Before the world's best take on the break at the Rip Curl Pro and Rip Curl Women's Pro Bells Beach, soak up a primer on the deep history, perks and perils of the iconic righthander.
The Break
As a location, Bells Beach isn't exactly idyllic. It's cold and regularly crowded.
But Victoria, Australia's famous break presents its own form of grandeur: Visually stunning, Bells is reliable and accessible -- especially to thousands of surfers who live in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, 90 minutes to the northeast of the famous spot.
The closest town is Torquay, also known as the Gateway to the Great Ocean Road -- a paved paradise along 151 miles (242 km) of coastline. For eager surfers hitting this renowned stretch of coast, Bells Beach is stop No. 1. Simply put: Pull into the car park, run down the stairs and paddle out from the beach.
The Approach
The Bells Beach breakdown, from Rincon to Winkipop. - WSL
Rincon can be a high-performance wave and impressive aerial surfing has been on display there in recent years. Once things move into the Bells Bowl though, it becomes hard to surf above the lip. But modern progressive surfing isn't only about airs; rail surfing might be what the conditions demand. (This may come in handy for event wildcard Mason Ho.)
Joel Parkinson, who has won at Bells three times, knows the break as well as anyone. He first travelled to Bells at age 14 and he's tasted victory there on multiple occasions.
To compete successfully at Bells you have to be ready for everything. - Anderson
"What I've loved to see is how guys have evolved and really pushed their rail game in the Bells Bowl over the last few years, drawing different lines," he said. "It's really brought Bells to life."
Two-time Bells victor Simon Anderson agrees: "Bells is a full power-carve venue, that's what makes it unique. You might say it's similar to Jeffreys Bay in South Africa, but J-Bay is more down the line. The faces at Bells are bigger and that requires a lot of strength to hold your carves off the bottom and off the top. Parko, Kelly, Jordy Smith...those are the types of guys who do well at Bells...and Adriano de Souza, who won it a couple years ago, in 2013, because he could match it with that sort of surfing."
The Innovation
Anderson is one of many surfers who have won at Bells multiple times. The big, powerful natural-footer from Narrabeen in Sydney, Australia first won Bells in 1977. He won it again in historic fashion in 1981, riding a board with a three-fin thruster configuration, a design he pioneered. Performing first in 12-foot plus conditions and then in small 1-to-2 foot Rincon, Anderson's triumph that year is among the most momentous in professional surfing.
Parkinson brought his signature power-carves to Bells during Round 3 at the 2014 Rip Curl Pro.
"That big day in '81 was a magic Bells day," Anderson said. "Back in that time, apart from asking a local what was going to happen the next day, there was no swell-forecasting you could rely on. So everyone was caught by surprise, simply by how big it was and how clean it was.
"It was an epic day in world professional surfing and to be a part of it and to be able to introduce a design innovation to the world was very exciting."
Bells Beach has also seen innovation in terms of the contest technicalities. It was the first Championship Tour event to adopt the points-for-maneuvers approach to scoring, which was conceptualized by George Downing and first used at the 1972 Hang Ten event in Hawaii.
The Mobile Factor
With variable conditions and a range of surf spots available, going mobile during the Bells contest is highly likely. Numerous rounds and Finals have been held at Johanna, a break that's two hours away by car and a south-facing swell magnet. Other potential locations include Woolamai Beach on Phillip Island, situated two hours east, and less likely but still possible, at nearby 13th Beach. All three locations are typically peaky, beachbreak set-ups that lend themselves to the full range of judging criteria. However, the closest alternative to Bells is Winkipop, located a few hundred meters east.
Anderson still knows how to put a thruster to work. - WSL / Kelly Cestari
Like Bells, Winki is a righthand reef break, but it requires a completely different approach. The rock shelf there is much more defined which makes it a very fast, down-the-line wave and with more tube opportunities. The best piece of advice for surfing Winki? Keep most of your moves in the top half the wave and keep the pedal to the metal.
The Equipment
The well-prepared will be paddling out this Easter on whips that are an inch or two longer than their normal shortboards. Anderson recommends everything from a small-wave groveler for Rincon to a board that could handle 3-to-4 foot up to 10-to-12 foot Bowl. When the swell is pulsing out of the southwest, Bells is a demanding venue.
"You need boards that hold a long line and still allow you to be dynamic out of the top of the wave," said Anderson. "It's hard to get the event to run in good, consistent surf for the entire duration. To compete successfully at Bells you have to be ready for everything."
