The World Surfing League’s cut nearly broke Aussie young gun Isabella Nichols in 2023.

The new golf-style cut sends the bottom half of the professional cohort packing off to grind it out on the Challenger Series.

Hailing from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Isabella spent her life travelling the world vying for chance to compete with the sport’s best on the Championship Tour (CT).

In 2022, Nichols set the surfing world alight with a home CT Event win at the Margaret River Pro in Western Australia.

“I freaking love Margs (Margaret River), I genuinely want to live there,” said the current world number 12.

“I needed to win the event to make the cut, and I did that.

“It was greatest joy I’ve ever felt … The best day of my life.”

Surfing a strong heat in the final, Isabella secured the win by two points over Hawaiian regular-footer Gabriela Bryan.

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Twelve months later, Isabella is sitting on the same beach watching her dream of being a Championship Tour surfer slip through her fingers.

She did not make the cut.

In a cruel twist of history repeating, this time Gabriela Bryan got the win in a three-woman Elimination Round heat against Isabella and Costa Rican Brisa Hennessy.

Isabella was sent back to surfing grovely shorebreaks and hustling with the next generation on the Challenger Series.

Nicholls said it sent her spiralling and questioning her why.

“I was this close to quitting actually,” Nichols said holding up a pinched finger and thumb.

“(Margaret River Pro) was the greatest joy of my life and then the worst day of my career.

“Not making the cut was wild. That might even be the worst day of surfing for me, because I personally didn’t have control of the situation someone else did.”

After her loss at the Margaret River Pro, Nichols headed home to surf the Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro, finishing ninth, she was ready to hang up her competition rash vest forever.

Instead, Nichols had decided to focus on her study as an engineer aspiring to build wave pools.

“I love wave pools. I want to create an entirely new model, but I think that’ll be tough by the time I finish (surfing professionally),” Nichols said.

“Whether it be that I work at one, or develop my own or integrate renewable energy, I’ve still got a long way to go and I’ll probably change my mind a hundred times between now and then.

“I was lucky enough to get to go behind the scenes at Kelly’s (Slater) wavepool … and same with the WaveGarden in Melbourne.

“It just confirmed to me that that is what I wanted to do.”

Having made her decision on the eve of the 2023 GWM Sydney Surf Pro, Nichols said: “Well I’m gonna quit I may as well surf and just have fun one last time.”

Three days later, she was chaired up the beach by mentor and fellow Australian Sally Fitzgibbons as the 2023 Narrabeen Pro Women’s Champion.

“I was like oh great I guess I have to keep doing this.”

Three months later she secured her place back on the Championship Tour.

So how does she feel about returning to Margaret River in 2024?

After long pause, Nichols replied, “I don’t know.”

Sitting beneath the cut line, Isabella returns to the Margaret River Pro this week in search of redemption.