The Rip Curl Pro, formerly the Bells Beach Surf Classic, is a WSL (formerly ASP) World Tour surfing competition held in and around Torquay, Victoria and sponsored by surf company Rip Curl. The event is based at Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia. The event winner is awarded the prestigious 'Bell' trophy.[1] It is the longest running professional surfing competition in the world.[2]

Rip Curl Pro
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach 2024
SportSurfing
CountryAustralia
Most recent
champion(s)
United States Cole Houshmand (Men)
United States Caitlin Simmers (Woman)
Most titlesAustralia Mick Fanning,United States Kelly Slater e Australia Mark Richards 4 titles (Men)
Australia Gail Couper 10 titles (Woman)
Official website[1], [2]

The song "Hells Bells" by AC/DC is played every morning before the first competition.[3]

History

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The competition has been held annually at Easter time at Bells Beach, Victoria continuously since 1962,[4] becoming a professional competition and sponsored by Rip Curl in 1973.[2] The contest has had various sponsors over the years, including in 1984 Australian rock band, Australian Crawl.

The first Bells Beach contest was supposed to be held in late 1961 but was delayed until the Australia day weekend of 1962. The first winner was NSW surfer Glynn Ritchie.[5] Occasionally George "Ming" Smith is credited as winning the 1961 event but he actually won the "wave of the day" in the first contest (1962) and was awarded a prize of 1 pound, and a pennant saying "winner 1961".

The event became mobile from 1993, and was held at various locations in Victoria, depending upon weather conditions. The entire 2005 event was held at Phillip Island due to poor conditions in Torquay. The event is now held only at Bells Beach and nearby Winkipop.

The famous Bells trophy was designed and built by Bells Beach local Joe Sweeney. The first time a Bell trophy was awarded was 1968. Winners of the Rip Curl Pro receive smaller replica Bells trophies to keep. Each year, Rip Curl founder Doug 'Claw' Warbrick presents the trophies to the winning athletes.[6]

The 2020 and 2021 contests were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]

Naming

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Since the birth of this competition it had different names.

