her daughter Olena, Moore missed out on the medals and has since been focused on raising her family and enjoying the sport from the sidelines.

"Yeah, it's been fun to be a fan the last two years, I'll tell you that," the 33-year-old Hawaiian said.  

"I've been super impressed with how everybody's been competing and raising the level of the sport, especially in waves of consequence."

Moore and Australian Gilmore, 38, dominated professional surfing for more than a decade and have 13 world titles between them.

In their absence, a crop of twentysomethings led by 2025 champion Molly Picklum, Olympic gold medallist Caroline Marks and 2024 number one Caitlin Simmers have laid down some of the most impressive surfing seen in powerful waves at Teahupo'o and