Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: Day 1
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: Day 1
Massively entertaining opening day for the penultimate event before the cut, held in surf ranging from almost-great Bells Bowl to abysmal high tide slop to rippable onshore evening Bells.
The undisputed highlight of the day was seeing 52-year old Kelly Slater get a heat win over John John Florence and Seth Moniz. A pair of 6's was enough to give Kelly the first W of the year and he looked like he was almost in enough form to win a couple of heats. It's shocking, but a narrow pathway has opened up for Kelly to requalify. Yes, he sits in last place but a win over Barron Mamiya in the Round of 32, then a win over Fred Morais or Jake Marshall in the Round of 16 would put Kelly into the Quarters with 4,745 points, rocketing him up to 8,735 and likely only needing a single heat win to stay on tour. Maybe two heat wins.
For the first time this season, Slater has broken into a trot (WSL/Hughes)
Yes, it's been a long time since Kelly made Final's Day. 585 to be precise, in Tahiti against Yago Dora, also the last time Kelly got an excellent score. Since then, you can count the number of 7-point rides on one hand, so there are impediments to Kelly making a run. If he does, Tahiti and Cloudbreak lie on the other side. Mediocrity and inconsistent performances from all but a handful have clogged up the bottom end of the rankings, which falls in Kelly's favour.
In short, he has shit results, but so do many others. To mangle the famous allegory about the the pursuing lion, he doesn't have to run faster than the lion, only the slowest guys in front of him.
Two 6's would have beat both Barron and Fred today. Which means Kelly is potentially running at Final's Day pace. I know we give Kelly a hard time, but these are just the facts. And on this occasion they should offer him hope.
Slater laying into the Bowl with his Mike Woo-designed Thruster (WSL/Sloane)
Let's rewind the tape. The opening wave of the day by Ramzi Boukhiam set the scale for almost the entirety of Round 1. A solidly surfed backside wave that judges threw a 7 at. No-one was able to breach that highwater mark at offshore 6ft+ Bells for a further six heats. It took Jordy in Heat 7 to fully open up the shoulders and throw huge gaffs into the Bowl for the first 8-point ride. Huge, clean turns perfectly linked. Jordy's greatest threat in OH rights is absent. Toledo made Jordy look old and slow at 6-8ft Mainbreak and with him being busy training for the Olympics in all the left-hand slabs he can find it leaves Jordy with one less rival who can beat him with pure turn speed.
After a few torpid seasons, Jordy has come out firing in 2024, continuing the form in the Opening Round where he easily disposed of Gentil and Ibelli (WSL/Sloane)
The surf was deteriorating by the time Medina hit the water, watched over by the thousand-yard stare of stepdaddy Charlie Medina. We'll never know the intricacies of that relationship, but we do know it is intense. The pressure to perform in front of the authoritarian stepdad was a guiding force for the Medina of the early titles and now it seems to have returned, albeit in a more fruitful and kind manner following their reconcilation. After blasting 8's and 9's with deep-track bottom turns and fin drift carves, Gabe allowed himself some levity.
“I'm in a good mood," he said “You have to enjoy it when you do have that moment”. Asked if he was in Bells-winning form, Gabe was direct: “I haven't won it yet,” he answered smiling, “but I want it so bad.”
Gabe, devil on one shoulder, angel on the other? (WSL/Hughes)
Aside from Gabe and Jordy's domination, big chunks of the day unfolded with Challenger Series scorelines and performances. It's harder than ever to break out from the middle-level tier and in the topsy-turvy world of mindset and heat strategies, whole careers seem to hinge on scrapping for low to mid scores. Jacob Willcox is the classic example. He's got the talent to peg high scores and win with surfing yet he seems mired in a Challenger Series mindset and grindy heats that turn on fractions of a point. Today he scraped through against wildcard Tully Wylie with a 4 and 5 to make it by 0.07 of a point. That's the pressure of the cut talking. Sent back to 'the Changa', as Vaughan Blakey called it, is a nightmare for the journeyman. Sponsorships will be reduced or cut, prizemoney a fraction of the CT. You're barely a pro surfer if you are on the Changa - semi-retired is how Kolohe Andino described it. Even the maestro of toxic positivity Joe Turpel was forced into admitting that when it came to not making the cut and being relegated to the Changa, “maybe we'll never see them again”.
Callum Robson's Mum looked close to tears on the steps as the sun set over golden hills after Cal's devastating loss in the last heat of the day. After another day of terrible heat surfing, Cal only needed a 2.85 to get through against Cole Houshmand. Inexplicably, with two minutes remaining and holding P, he let two waves go through, either of which would have got him the score.
It's cruel by almost any measure as far as international sports go, yet we have to admit, it's made it so much more entertaining to watch.
