Australian surfing great Steph Gilmore says her sport's new finals format allowed her to have a precious "grand final moment" with her eighth world title in 2022.
In a wide-ranging interview on ABC Sport's Sports Daily podcast, Gilmore recalled her dramatic win, spoke of the process of having to "switch on and switch off" her ruthless competitive streak on the water, and detailed her goals for 2023.
Gilmore will begin the defence of her title as the new WSL season begins this week with the famous Pipeline event in Hawaii.
She will also be featured later this month in the new series of the Apple TV+ show Make or Break, which will look at the season that ended with her becoming the champion again.
Gilmore told ABC Sport last year's world title was an unexpected victory and was been one of the best moments of her life.
The eight-times champion said she felt "very lucky, very happy and very excited" to see what came next.
"I got to Trestles [in California, for the WSL Finals] and I wasn't having the best year, I was just making the cut and sneaking into the top five and it kind of felt like I was the underdog," she said on the podcast.
"Nobody had really focused on me, I was in fifth and people – myself included – thought it was impossible to go from fifth all the way to the world number one and then beat the world number one twice in one day.
"I kind of let all the inhibitions go and just really committed to the mission and there it was, I had the trophy in my hands."
Gilmore admitted to having some feelings of guilt for having taken the title away from world number one Carissa Moore on the final day in California, thanks to the new format of the finals.
"I'd only ever won titles in the other fashion where you accumulate points through the season and the winner at the end is who has the most points," she said.
"In this fashion you just try and make the top five and on the very final day the world's best battle it out and that moment crowns a world champion. You could have a bad day and Carissa just wasn't on that day."
Gilmore's run through the finals gave her a new experience that she says has renewed her energy and changed her mind about the format.
"A big part of me still thinks the world champion should be crowned over all the different conditions, surfing is about being able to compete in all different kinds of waves and being successful all through the year," she told ABC Sport.
"But what I loved about that final day was it gave me the sense of what sport is, it was one of those grand final moments and that's what I love about sport.
"When I tune in to watch a grand final or the final of a grand slam and it's all on the line, it is make or break in that moment. Can you handle the pressure? Will you choke? Can you rise to the occasion?
"All of this happened right there and I got to experience it in the water."
Gilmore, 35, is a veteran of the pro tour, and she has been making her name and winning titles ever since winning the world under-18 crown twice.
However last year's success seemed a long way off after a tough start to 2022 had Gilmore in danger of being demoted to the Challenger Series as part of the mid-season "cut".
"In having such a long and successful career I've been able to let go of my losses and let go of my wins as well, then I'm able to move forward and evolve as a person and an athlete and realise one minute you can be the champ and the next you can be in this midyear cut and end up on the Challenger Series," she said.
"It was definitely a reality check that kicked me into gear and made me think that if I really wanted this I had to commit to the mission."
Gilmore's 2023 goal — to get better at things that 'scare the heck' out of her
Even with all her experience, Gilmore said that the nature of surfing and the ocean location provided a constant, shifting challenge.
"I've won a lot of world titles but there's so many waves out there I'm not comfortable in and so many manoeuvres I'm not that great at. I'm a great competitor but I'm always looking at other surfers and thinking I need to get better at that trick, I need to push myself here in these heavier waves.
"I'm always looking at things that I can get better at and that's the new goal, to get better at Tahiti and Pipeline and things that really scare the heck out of me."
Asked if she could imagine a time when she didn't compete, Gilmore said she could imagine a time when she didn't have "that desire to kill your opponent".
"It's almost like acting for me, I have to switch it on when I want to smash my opponent and I have to go in and out of it because I'm quite a happy and easygoing person when I'm not in a heat.
"I'm sure there will be a time when I can't switch that on anymore but I know when I get nervous before a heat that's because I care about it and I still want to do well in it."
When asked how she reconciled the easygoing part of her and the ruthless competitor, Gilmore replied:
"The Smiling Assassin is something that resonates with me. I've always enjoyed the idea that you can switch it on and switch it off.
"I guess that's what good sportsmanship is, you can compete and whatever happens in the water stays in the water and still have the utmost respect for everyone around you.
"I love watching those athletes who are savage competitors, it's fascinating that they can go out and there and totally dissect their opponent and go all the way to the win and do it at all costs."
One thing Gilmore said she knew for certain — when she retires from competition, she will still go surfing for the love and enjoyment of it.
Outside of surfing, Gilmore is a big sports fan and she said she enjoyed watching a variety of players and sports.
Asked for the people who inspired her, she nominated a couple of big name tennis players who came as no surprise — and one group of athletes in a very different type of sport.
"I'm a big fan of Rodger Federer, I was a big fan of Serena Williams," she said.
"I'm really into the EPL and watching the football players and I've got really into the UFC, watching the women fight and seeing how they hold themselves in such a brutal sport is insane but knowing how much they love it and how they'll do anything for that life in that sport is really special.
"I learn a lot from athletes in other sports."
Ahead of the new season, Gilmore spoke about the Pipeline event in Hawaii that kicks things off for 2023.
"I'm really looking forward to Pipeline, I didn't get a chance last year, we'll see what the forecast does and I hope I can get some good waves and some good barrels.
"That's the best feeling in the world, getting blown out of a really beautiful barrel in competition and having the whole beach erupt in cheers. There's no greater feeling. That's what I live for.
"It'll be really cool but also terrifying, I just watched three of the best big wave surfers in the world get sent to hospital in the same afternoon.
"It's the beauty and the beast. It's those moments when you push yourself into that uncomfortable zone when you create those special moments."
Make or Break will be available to watch on Apple TV+ from February 17.