Results

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Men
Year Winner Nation Score Runner-Up Nation Score Prizemoney
2023 Ethan Ewing   Australia 14.50 Ryan Callinan   Australia 11.00 $80,000
2022 Filipe Toledo   Brazil 14.74 Callum Robson   Australia 12.94 $80,000
2021 Not Held - - - -
2020 Not Held - - - -
2019 John John Florence   Hawaii 14.30 Filipe Toledo   Brazil 13.83 $607,800
2018 Italo Ferreira   Brazil 15.66 Mick Fanning   Australia 12.83 $607,800
2017 Jordy Smith   South Africa 18.90 Caio Ibelli   Brazil 17.46 $579,000
2016 Matt Wilkinson   Australia 17.37 Jordy Smith   South Africa 14.16 $551,000
2015 Mick Fanning (4)   Australia 15.27 Adriano De Souza   Brazil 15.27 $525,000
2014 Mick Fanning (3)   Australia 16.83 Taj Burrow   Australia 13.26 $450,000
2013 Adriano De Souza   Brazil 16.26 Nat Young   United States 15.83 $450,000
2012 Mick Fanning (2)   Australia 18.80 Kelly Slater   United States 18.07 $425,000
2011 Joel Parkinson (3)   Australia 18.53 Mick Fanning   Australia 13.25 $425,000
2010 Kelly Slater (4)   United States 17.03 Mick Fanning   Australia 12.00 $400,000
2009 Joel Parkinson (2)   Australia 17.40 Adam Robertson   Australia 13.37 $320,000
2008 Kelly Slater (3)   United States 15.63 Bede Durbidge   Australia 15.16 $320,000
2007 Taj Burrow   Australia 16.83 Andy Irons   Hawaii 14.73 $300,000
2006 Kelly Slater (2)   United States 15.44 Joel Parkinson   Australia 13.83 $280,000
2005 Trent Munro   Australia 16.57 Andy Irons   Hawaii 15.07 $270,000
2004 Joel Parkinson   Australia 17.13 Taj Burrow   Australia 14.04 $250,000
2003 Andy Irons (2)   Hawaii 17.57 Joel Parkinson   Australia 15.40 $250,000
2002 Andy Irons   Hawaii 24.45 Sunny Garcia   Hawaii 22.65 $250,000
2001 Mick Fanning   Australia 20.85 Danny Wills   Australia 19.15 $250,000
2000 Sunny Garcia (3)   Hawaii 23.05 Flavio Padaratz   Brazil 21.00 $135,600
1999 Shane Dorian   Hawaii 24.75 Sunny Garcia   Hawaii 23.65 $120,600
1998 Mark Occhilupo   Australia 24.25 Shane Dorian   Hawaii 19.80 $120,600
1997 Matt Hoy   Australia 26.50 Damien Hardman   Australia 21.80 $120,600
1996 Sunny Garcia (2)   Hawaii 30.80 Todd Prestage   Australia 29.15 $105,000
1995 Sunny Garcia   Hawaii 34.70 John Shimooka   Hawaii 33.00 $105,000
1994 Kelly Slater   United States 29.70 Martin Potter   Australia 28.30 $105,000
1993 Damien Hardman (2)   Australia 22.00 Barton Lynch   Australia 20.00 $100,000
1992 Richie Collins   United States 30.00 Martin Potter   United Kingdom 27.00 $100,000
1991 Barton Lynch   Australia 71.80 Damien Hardman   Australia 68.80 $125,000
1990 Tom Curren (2)   United States 111.3 Dave Macaulay   Australia 100.8 $92,500
1989 Martin Potter   United Kingdom 123.5 Damien Hardman   Australia 113.3 $66,500
1988 Damien Hardman   Australia 126.6 Tom Carroll   Australia 114.1 $42,000
1987 Nick Wood   Australia 3 Richard Marsh   Australia 2 $35,000
1986 Tom Carroll   Australia 5 Tom Curren   United States 0 $30,000
1985 Tom Curren   United States 2 Richard Cram   Australia 1 $25,000
1984 Cheyne Horan   Australia 2 Tom Carroll   Australia 0 $25,000
1983 Joe Engel   Australia Wes Laine   United States
1982 Mark Richards (4)   Australia Tom Carroll   Australia $20,000
1981 Simon Anderson (3)   Australia Cheyne Horan   Australia $16,000
1980 Mark Richards (3)   Australia Wayne Bartholomew   Australia $15,100
1979 Mark Richards (2)   Australia Wayne Bartholomew   Australia $11,200
1978 Mark Richards   Australia Wayne Bartholomew   Australia $14,450
1977 Simon Anderson   Australia Peter Drouyn   Australia $9,500
1976 Jeff Hakman   Hawaii Ian Cairns   Australia $6,000
1975 Michael Peterson (3)   Australia Shaun Tomson   South Africa
1974 Michael Peterson (2)   Australia Peter Drouyn   Australia
1973 Michael Peterson   Australia Midget Farrelly   Australia
1972 Terry Fitzgerald   Australia Peter Drouyn   Australia
1971 Paul Neilsen   Australia Peter Drouyn   Australia
1970 Nat Young (3)   Australia Ted Spencer   Australia
1969 Ted Spencer (2)   Australia Frank Latta   Australia
1968 Ted Spencer   Australia Keith Paull   Australia
1967 Nat Young (2)   Australia Peter Drouyn   Australia
1966 Nat Young   Australia
1965 Robert Conneely   Australia Nat Young   Australia
1964 Mick Dooley   Australia
1963 Doug Andrew   Australia
1962 Glynn Ritchie   Australia
1961* George "Ming" Smith   Australia £1 ($2) Note: Smith won "wave of the day", not the actual final and the 1961 event was actually held in 1962.

