Molly Picklum Snaps Australia’s Title Drought in Fijian Showdown
Twenty-two years of dreaming, one perfect day at Cloudbreak. Molly Picklum charged into the World Surf League finals as the top seed, survived a shaky start against former champ Caroline Marks, and then locked in the 8.33 and 8.10 combo that sealed her very first world title. 7NEWS has the highlights and the post-surf scream that will echo in Aussie surf bars all winter.
Picklum’s tally—two regular season wins and only one result outside the top five—shows why she was the clear favorite. Even after blowing her first heat she didn’t panic; she just clicked into “win-the-thing” mode and left Marks hunting scraps. When the buzzer sounded, Molly leapt onto boyfriend Austin like it was New Year’s Eve in boardshorts. “I came here with a dream!” she told the webcast while half laughing, half crying. Mission complete.
For Australian surfing, it’s the first women’s crown since Steph Gilmore’s 2022 haul, and it proves the next generation is more than hype. Grab your camera, Surf Snappers—next season’s jersey photos are about to have a fresh world champion patch.
Neoprene’s Dark Secret Exposed in New Festival Doc
Think your suit is just rubber? The Big Sea begs to differ. The award-winning documentary landing at Donegal’s brand-new Salt Water Festival pulls the curtain back on neoprene’s toxic roots, tracing chloroprene fumes from Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” straight to your cozy winter sessions. Surfers and shooters in Ireland are invited to a Q&A with filmmaker Alice Ward after the screening—she’ll detail how she ditched her old rubber for greener options once she learned the story. Afloat has the full rundown, including the unsettling EPA data that sparked the film.
If you’re planning autumn laps in the North Atlantic, this doc might just change how you shop for your next winter armor.
Gabriel Medina’s Boards Get an Art-World Upgrade
Ever wonder what happens when a Formula 1-obsessed graphic designer from Warsaw meets Brazil’s aerial wizard? Magic, that’s what. For six straight seasons, Aleksander Lange has been painting Medina’s quivers with everything from lunar phases to Ayrton Senna’s helmet, turning each stick into a rolling manifesto. Their latest Paris 2024 bronze-medal boards carry hidden nods to astrology and speed, all laid down with the precision of a pit-stop crew. Olympics.com sat down with Lange to unpack the collaboration—perfect inspo for photographers chasing that one killer deck shot before the next heat.
Next time you’re lining up a Medina portrait, zoom in on the top deck; the devil—and the whole story—is in the details.