Champion Surfer Stephanie Gilmore Attacked, Vows to Surf Again

NEW YORK (CBS) Australian surfing champ Stephanie Gilmore is living up to her nickname "Happy" after she was brutally attacked outside her apartment Monday night.

"It's just a little scratch on the head and a fractured wrist," she told reporters Tuesday,.

Gilmore also said "the little scratch" isn't going to slow down her training for the 2011 season opener in February.

Reports of the incident say that Gilmore was returning to her apartment in the town of Tweeds Head in New South Wales, Australia when a homeless man allegedly attacked her with a large iron bar. Gilmore fought back, and her screams alerted her aunt, who rushed to her rescue, according to the Herald Sun.

The man ran off but not before fracturing Gilmore's wrist and bashing her in the head so hard it broke the skin and gave her a concussion, the paper reported.

The suspect didn't get very far, neighbors spotted him hiding in some nearby bushes and called police.

The Sun reported that friends of the surfing champion said the man who had been arrested was a "serial pest" who had been "hanging around" the area.

The attack will keep Gilmore out of the water for at least six weeks but she says she isn't going to let it slow her down, "I'll have to work on other things, but it won't hurt my confidence," she told the Sun as she left the hospital."I'm on the way to recovery."

The suspect was denied bail after being charged with numerous offenses, including wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, according to the paper.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 10.

This year, the 22-year-old Gilmore became the first surfer, male or female, to win four world titles in as many attempts. She also won an historic third straight triple surfing crown in Hawaii less than two weeks ago.