
Bruised from last year's premature exit, Stephanie Gilmore feels better prepared as she mounts a quest for a record eighth world title in the World Surf League Finals.
The competition window for the one-day epic, featuring the top five-ranked women and men at Lower Trestles in California, opens September 8 (AEST) with Gilmore fine-tuning her preparation at the famed break for the past fortnight.