The Momentum-Builder
The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach is among the first three events of each Championship Tour season. As one of the big events at the start of the year, it's a critical step in the Title race, encouraging -- or crushing -- surfers' momentum. But the nature of the break makes doing well there a tough assignment.
It's a tough wave to just turn up and surf it well. - Parko
"It can be the best experience of your life as far as heats go," Anderson said. "Or you can end up in a change-of-the-tide heat and without being able to strike a blow -- you can be out of the event. It's a heartbreaker of an event and you need a bit of luck to have success."
Said Parkinson, "It's just one of those waves you have to put a lot of hours into to get your head around. It's a tough wave to just turn up and surf it well. Even though it looks really lined up, it's still a hard wave to surf well and put your turns in the right place and make it all flow."
The Rip Curl Pro and the Rip Curl Women's Pro Bells Beach will stream LIVE daily at worldsurfleague.com starting April 1.
JJ Jenkins is a surf industry professional and former editor of Australia's Surfing Life magazine. Follow him on Instagram @pixjj.
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Parkinson won an all-Australian Final against Burrow in 2004, and posted a perfect 10 in his Semifinal clash over Irons.
- WSL / Tostee
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At 19 years old,
Mick Fanning made the most of his wildcard opportunity and charged into the 2001 Rip Curl Pro, defeating veteran Tour surfer Danny Wills by a narrow 1.70-point margin in the Final. Fanning's unlikely win at Bells proved to be the catalyst for an incredible year that saw him win the Qualifying Series, secure a place on the Championship Tour for 2002, and be named Surfer magazine's 'Breakthrough Performer of the Year.'
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1999 World Champion
Mark Occhilupo's impressive style trumped all other surfers at the 2001 edition of Australia's then-richest professional surfing event, which held a prize purse of $250,000. He didn't win the contest that year -- Garcia beat him in Round 4 -- but he made a big impression.
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Garcia's win over Padaratz in the Final put him into the World No. 1 position ahead of Australian
Taj Burrow (AUS), kickstarting the Hawaiian's inaugural World Title season.
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Andy Irons (HAW), then 23, finally got his chance to hoist the iconic surfing trophy at the 2002 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.
- WSL / Tostee
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On the wrong end of the very narrow point-spread in the 2002 Final, Garcia's runner-up finish spelled the end of another year for the burly Hawaiian's push to equal Australian surfing legend Mark Richards' record of four titles at Bells.
- WSL / Ellis
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Then the reigning World Champion, Irons scored back-to-back titles at the Rip Curl Pro in 2003 when he defeated
Joel Parkinson (AUS) by a score of 17.57 points to 15.40 in the Final.
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Irons' 2003 victory made him the first surfer to claim consecutive Bells titles since 1996, when fellow Hawaiian Garcia -- whom he beat the previous year -- earned his second of three titles.
- WSL / tostee
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After taking down Pat O' Connell (USA) in the Semis, Burrow was no match for Parkinson in the 2004 Final.
- WSL / Tostee
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Kelly Slater proved too much for Joel Parkinson in the final of the 2006 Rip Curl Pro, when he rang the Rip Curl Pro Bell for the first time in 12 years.
- WSL / Karen
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Parkinson rang the Bell after securing his first-ever Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach title in 2004.
- WSL / Tostee
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In 2005, the final day of the Bells event ran at Woolamai Beach on Phillip Island. Irons looked brilliant throughout the day's heats and was the favorite going into the Final against Trent Munro (AUS).
- WSL / Karen
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After nearly four years without a Tour win, journeyman Australian surfer Trent Munro managed to dream double in 2005, earning a Bells title and a victory over the reigning World Champ.
- WSL / Karen
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Parkinson earned a spot in the 2006 Final after defeating fellow Australians Fanning and Occhilupo in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals respectively, progressing to his showdown with the then-seven-time World Champ Slater.
- WSL / Karen
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Burrow rang the prestigious Bell trophy after defeating former event winner Irons in 2007. In the last two minutes of the Final, Burrow posted a 9-point ride to take the lead and win.
- WSL / karen
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Bede Durbidge (AUS) finished runner-up in 2008, leading for most of the Final before his opponent, Slater, paddled away from the main lineup towards Rincon. It was there that he slipped into the winning wave.
- WSL / Robertson
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Slater's 2008 win was his third at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. During Bells and the event that preceded it, the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, he hadn't lost a single heat.
- WSL / Robertson
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Slater defeated Durbidge by a score of 15.63 to 15.16 in the 1.5-meter surf at Bells and cemented his position as World No. 1.
