Could this be Carissa’s year again? Photo: Ed Sloane
Quick on the heels of the historic Drug Aware Margaret River Pro, the 2014 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach is stop number three for both the Men’s and Women’s 2014 Samsung Galaxy ASP World Championship Tour. With a waiting period beginning April 16th and ending April 27th, the highly anticipated Rip Curl Pro is the longest-running professional surf contest.
Bells dates back to 1973 with Australian legend Michael Peterson winning his first of three consecutive Bells titles. Located on Australia’s southeast Victorian coastline, the Bass Strait’s wide expanse of Bells Bay is made up of the main breaks of Rincon, Bells Bowl, and Winkipop, moving from west to east.
The waves at Rincon and Bells Bowl are long, fat but fast walls that break over a broad rock reef that is exposed to a wide range of swell generated from the Roaring Forties in the cold waters of the southern hemisphere. The long, fast, hollow sectioning rights of Winkipop will be the backup venue to Rincon and the Bells Bowl for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach event.
Defending champions Adriano de Souza and Carissa Moore will both be looking to repeat as event champs. Former event champions competing in the 2014 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach include Mick Fanning, Kelly Slater, Joel Parkinson, Taj Burrow, Sally Fitzgibbons and Stephanie Gilmore. The performances of each of these current and former champions will have a big say in determining the eventual event title this year.
“Win It to Ring It” has long been the mantra at Bells, and ASP surf fans all can be assured that all 36 men and 18 women competing at Bells will have the ultimate goal of the prestigious and historic bell targeted in their sights.
From the men’s draw, the heavy favorites include Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Taj Burrow. Dark horses to ring the bell in 2014 include Adriano de Souza, Julian Wilson, Jordy Smith, and Bede Durbidge. But don’t count out John Florence nor the recently crowned Margaret River Pro Champion, Michel Bourez.
The clear favorites to take the women’s title are Carissa and Stephanie with their surfing performances being a notch or two above everyone else thus far this year. Sally Fitzgibbons, Tyler Wright, Courtney Conlogue and Lakey Peterson will likely perform well, but ultimately seem fated to end their runs at this year’s Bells title in either the quarter or semifinals.
Easter at Bells is rich in surfing lore, and anticipation is high for the 2014 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach event to continue the great Bells tradition of power surfing excellence.
