Australian Stephanie Gilmore – nicknamed Happy Gilmore for her ‘joyful and positive personality’ – has been dominating the surfing scene ever since she made her emphatic debut back in 2007.
The New South Wales native began surfing at the age of 10 on Australia’s famous Gold Coast, thanks to the encouragement of her father, and was a natural on the waves. By the time she was 17 she was already entering competitions as a wild card competitor. In 2005, she won at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast.
After winning a second successive wild card event, Gilmore qualified for the 2007 ASP World Tour – and the rest is record-breaking history.