One year after securing a career-saving victory at the Margaret River Pro, Hawaiian surfer Gabriela Bryan has returned to Western Australia sitting atop the World Surf League (WSL) rankings — and riding a wave of confidence.
The 23-year-old currently holds the No.1 spot in the world after building on her maiden Championship Tour win in Margaret River last year with a second career victory in El Salvador last month. This time, she arrives on WA’s iconic coastline not fighting for her spot on tour, but wearing the coveted yellow leader’s jersey.
“It feels so good,” Bryan said. “I enjoy coming here every time, but just to have no pressure of, ‘Am I going to lose my spot on tour,’ feels amazing and makes it feel like I can just go out there and surf.”
While her mindset remains grounded, Bryan admits there’s a new layer of expectation.
“I still think the same — that I just need to go out there and get two good waves and keep it simple. But the yellow jersey is definitely nice.”
Bryan credits her comfort with the powerful, open-ocean conditions of Margaret River — which closely mirror her native Hawaiian breaks — as a key to her past and current success.
“I think that of all the spots on tour, this is the closest to Hawaii,” she said. “The open ocean power allows me to do the kind of surfing I like.”
Her victory at last year’s Pro was both unexpected and crucial. Needing at least a semifinal finish to avoid the WSL’s mid-season cut, Bryan went on to win the entire event.
“It was one of those moments where everything just fell into place and felt almost effortless,” she recalled. “The waves were just coming to me — I even got a wave with dolphins, which was kind of mind-blowing looking back.”
Now poised to defend her title, Bryan is aiming for back-to-back wins at a location that holds special meaning in her professional journey.
“If I can go back-to-back here, it would be amazing. I got my first win here, my first final — it’s a special place.”
In the opening round of the women’s competition, Bryan will face Vahine Fierro, representing France and Tahiti, and 18-year-old local qualifier Willow Hardy, who earned her spot through the trials.
Bryan, who has been in WA for a week, has already spent time in the water with Hardy and knows not to underestimate the threat posed by wildcard surfers — especially on their home turf.
“You can never take a wildcard lightly,” she said. “You’ve got to treat them like they’re on tour and surf the same way. She probably has some more experience out here, but I’m confident in my surfing and I’m just going to focus on me.”