All that was required was one wave with one move like this, but instead Cal waited and handed the win to his opponents. The bigger story is elimination from the contest and, short of a breakout result at Margarets, relegation to the Challenger Series (WSL/Hughes)
Minus the pressure of the cut, wildcards ran riot. Local Tully Wylie is through. George Pittar admitted to nerves and not feeling confident coming into the event. He was ecstatic that he was able to relax and surf his heat-winning wave to an excellent score. His Heat 2 match-up with Eli Hanneman and Rio Waida was the heat of the day as the lead flip-flopped several times as Eli and Rio gyrated madly and surfed like they were being poked with a cosmic cattle prod in an heroic struggle to get above the cut line.
Eli is gone. His fellow 2%-ers remain alive but not all of them will make it. Like a David Attenborough film some will suffer the fate of wildebeest on the Serengeti. Morgan Cibilic returned from his Changa purgatory to show he is CT-level talent with deep hacks.
Morgs back where he belongs (WSL/Sloane)
Wildcard Ellie Harrison thrilled a local crowd with a crafty win over Pickles and Izzy Nichols. The surf was at it's worst for the women's heats and Pickles looked lost in the maelstrom. Maybe she was a victim of the phenomenon that Ryan Callinan described whereby you “get a good result and the pressure goes up." R-Cal said he had to find a different level of humility after a massive result at Sunset was followed by a dud at Portugal and it's possible that Pickles likewise is struggling to come down from the clouds after her Hawaiian breakthroughs and all the adulation that followed.
Of the women, Tyler had the best read on the deterirorating conditions (WSL/Hughes)
Tyler is learning how to live and compete with this newly rigged nervous system and breathing apparatus, and we as fans are learning how to relate to the new Tyler. Taken at face value she was the best women's surfer in the draw today and will be a favourite in any type of condition. All the existential angst seems to be melting away like hail on a hot summer's afternoon, and this new mellow, grateful Tyler is creating a wholly different vibe on Tour. It's pretty cool to watch.
Shit, did I just copy a Joe Turpel-ism? Too long a day fellow surf fans.
I think we will be back tomorrow. Check you then.
//STEVE SHEARER
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy Men’s Opening Round Results:
HEAT 1: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 11.84 DEF. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 10.50, Kade Matson (USA) 4.80
HEAT 2: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 10.10 DEF. Barron Mamiya (HAW) 7.74, Deivid Silva (BRA) 7.03
HEAT 3: Kelly Slater (USA) 11.67 DEF. John John Florence (HAW) 10.84, Seth Moniz (HAW) 5.00
HEAT 4: Jack Robinson (AUS) 12.33 DEF. Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 12.17, Rio Waida (INA) 10.67
HEAT 5: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 9.90 DEF. Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 9.57, George Pittar (AUS) 8.10
HEAT 6: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 12.00 DEF. Jacob Willcox (AUS) 10.40, Tully Wylie (AUS) 10.33
HEAT 7: Jordy Smith (RSA) 15.84 DEF. Ian Gentil (HAW) 12.06, Caio Ibelli (BRA) 11.30
HEAT 8: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 12.00 DEF. Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 11.23, Eli Hanneman (HAW) 9.90
HEAT 9: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 13.67 DEF. Connor O'Leary (JPN) 11.66, Samuel Pupo (BRA) 5.10
HEAT 10: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.33 DEF. Liam O'Brien (AUS) 14.00, Cole Houshmand (USA) 8.00
HEAT 11: Jake Marshall (USA) 13.26 DEF. Crosby Colapinto (USA) 11.33, Callum Robson (AUS) 7.37
HEAT 12: Yago Dora (BRA) 10.23 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 10.00, Frederico Morais (POR) 9.33
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy Women’s Opening Round Results:
HEAT 1: Luana Silva (BRA) 12.33 DEF. Johanne Defay (FRA) 8.20, Alyssa Spencer (USA) 7.07
HEAT 2: Caroline Marks (USA) 13.17 DEF. Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 12.43, Sophie McCulloch (AUS) 8.73
HEAT 3: Ellie Harrison (AUS) 10.74 DEF. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 10.27, Molly Picklum (AUS) 9.33
HEAT 4: Brisa Hennessy (CRC) 12.50 DEF. Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 12.10, Caitlin Simmers (USA) 9.57
HEAT 5: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 10.67 DEF. Lakey Peterson (USA) 10.17, India Robinson (AUS) 9.00
HEAT 6: Tyler Wright (AUS) 15.17 DEF. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.60, Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 13.00
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy Men’s Elimination Round Results:
HEAT 1: Caio Ibelli (BRA) 11.10 DEF. Tully Wylie (AUS) 11.06, Seth Moniz (HAW) 10.23
HEAT 2: George Pittar (AUS) 14.07 DEF. Rio Waida (INA) 13.37, Eli Hanneman (HAW) 13.00
HEAT 3: Frederico Morais (POR) 11.50 DEF. Samuel Pupo (BRA) 10.80, Deivid Silva (BRA) 8.37
HEAT 4: Kade Matson (USA) 13.16 DEF. Cole Houshmand (USA) 9.54, Callum Robson (AUS) 6.03
Comments
Nicely worded Fr ....
Surprising young guns Molly and Caitlin faltered
Old guards know how to ride those longish walls better maybe?
