There's a new Aussie surfing star and her small Sunshine Coast community couldn't be prouder.
Coolum surfer Isabella Nichols has claimed a World Surf League (WSL) Champion Tour event at Margaret River in Western Australia.
It is the first time a female Sunshine Coast surfer has taken out a WSL tour round.
Nichols said she had been riding the wave of the win, which still felt "surreal".
Moving into the final against Gabriela Bryan, the stakes couldn't have been higher.
Both women started slowly but it was Nichols who was able to master the offshore wind and record scores of 6.17 and 6.77.
"It's something you dream about, but coming into the event the odds were definitely against me so yeah it's pretty crazy," Nichols said.
'I put my head down and worked hard'
The 24-year-old grew up in Coolum and began surfing when she was nine.
In 2015, Nichols claimed the Australasia Junior Tour title and didn't drop a heat on the way to winning the World Junior Championships in 2016.
"Looking at all the jobs we could have, surfing is probably one of the best ones.
"Just put your head down, work hard and you can do anything you want."
Nichols cut her teeth in the sport at the local Coolum Boardriders Club, which meets once a month.
Club president Chris Barraclough said watching Nichols claim her first major world title brought tears to his eyes.
"She came to the boardriders club when she was about nine or 10 and started off in our little novice division.
"It's been an amazing journey watching her go all the way to the top of this event."
Coolum 'buzzing' after win
Mr Barraclough said the whole community got behind Nichols in the lead-up to the event.
"The whole Coolum town is just buzzing, it's quite incredible," he said.
"She's such a lovely lady, she's very friendly in the surf and in my Coolum kids just love her as well."
Before the event Nichols was 12th best in the world, and has now risen to fourth following her impressive performance.
"The win just catapults her right up there," Mr Barraclough said.
"The young girl grommets that are surfing the coast now, obviously they're going to admire her.
"That will give them a bit of a push to say, 'Hey, I'm a local kid, I can make the world tour' and it's going to get them out in the water for sure."
Nichols said the support coming from Coolum had been amazing.
"Honestly it's been the most phenomenal support that I've ever experienced," she said.
"There are so many young girls coming up through the ranks on the Sunshine Coast.
Nichol's win elevated her beyond a newly introduced mid-year cut on the World Surf League ratings.
