Wright makes surfing history with Pipe Pro double

Tyler Wright's historic win at the Pipe Pro has put "the kids" on notice that the two-time world champion is back.

The 30-year-old Australian star prevailed in a punishing final on Sunday (AEDT) against reigning world champion Caitlin Simmers to take out the first event of the World Surf League season.

Wright and Simmers were vying to become the first woman to win the iconic event at Pipeline on Hawaii's North Shore for a second time.

The Australian won the first women's event there in 2020, and Simmers was the defending champion.

It is Wright's first win in a world tour final since Bells Beach two years ago and follows a brutal season last year, when the 2016 and 2017 world champion dropped to 10th on the rankings.

Six of the women above her last year are aged 22 or younger.

"I know I was up against the kids, who have been doing backdoor shootouts all day," Wright said.

Wright was referring in particular to the epic semi-final between compatriot Molly Picklum (aged 22) and Simmers (19), which will go down as one of the heats of the season.

Simmers won it 17.67 to 16.13 - the American's total and her 9.5 wave were the top scores of the women's event.

After wife Lilli greeted Wright in triumph at the shore, the Australian spoke of how a productive off-season had prompted a healthy change of attitude and immediate benefits in the cauldron that is competition at Pipeline.

"The whole off-season, spending a lot of time just figuring out how to get the joy back a little bit - last year I was injured a lot more than I feel people thought," Wright said.

"So to come back and have a really nice off-season with my wife, it's so special, this is such a special win. It means so much ... not just be here and constantly panicked about things.

"I was a little bit scared when I was surfing, because I've been injured so many times ... this has been really nice."

Simmers was shut down on a wave with a minute left in the low-scoring final and Wright beat the American young gun 7.70 to 3.94.

Wright also suffered in the final, with the Australian's 6.00 the only significant wave score.

"We both got flogged on our first waves, it rattled me a little bit," Wright said.

"Then on the last one, I got absolutely smoked."

In the men's final, local Barron Mamiya became the first surfer to win successive Pipe events since the late Andy Irons in 2005-06.

The Hawaiian and Italian Leo Fioravanti tied on 17.97 in the final, with Mamiya's top wave score of 9.80 to 8.87 breaking the deadlock.

Of the other Australians on finals day, Isabella Nichols and rookie George Pittar were beaten in the quarters.

Wright beat 2023 world champion Caroline Marks - another youngster - then another American, Lakey Peterson, to reach the final.

Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater also lost his quarter-final, a day after the American great posted his 100th win at Pipeline as a wildcard entry.

Brazilian Ian Gouveia, whose father Fabio competed against Slater, won their heat.

Three days before his 53rd birthday, Slater did not rule out another wildcard entry if invited.

But Slater became a father again for the second time last year and his focus now is on domestic matters.

"(I will) enjoy my time off, teach my kid how to poop on the toilet - that's about it," he said.

Fioravanti easily beat Pittar in their quarter-final.