I think more the case that the waves were pretty average looking in their heats. Would have loved to see those two surf in the morning with pumping 6ft walls.
That was a massive day of surfing. and a great write up Steve, as always. For me Jake Marshall is a dark horse to take this out, but I'm feeling a Ethan/Gabe quarter final will be the one to watch. Please let there be more waves!
I know how Kelly feels, same age same hairstyle and like a shifting spanner once the most useful tool in the shed. But every once in a while no matter how rusty you may appear in the surface when needed you show those shiny new tools how to get the job done.
Also same and same. Just need a bit of WD40 to get things shifting properly these days. For everyone whinging about Kelly still being on tour, as a 52 year old myself it’s fucking phenomenal he’s still on tour, albeit with a wildcard this year. He won’t get another one so this is it, unless he pulls something special over the next few weeks. I wouldn’t put it past him
Is that a truth lion chasing Kelly? (Apologies Pop's - just joshing). Thanks for the write up FR - good to see Bells firing - albeit briefly.
Yeah Steve, the pressure of the looming cut was certainly telling. Some of the competitors like Daivid Silva, with all the ability in the world to make finals there, was paddling around like a headless chook taking wrong waves while in bad positioning. He could do with a coach, or a friend with calming sound advice.
Kelly is still good to watch. But how has Jordy only won one bell. Crazy is the absence of Mick, Parko etc that makes Jordy’s surfing seem high level than the others bar Gabes
Jordy rips when it's pumping. Which during the comp it generally doesn't.
Tourism Victoria, thoughtful advertising during the comp.
Showing a couple of teens after a swim at the 12 apostles ?
No danger down there. Keep up the great work saving lives.
yeah, pretty sure I saw a glimpse somewhere of *un-named pro* shredding the sand in a 4WD too. That's why those are now banned on a bunch of beaches too along with those who just want to drive along or swim or dive somewhere secluded but do it safely.
Yeah that’s a shocker with that scene of the couple. I’m glad I’m not the only one who picked up on it. So dangerous around those parts.
Sad to see Callum drop out.bad mistake at end of heat
Just doesn’t seem to be on his game at every comp this yr
I suspect bonsoy and baileys ladders will need to redo therir commercials after margs
Vaughan blackey commentary and interviews so good I can now turn off mute and actually listen to heat
Shut up joey
great conditions and surfing in the morning- faded as the day went on, r-cal & gabe laid down some gold
thx fr
Tyler gonski. Maybe she should go back to the old Tyler.
So Kelly would be setting more record's just with that heat win
Apart from oldest surfer to compete in a WSL mens tour contest
Oldest to win a heat on tour.
Adding one more notch to most heats ever won.
just watching the Heat Analyser but that 9.33 of Medina is like one of the best surfed waves ever. its just fat Bells but it was surfed as perfect as possible
New to “like” surfing Barb? Mick, Occy, Joel, Nicky, Kelly, Adam Robbo, Simon, Cheyene, MP, MR, Curren, etc etc ALL way ahead of floppy arm guy
I'm with you Barb
Gabriel Medina surfs Bells equal or better than anyone on that long list of legends. He has plenty of critics for many reasons (including uncle chuckles) but I've been defending him for decades because he's a very clever surfer. I don't think anyone can argue the lines he drew on the big sloppy faces were unmatched, the judges thought so too.
He's cracked the code of how to link the sections with his deft deployment of the acceleration floater. I'm not sure how much snowboarding experience our Brazilian goofy legend has but he capitalises on the Bells fall line by dive bombing sections from the very top of the slope, carrying more momentum than anyone else I've seen surfing Bells - proper. It puts him in position to come from behind and below to extend his bottom turn and arrive into the power pocket beneath the lip - Wayne Lynch / Occy / AI territory - and aggressively deploy a surfers most awe inspiring weapon, their powerfully and beautifully toned sets of gluteus maximus, not getting stuck flailing your arms around forcing cutbacks out on a weak gurgly face.
RCal got in on the act too asap, both seasoned Bells competitors who've been picking away for years.
Like the Cockatoos of Lorne, pro surfers are very quick to notice when someone's getting more juice out of life than them, the latest bin lid lock lifted, self satisfied Cocky feasting on carrot cake leftovers and defrosted mango cheeks, spreads a rooster tail of our exquisite trash far and wide for all to see so the flock quickly adapt, adopt and replicate that code cracking ingenuity.
Caity Simmers last (?) wave being case in point. Blinding speed drawing long lines over stretched out sections, crumbly as they were. That's how it's done proper at Bells/Winki … proper might have to go ‘on hold’ though unfortunately.
Pure poetry mate.
Cheers muchly Mr Freeride
I thought Jordy looked good and then Medina surfed .
He will win his first Bell imho .
He deserves one !
Would love to see it. Used to hate Gabe but maybe favourite surfer these days
I propose bells to become a single fin event, no boards under 7 ft and no more than 1 fin. Old school. That’ll test the range of the pros, good canvass for it