- WSL / Kirstin
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Parkinson won the 2009 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, for his second title at the event. He defeated wildcard Adam Robertson (AUS) in pumping 6-foot (2-meter) conditions.
- WSL / Kirstin
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Despite his defeat in 2009, Robertson did Victoria proud. He had surfed his way from the local trials to the Final of the main event, with his fairytale run coming to end at the hands of an in-form Parkinson in perfect conditions. With his remarkable performance, Robbo became just the second Victorian after Terry Wall (in 1962 and 1966) to finish runner-up at Bells.
- WSL / Cestari
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In 2010, it was Fanning whose hopes of winning were crushed: Slater stopped him from ringing the Bell for a third time after their Final at Johanna Beach.
- WSL / Kirstin Scholtz
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Fanning was forced to settle for runner-up when Slater went on a tear, blasting a huge alley-oop air and a searing blow-tail 360 to end the Aussie's run.
- WSL / Kirstin Scholtz
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The next year, Fanning again put on an inspired performance in the 2011 Final. But this time is wasn't Slater who ended his run, but his longtime friend, Parkinson, who would use priority to get the better of their last exchange.
- WSL
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Fanning opened his Final campaign with an explosive 8.83. His power and drive were evident as he tore the face of the wave apart with a series of hacks, cutbacks and controlled turns.
- WSL / Kelly Cestari
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Their Final was gripping: Parkinson scored a Perfect 10 on his last wave of the heat to take the win and secure his third Bells Beach title.
- WSL
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But 2011's finale paled in comparison with what followed in 2012: In what was hailed as the one of the best Finals in the event's history, Fanning finally defeated Slater. The Australian edged out his American opponent by the
narrowest of margins, with a pair of 9-point-range rides that just barely topped Slater's 10 and 8.07. Fanning's win marked his 14th elite Tour title and his first Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach win since 2001.
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Still, Slater's runner-up finish was remarkable: He had fought his way back from an early combination situation, completing an incredible full-rotation aerial for a perfect 10 against Fanning in the Final. The legendary naturalfooter backed it up moments later with an 8.07 to take the lead, though he would only hold it briefly.
- WSL
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In 2013, it was
Adriano de Souza (BRA) who triumphed. He won his fourth Tour victory at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach after defeating
Nat Young (USA) in the Final.
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Bouncing back from a sponsorless start to the 2013 season, De Souza went on to fulfill his dream of ringing the event's famous bell.
- WSL / Kirstin Scholtz
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Young's performance, however, was a strong one: It was his relentless backhand surfing at the iconic righthander that earned him the runner-up finish.
- WSL / Kirstin Scholtz
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Fanning became a three-time winner of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in 2014, defeating Burrow in the all-Australian Final at Winkipop.
- WSL / Kirstin Scholtz
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Despite a
near-perfect score of 9.63, the highest of the Final, Burrow couldn't deliver on a decent backup score and was relegated to second place.
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In 2015,
Mick Fanning and would-be World Champion
Adriano de Souza faced off in the event Final. Whoever won the event would be leaving the contest with the Jeep Ratings lead and the coveted yellow jersey.
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The Final became a moment in surfing history to be remembered when the final horn blew, both surfers were tied with a 15.27 two-wave total.
- WSL
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With a higher single-wave score than De Souza, it was Fanning who once again claimed victory.
- WSL / Kirstin Scholtz
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Starting March 24, the Top 34 will hit the water again to battle for a chance to ring the famous bell. Watch them LIVE daily at
worldsurfleague.com.
Breaking Down Bells with Simon Anderson
JJ Jenkins
The Break
As a location, Bells Beach isn't exactly idyllic. It's cold and regularly crowded.
But Victoria, Australia's famous break presents its own form of grandeur: Visually stunning, Bells is reliable and accessible -- especially to thousands of surfers who live in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, 90 minutes to the northeast of the famous spot.
The closest town is Torquay, also known as the Gateway to the Great Ocean Road -- a paved paradise along 151 miles (242 km) of coastline. For eager surfers hitting this renowned stretch of coast, Bells Beach is stop No. 1. Simply put: Pull into the car park, run down the stairs and paddle out from the beach.
The Approach
Rincon can be a high-performance wave and impressive aerial surfing has been on display there in recent years. Once things move into the Bells Bowl though, it becomes hard to surf above the lip. But modern progressive surfing isn't only about airs; rail surfing might be what the conditions demand. (This may come in handy for event wildcard Mason Ho.)
