Young Pinay surfer earns praise from world No. 1 after WSL duel

MANILA — A 15-year-old Filipino surfer earned words of praise from world No. 1 Molly Picklum after they faced off in the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour Philippines Pro in Cloud 9 this weekend.

Mara Lopez, 15, faced Picklum in Round 1 and Heat 5, showing the Australian star a glimpse of her talent.

Lopez finished with 4.50 points against Picklum’s 11.50 in the competition at the famed Cloud 9 reef break on Sunday morning. She managed a 2.50-point ride on her third wave and added 2.00 on her fourth.

Picklum, meanwhile, produced scores of 5.33 and 6.17 to secure the victory. More than the result, Picklum was particularly touched after learning that she may have been one of Lopez’s inspirations in taking up the sport.

“Maybe I’m one of her inspirations. And that stuff to me is just so special,” Picklum said, giving Lopez some words of inspiration after discovering that the teenager is also a budding longboard.

“I said to her, you’re surfing so well. And she’s also an A-one longboarder,” the Australian star said.

Picklum believes the young surfer can become a role model for other aspiring athletes in the country.

“Either way, she’s going to inspire the next generation, which is just so cool,” she added.

The world No. 1 also expressed admiration for Siargao’s closely-knit surfing community, pointing out how the small island has built a strong culture around the sport.

“Siargao is such a small island and they have such a strong surfing community. So that was really cool,” Picklum said.