Molly Picklum WSL Sunset Beach Hawaii North Shore Oahu

We were lucky enough to steal a quick few minutes of Molly’s time, in the back seat of a car as it whisked her from the podium to her victory dinner at the North Shore’s favourite restaurant, Lei Lei’s. Buzzing, but with thoughts already starting to turn to the next event, this is Molly at her candid best, flushed with success, but knowing bigger things are still to come. Enjoy.

How long is it going to take for your first Championship Tour victory to sink in?

I don’t know! I obviously haven’t done this before, but I really hope I do let it sink in before I move on because this is really fun.

Have you checked your phone? How many messages does a CT win get you?

On stage you were told that you’re now ranked number one, tied with Carissa. You didn’t seem phased one bit, just roared “Let’s go!” Are you where you feel you deserve to be right now?

For sure. I feel like I’ve got myself to a point where I can thrive, so it’s all exciting to me. My eyes are opened now, like, “Okay, this world tour thing is on! You’ve won one event, let’s just keep winning!” It’s fuel for the fire, it doesn’t feel like a relief, it feels like go time.

What was the first thing that went through your mind when you got up this morning?

It started from the moment I woke up, at ten-to-six, before my alarm. Finals day you’re always thinking about the end. You’ve got a taste for it because you’ve made the finals and that’s already special, from there you’re just thinking of what you need to do to still be standing at the end, and you focus on the process of getting there.

Coming into the final you must have felt confident, what was your plan of attack?

What has Glenn Hall, your coach, said to you since the final?

Brisa and Tyler chaired you up the beach. You talk a lot about wanting to be a good human above everything else, so to have two women you beat still want to do that for you must be vindication that you’re going about things the right way?

I didn’t realise that! I think at the end of the day that’s what it’s all about. Tyler and Brisa are two really good friends of mine and on tour we travel together year round, so we become friends and family. I’m super honoured if that’s the image that’s being portrayed, because I do put a lot of effort into putting my best human foot forward before my best athlete foot, I think that’s really important.

Talk us through how far you’ve come since this time last year?

It was really difficult, because this is really where I want to be, and what I want to do. Looking back I’m just happy that I didn’t let such a big challenge get me down. I wouldn’t say it’s best thing to ever happen to me, but it’ll be an experience that I can draw on for the rest of my life, because it put me in such a tough situation, and I had to fight back.

Do you think learning to lose helped you learn to win?

Tell us about your love affair with Hawaii?

It’s growing! It’s blossoming!

You’ve made it very clear you want to go and put in your time there, whereas some of your competitors might not want to or just don’t; and look at your results.

I think when something is so scary I just want to go and grab it by the throat, throw myself in the deep end. Hawaii was a lot like that, and it’s a huge part of anyone’s surfing career, so what better way to address it than get over here as much as possible and face it front on.

What’s the plan before the next event?

You’re off to Lei Lei’s to celebrate with your team first though. Ribs or ahi steak?

Haha! I had the ahi last night and it was so good that I’m going to do it again. Why change a winning recipe?