When Carissa Moore couldn’t walk to her mailbox about 13 months ago, she had doubts.
When she lay on her surfboard for the first time since giving birth, and couldn’t paddle due to soreness from breastfeeding, she had doubts.
When she was able to get back into water deeper than four feet around six months ago, she had a panic attack.
“I was like, ‘Can I surf big waves again?’” she said.
Now Moore, who won gold in surfing’s Olympic debut in 2021, is back on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour.
The season starts at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach off the coast of Victoria, Australia, this week (or next week, depending on conditions).
Moore’s return using a season wild card is just one of the storylines. Australian Stephanie Gilmore, a record eight-time world champion, is on a full-fledged comeback at age 38 after competing in one total event over the last two seasons. Tya Zebrowski, a Frenchwoman who just turned 15, is an anticipated newcomer.
The 50th year of professional surfing also brings format changes, namely moving the most prestigious event, Hawaii’s Pipe Masters, from the beginning of the season to the end to determine annual world champions. It’s a season-ending event for the women for the first time.
World titles will not be determined by a one-day, surf-off event like they were from 2021-25. Instead, final rankings will be made up of surfers’ top seven of nine regular season results plus the last three contests with Pipe Masters offering additional points (1.5x).
Moore hopes to compete in all 12 events through December -- from Australia to New Zealand to El Salvador to Brazil to Tahiti to Fiji to California to Abu Dhabi to Portugal and then Pipe Masters off Moore’s native Oahu.
Joining her for the campaign will be husband Luke and ‘Olena, their 1-year-old daughter.
Back in January 2024, Moore announced plans to leave competitive surfing after the Paris Games — at least temporarily — to start a family.
She was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Olympic competition in Tahiti, then had ‘Olena on Feb. 24, 2025.
“The door wasn’t closed (on competing again) for sure,” Moore said last week. “But then also, I’m such an all-in person that it was so important for me to not put that pressure on myself during that time (to come back). Because I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy being just a mom the last year if I was like, ‘Oh, I gotta get ready to be back on tour.’ I also just didn’t know how I was going to feel after birth, if I was going to be healthy enough, strong enough, emotionally, mentally, physically.”
Over the last year, Moore took steps on her own terms, from making it to the mailbox to returning to competition at two lower-level events in Hawaii last December.
She was runner-up in the first, then won the second. The success brings back memories of Lisa Andersen, who had daughter Erica in 1993, then won world titles in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997.
“Slowly but surely, just kind of chipping away and spending more time in the uncomfortable zone has given me more confidence,” Moore said. “It’s so cool to feel a little bit more myself now.”
Moore began surfing off the beaches of Waikiki at age 5, started talking with her dad about pursuing the sport professionally at age 12 and won her first of five world titles at age 18.
Now at 33, this part of her career is obviously different.
“I’m first a mom, second an athlete,” she said.
That means ensuring ‘Olena is taken care of before Moore goes into the water. Or choosing one spot to surf rather than checking five to find the best conditions.
“Most of my career, I did things a certain way, and I definitely had found a really nice formula for success, but some of that isn’t possible with my capacity anymore as a mom,” she said. “So just trying to adjust expectations and give myself some grace and train a little bit more intuitively and efficiently, and just adjust the expectations, has been a little bit different and challenging, but it’s really good for me.”
Moore rejoins a tour that was dominated by youth in 2025. The top five women were 23 and younger, led by world champion Molly Picklum of Australia.
The U.S. is still deep. The Nos. 2-5 finishers in 2025 were all American: Caroline Marks (2024 Olympic gold medalist), Gabriela Bryan, Caity Simmers (2024 Olympian, 2024 World champion) and Bettylou Sakura Johnson.
TEAHUPOO, TAHITI, FRENCH POLYNESIA - AUGUST 16: Caroline Marks of the United States after winning the Final at the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro on August 16, 2023 at Teahupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia. (Photo by Matt Dunbar/World Surf League via Getty Images)
Caroline Marks followed a world title in 2023 and Olympic gold in 2024 with Championship Tour runner-up finishes the last two seasons. (World Surf League via Getty Images)
“You want to win when the best people are on the tour, so I’m really excited for for them to be back,” Marks said of Moore and Gilmore.
Once again, no more than three surfers per country will qualify for the Olympics in 2028 with the U.S. team expected to be primarily determined by 2028 WSL standings.
The 2028 Olympic competition will be held at Lower Trestles off San Clemente, the city where Marks has lived since moving from Florida as a teenager.
“Lowers is in my backyard, basically,” said Marks, who also won the world title at the venue in 2023.
As for this season, Moore would “love to perform at a level that makes me feel good.”
“Just having a really good time with my family on the road and making some solid memories and sharing it with the people that I love is really important to me,” she said. “Just going into this year with a learning mindset of being open to what this season has to offer and teach me and see how much I can grow.”
Marks answered the 2026 goal question succinctly.
“To win, period,” she said.
