Tyler Wright has won the Maui Pro final in Hawaii, defeating American Carissa Moore at the first female championship tour event ever to be held at the iconic Pipeline break.
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.
— World Surf League (@wsl) December 21, 2020
Congratulations, Tyler on winning the Maui Pro at Pipeline pres. by @ROXY. pic.twitter.com/iD6l2y3zgy
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.”
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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