Women

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Women
Year Winner Nation Score Runner-Up Nation Score Prizemoney
2023 Tyler Wright (2)   Australia 16.00 Molly Picklum   Australia 12.00 $80,000
2022 Tyler Wright   Australia 16.93 Carissa Moore   Hawaii 10.57 $80,000
2021 Not held - - - - -
2020 Not held - - - - -
2019 Courtney Conlogue (3)   United States 15.83 Malia Manuel   Hawaii 14.84 $420,800
2018 Stephanie Gilmore (4)   Australia 14.17 Tatiana Weston-Webb   Hawaii 13.94 $298,900
2017 Courtney Conlogue (2)   United States 17.00 Stephanie Gilmore   Australia 16.33 $289,500
2016 Courtney Conlogue   United States 16.53 (9.03) Sally Fitzgibbons   Australia 16.43 (8.33) $275,500
2015 Carissa Moore (3)   Hawaii 14.00 Stephanie Gilmore   Australia 13.27 $262,500
2014 Carissa Moore (2)   Hawaii 15.73 Tyler Wright   Australia 14.10 $250,000
2013 Carissa Moore   Hawaii 11.00 Tyler Wright   Australia 6.94 $120,000
2012 Sally Fitzgibbons (2)   Australia 10.76 Stephanie Gilmore   Australia 10.33 $110,000
2011 Sally Fitzgibbons   Australia 16.77 Carissa Moore   Hawaii 15.40 $110,000
2010 Stephanie Gilmore (3)   Australia 14.67 Sofia Mulanovich   Peru 10.00 $100,000
2009 Silvana Lima   Brazil 17.34 Stephanie Gilmore   Australia 13.06 $90,000
2008 Stephanie Gilmore (2)   Australia 16.50 Sofia Mulanovich   Peru 16.17 $85,000
2007 Stephanie Gilmore   Australia 16.50 Sofia Mulanovich   Peru 11.93 $80,000
2006 Not held - - - - -
2005 Sofia Mulanovich   Peru 15.83 Serena Brooke   Australia 11.83 $65,000
2004 Not held - - - - -
2003 Not held - - - - -
2002 Not held - - - - -
2001 Neridah Falconer   Australia - - - -
2000 Megan Abubo   Hawaii 18.90 Rochelle Ballard   Hawaii 18.75 $30,000
1999 Layne Beachley (3)   Australia 21.25 Sandie Dryden   Australia 17.40 $30,000
1998 Layne Beachley (2)   Australia 24.50 Prue Jeffries   Australia 21.90 $30,000
1997 Lisa Andersen (4)   United States 26.00 Pam Burridge   Australia 23.65 $35,000
1996 Pauline Menczer (3)   Australia 22.30 Lisa Andersen   United States 22.25 $25,000
1995 Lisa Andersen (3)   United States 27.10 Pauline Menczer   Australia 26.30 $25,000
1994 Layne Beachley   Australia 20.67 Lisa Andersen   United States 13.16 $25,000
1993 Pauline Menczer (2)   Australia 19.7 Wendy Botha   Australia 16.3 $25,000
1992 Lisa Andersen (2)   United States 23.2 Neridah Falconer   Australia 22.6 $20,000
1991 Pauline Menczer   Australia 90.8 Michele Donoghoe   Australia 88.3 $20,000
1990 Lisa Andersen   United States 111.5 Kim Mearig   United States 98 $20,000
1989 Wendy Botha   Australia 120.8 Toni Sawyer   Australia 104.5 $15,000
1988 Kim Mearig (2)   United States 115.9 Freida Zamba   United States 113.5 $13,500
1987 Jodie Cooper   Australia - - - -
1986 Frieda Zamba (2)   United States - - - -
1985 Frieda Zamba   United States - - - -
1984 Kim Mearig   United States - - - -
1983 Helen Lambert   Australia - - - -
1982 Debbie Beacham   United States - - - -
1981 Linda Davoli   United States - - - -
1980 Margo Oberg (3)   United States - - - -
1979 Lynne Boyer   United States - - - -
1978 Margo Oberg (2)   United States - - - -
1977 Margo Oberg   United States - - - -
1976 Gail Couper (10)   Australia - - - -
1975 Gail Couper (9)   Australia - - - $200
1974 Gail Couper (8)   Australia - Judy Trim   Australia - -
1973 Not held   Australia - - - -
1972 Gail Couper (7)   Australia - - - -
1971 Gail Couper (6)   Australia - Judy Trim   Australia - -
1970 Gail Couper (5)   Australia - - - -
1969 Vivien Campbell   Australia - Phyllis O'Donnell   Australia - -
1968 Gail Couper (4)   Australia - Vivien Campbell   Australia - -
1967 Gail Couper (3)   Australia - - - -
1966 Gail Couper (2)   Australia - - - -
1965 Not held - - - - -
1964 Gail Couper   Australia - - - -
1963 Not held   Australia - - - -
1962 Not held   Australia - - - -

[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ ASP World Tour Schedule (accessed 28 April 2011)
  2. ^ a b Shackell, James (29 June 2020). "How Bells Beach changed the shape of modern surfing forever". Redbull. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  3. ^ Wilson, Peter (3 April 2010). "Gilmore wins Rip Curl Women's Pro". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2011.
  4. ^ Surf Coast Shire Archived 31 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Turning Points". 21 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Bells Beach » Torquay Historical Society".
  7. ^ "Surfing News". www.surfingaustralia.com. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Source". Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2011.

Bibliography

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