1| Hot 100 GIRLS  Stephanie Gilmore
Birthday: January 29, 1988
Hometown: Tweed Heads, Australia

For the last two years, Stephanie Gilmore has been a thorn in the paw of women’s surfing’s biggest cats. As a wildcard, she’s the only woman ever to win two WCT events: the 2005 Roxy Pro at Snapper Rocks—where she also became the youngest girl ever to win a ’CT event—and the 2006 Havaianas Beachley Classic, in which she beat seven-time world champ Layne Beachley. Growing up surfing in the wave-rich zone along the greater Coolangatta area, she’s had the good fortune of watching some of the best surfers in the world make a name for themselves. And now, taking a page out of the books of Gold Coast legends like Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson, Gilmore is coming onto the world’s stage eager, ambitious, and highly touted. A powerful regularfooter, she is comfortable in just about any conditions. As she proved at the Roxy Pro, when applied to long, spinning right points, her forehand is one of the best in the business. Thanks to a lot of time spent in Indo, she’s a skilled tuberider as well. Considered by some to be capable of winning a world title this year, she certainly has the talent. “I think she could potentially do really well in her rookie year,” explains former WCT standout Jody Cooper. “Steph’s open-face surfing is stylish and powerful, and she knows how to hold a turn on rail and draw it right out. All these factors will play into her favor.” Whether or not she becomes the first person to win a world title in her tour debut, Gilmore’s already proven she’s one of the best female surfers on the planet.