Joel Parkinson, who has won at Bells three times, knows the break as well as anyone. He first travelled to Bells at age 14 and he's tasted victory there on multiple occasions.
"What I've loved to see is how guys have evolved and really pushed their rail game in the Bells Bowl over the last few years, drawing different lines," he said. "It's really brought Bells to life."
Two-time Bells victor Simon Anderson agrees: "Bells is a full power-carve venue, that's what makes it unique. You might say it's similar to Jeffreys Bay in South Africa, but J-Bay is more down the line. The faces at Bells are bigger and that requires a lot of strength to hold your carves off the bottom and off the top. Parko, Kelly, Jordy Smith...those are the types of guys who do well at Bells...and Adriano de Souza, who won it a couple years ago, in 2013, because he could match it with that sort of surfing."
The Innovation
Anderson is one of many surfers who have won at Bells multiple times. The big, powerful natural-footer from Narrabeen in Sydney, Australia first won Bells in 1977. He won it again in historic fashion in 1981, riding a board with a three-fin thruster configuration, a design he pioneered. Performing first in 12-foot plus conditions and then in small 1-to-2 foot Rincon, Anderson's triumph that year is among the most momentous in professional surfing.
"That big day in '81 was a magic Bells day," Anderson said. "Back in that time, apart from asking a local what was going to happen the next day, there was no swell-forecasting you could rely on. So everyone was caught by surprise, simply by how big it was and how clean it was.
"It was an epic day in world professional surfing and to be a part of it and to be able to introduce a design innovation to the world was very exciting."
Bells Beach has also seen innovation in terms of the contest technicalities. It was the first Championship Tour event to adopt the points-for-maneuvers approach to scoring, which was conceptualized by George Downing and first used at the 1972 Hang Ten event in Hawaii.
The Mobile Factor
With variable conditions and a range of surf spots available, going mobile during the Bells contest is highly likely. Numerous rounds and Finals have been held at Johanna, a break that's two hours away by car and a south-facing swell magnet. Other potential locations include Woolamai Beach on Phillip Island, situated two hours east, and less likely but still possible, at nearby 13th Beach. All three locations are typically peaky, beachbreak set-ups that lend themselves to the full range of judging criteria. However, the closest alternative to Bells is Winkipop, located a few hundred meters east.
Like Bells, Winki is a righthand reef break, but it requires a completely different approach. The rock shelf there is much more defined which makes it a very fast, down-the-line wave and with more tube opportunities. The best piece of advice for surfing Winki? Keep most of your moves in the top half the wave and keep the pedal to the metal.
The Equipment
The well-prepared will be paddling out this Easter on whips that are an inch or two longer than their normal shortboards. Anderson recommends everything from a small-wave groveler for Rincon to a board that could handle 3-to-4 foot up to 10-to-12 foot Bowl. When the swell is pulsing out of the southwest, Bells is a demanding venue.
"You need boards that hold a long line and still allow you to be dynamic out of the top of the wave," said Anderson. "It's hard to get the event to run in good, consistent surf for the entire duration. To compete successfully at Bells you have to be ready for everything."
The Momentum-Builder
The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach is among the first three events of each Championship Tour season. As one of the big events at the start of the year, it's a critical step in the Title race, encouraging -- or crushing -- surfers' momentum. But the nature of the break makes doing well there a tough assignment.
"It can be the best experience of your life as far as heats go," Anderson said. "Or you can end up in a change-of-the-tide heat and without being able to strike a blow -- you can be out of the event. It's a heartbreaker of an event and you need a bit of luck to have success."
Said Parkinson, "It's just one of those waves you have to put a lot of hours into to get your head around. It's a tough wave to just turn up and surf it well. Even though it looks really lined up, it's still a hard wave to surf well and put your turns in the right place and make it all flow."
The Rip Curl Pro and the Rip Curl Women's Pro Bells Beach will stream LIVE daily at worldsurfleague.com starting April 1.
JJ Jenkins is a surf industry professional and former editor of Australia's Surfing Life magazine. Follow him on Instagram @pixjj.
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach
Highlights from the 2015 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach to air on U.S. television Saturday, May 2 at 3 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
Relive the biggest airs and incredible triumphs from Bells Beach this Saturday on ABC.
Soak up the sounds from the south of Australia with the WSL's broadcast music.
See which pros get to site before dawn -- and which go back to sleep.
Watch the highlights from finals day at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.
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