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Isabella Nicols’ experience on the Championship Tour has been quite the rollercoaster ride. In 2016, at age 18, the Sunshine Coast native won the world juniors with her sights set on qualifying for the CT. The following year she missed qualifying by one heat and went on to spend three more years on the QS before eventually qualifying in 2020.
Nichols’s rookie year on tour was in 2021, where she finished second at the Rip Curl New Castle Cup and rounded out the season eighth in the world. The following year the WSL introduced the controversial mid-season cut.
Heading into the final event before the cut, Nichols sat in a precarious position below the cutline. She ended up winning the Margaret River Pro, securing her spot above the cutline and bumping herself up to world number four. She ultimately rounded out the season in tenth, proving that the CT was exactly where she belonged.
In 2023, things didn’t go as well for Nichols, and she landed below the cutline. Not to be deterred, Nichols fought hard on the Challenger Series, finishing in fifth and securing her spot on the CT once again. In 2024, Nichols followed a similar pattern, falling below the cutline only to finish third on the CS, reclaiming her spot on the CT for 2025.
Here, Nichols shares how she first got into surfing, her journey on the CT, her favorite stops on tour, and her experience serving as Blake Lively’s stunt double in 2016 film The Shallows.
SURFER: How did you first get into surfing?
Nichols: I grew up on the Sunshine Coast, and first started surfing when I was 11 years old. My dad pushed me into my first wave up at Double Island Point and I was instantly hooked!
I filtered through sports as a kid. Between the ages of 10 and 15 I grappled with figuring out whether I wanted to be a surfer or soccer player, but eventually leaned towards surfing. I really loved the individual sport aspect, but it also had an element of being a team sport since I had a bunch of really great friends I grew up surfing with too.
You had quite the battle to initially qualify for the CT. How many years were your attempting to qualify?
I was hoping to qualify quickly but it ended up being a long haul. After winning the world juniors at 18, I had a bunch of confidence but missed out on qualifying that next year by one heat and it knocked my confidence back a bit. It took me three more years to eventually qualify at 22.
What year did you qualify for the CT?
My first year was COVID year, 2020. I was so excited for my first event to be at home at Snapper. But as we all know, it didn’t work out that way. All the events ended up getting cancelled and I had an extra year off to get ready, which was actually a blessing in disguise.
The following year was weird. International travel was tough especially spending two weeks per event in a hotel room, but I was just stoked to be on the road doing what I’d always dreamt of!
What was your experience like that rookie season?
It was a wild ride! I enjoyed every moment, and it was over way too fast. My favorite moment was the Mexico contest, which ended up being the last event of the year and where I requalified for the following year, which was surreal. We had some great waves that year and it lived up to every expectation I had. We were in a travelling bubble with COVID, so we all got to know one another well.
In 2022 WSL introduced the mid-season cut. What were your thoughts when they announced the change?
It was definitely a big change, and I was glad I’d had at least one year under my belt on tour before the change. I felt for the rookies coming on for their first time but knew the changes meant everyone had to step up their game.
At a critical moment, you went and won at Margaret River, securing your spot on the CT and bumping yourself to world number four. What was that win like for you?
It was the craziest moment of my life, winning Margs! I can still feel the emotions as if it was yesterday and I’m always searching for that feeling again. That moment in my life taught me that anything is possible if you don’t give up and put your head down. When things have felt hard, I try to reflect on that experience and draw from tools I used in those moments to maintain hope and confidence.
2023 and 2024 you fell short of the cut line. What is the feeling when you know you must go back to the CS and fight your way back for a spot on tour?
The past two years have really taught me that I have to enjoy the process over the outcome. That’s the thing I’ve realized most. It doesn’t matter on what level you’re competing; a contest is a contest and there’s always something to learn from each experience!
What are your thought on the mid-season cut now?
It’s gotten better now that next year there are seven events pre-cut. I think that’s a lot fairer to the rookies and gives the surfers a real chance at showing their talents before falling off tour.
What have been some highlights from this year’s CS and CT?
Just watching the level of women’s surfing has been a highlight for me! The finals at Pipe, how hard the women charged at Teahupo’o, and the crazy performances across the Challenger Series have been crazy to watch. It makes me excited to see what everyone will bring next year.
Is there anyone on tour that is your greatest rival or challenge when you get paired up with them in a heat?
Everyone is a threat on tour. Previously I would say Carissa [Moore] since she had my number for many heats. But every heat you go into now is going be a tough one!
What is your favorite stop on the CT?
Location wise I’d have to say Margs is my favorite place to visit. Wave wise, I’m really excited about having El Salvador pre-cut, it’s always been one of my favorite waves in the world.
What’s your favorite stop on the CS?
Narrabeen was never my favorite spot but has quickly turned into a place that I love with all my heart. Not solely based on results, but because I feel like I’ve got a great support network of friends in that neck of the woods who I am always excited to see and spend time with.
You got to serve as Blake Lively’s stunt double in The Shallows. What was that experience like?
It was the wildest experience! The movie industry is very different to the surf industry, but I really enjoyed hanging out with Blake and exploring Lord Howe Island for three weeks. I would for sure do it again if I had the chance. I would get dots put all over my face and go surfing. Then, they’d superimpose Blake’s head onto mine, it was trippy to see it in cinemas.
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