Meet the teen with all the Wright moves

LET'S resist the almost overwhelming urge to call Tyler Wright the next gargantuan thing in professional surfing. She's 14 years old.

A lot can happen between now and the rest of her life but right at this moment, having performed the minor miracle of eliminating Stephanie Gilmore from the Beachley Classic yesterday, the girl might be wise to consider the sweet art of boardriding as a career path.

She probably will. Nicknamed either "squirt" or shrimp", depending on who is ruffling up her hair, Wright is the youngest member of a famous surfing family on the NSW South Coast.

Are gun athletes born or bred? Wright is both. She's the product of a full-blown surfing lifestyle but also blessed with rare skills and an age-defying maturity that allowed her to take on the world No.1, who doubles as her idol, and beat her with clinical efficiency.

"It's very exciting and I never thought it would happen," Wright says.

"I just did my best to be patient and pick off the best waves and that seemed to work. Steph is a hero to pretty much every grommet in Australia, so to beat her is just unbelievable."

Wright is already reading from the pro surfing book of quotes. They're invariably stoked, or a lot stoked, or pretty stoked, when they win a heat.

"I'm super-stoked," Wright said, adding that her dream scenario when the event continues today would be an appearance in the final with the peerless Layne Beachley, the seven-time world champion and event organiser.

"That would be - I couldn't even describe it. She's Layne Beachley. She's the legend. Everyone knows this is her last year and to be able to have a heat against her - just one - would be the best thing I can think of."

Wright and Beachley are on opposite halves of the draw. If they meet it will be in the decider.

Beachley herself nearly burst into tears before her third-round clash with Melanie Redman-Carr but succeeded in reaching the quarter-finals.

"I was emotionally and mentally and physically drained this morning," Beachley said less than 24 hours after an emotional retirement announcement.

"I almost started crying before I paddled out for my heat because of the enormity of the support," she said.

"I feel like I've been embraced by the nation and everyone here on the beach was here to see me win and I didn't want to let them down."