Right, you’ve read how Yago Dora stormed to victory in the men’s CT tour, now dive in and see how Molly Picklum picked her battles to win the 2026 women’s Championship Tour!
A Season of Opportunity
With previous world champ Caitlin “Caity” Simmers defending, and a field full of both veterans and hungry up-and-comers, the 2025 Women’s Championship Tour carved itself into one where consistency, guts, and timing mattered more than pure flair. The mid-season cut loomed after Margaret River, meaning every event carried double weight: for points and survival.
Early Season: Stakes Set High
The tour opened at Pipe, where Tyler Wright claimed the first major win, edging out Caitlin Simmers. That result immediately shook up expectations: Wright, with her experience and powerful backhand, showed she still had the heat to compete among the best. At Abu Dhabi, a new kind of test – wave pool / artificial setting – saw Simmers fight back, narrowly taking the win over Molly Picklum. That result proved two things: Simmers’ title defence was no fluke, and Molly Picklum was right there, ready to push.
Portugal offered a different kind of pressure. Supertubos demands sharp turns and clean execution; it was Caroline Marks who rose, beating Gabriela Bryan. Marks made clear early on that she was dangerous whenever the waves had a firm edge. In El Salvador, Bryan grabbed her chance, using max effort on the beachbreaks and softer walls to out-duel Isabella Nichols. The pattern was emerging: different surfers winning different styles of waves; no single surfer dominating everything.
Mid-Season Cut & the Australian Stretch
Bells Beach was a turning point for many. Isabella Nichols turned heads, finally getting the win many felt was due, trading blows with Luana Silva and making up for past near-misses. For Nichols, the victory felt like redemption. Molly Picklum kept collecting points, making deep runs, and staying in the conversation. Favorites like Simmers could not afford lapses – every semi-final, every heat mattered more than ever.
At the Gold Coast, Bettylou Sakura Johnson stepped up, showing how power and projection still matter. Then at Margaret River, Gabriela Bryan took another win, this time over Simmers. That solidified Bryan’s status not just as a contender, but as someone capable of high scoring and composure under pressure. The cut after Margaret River notably squeezed the field, leaving only the surfers who could sustain performance in shifting conditions.
The Home Stretch: Pressure Cooker & Big Moves
Coming into the second half, Molly Picklum grabbed the spotlight again at Rio. Her win there didn’t just collect an event title—it pushed her close to the top of the rankings, catapulting her belief into “this could be my year” territory. Bryan was still there, Nichols too, and Simmers under increasing pressure to defend.
At J-Bay, Gabriela Bryan surged under perfect Supertubes conditions. She took the win, while Molly Picklum and others kept pushing but couldn’t match Bryan’s high performance. Outside pressure, wave choice, and composure in big heats began separating the title hopefuls.
Then Teahupo’o loomed: a brutal test and final regular-season event. Molly Picklum rose to the challenge, delivering powerful wave rides on the heavy slabs Tahiti throws at you. Her performance there locked in the final seeding for Finals, showing not just skill but nerve.
Cloudbreak Finale: Victory & Validation
The Finals moved to Cloudbreak, Fiji – a volatile wave, a one-day winner-takes-all match among the top five. For Molly Picklum, this was more than just another heat; this was the culmination of a season built on endurance, adaptability, and mental strength.
When everything came down to that final showdown, Picklum delivered. She handled the commitment, found the scoring waves, and managed her heat intelligently. With that, she claimed her first Women’s World Title. It wasn’t flashy necessarily in every moment, but it was earned.
Major Themes & What Stood Out
One: versatility across waves. Surfing Pipe’s back‐door tubes, beachbreaks, reef slabs, winning this tour required switching styles seamlessly. Two: pressure moments made the season. The mid-season cut sharpened everything—who could stay calm in must-wins, who cracked. Three: emergence of new stars without old hands fading quietly. Names like Bryan, Nichols, Bettylou Johnson—all rose visibly, pushed veterans, and created tension. Four: the Finals format, though controversial, delivered drama. A day at Cloudbreak to decide the world champ ensured all the effort led to a climax worthy of it.
Final Reflection
2025 wasn’t about domination by one surfer, it was about peaking at the right times. Molly Picklum’s title feels truthful because she didn’t just streak through; she earned every point, every heat under pressure. The season gave us breakout performances, emotional comebacks, and surfing action that felt alive in every wave. A worthy Women’s CT season, one that sets the bar high for 2026.
