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60th Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach

• Ewing Dedicates Win to His Late-Mother Helen Lambert on 40th Anniversary of Her Win at Bells
• Molly Picklum and Ryan Callinan Claim Runner-up Finishes To Round out Australian Podium Sweep
• Picklum and Joao Chianca Lead the Rankings Going into Stop No. 5
• More Available at WorldSurfLeague.com

Australian duo Tyler Wright and Ethan Ewing (AUS) won the 60th edition of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy, today in two-to-three-foot waves with light onshore winds at Winki Pop. The full day of competition witnessed two Australians ‘ring’ the iconic Bell at the closing awards presentation for the first time in over a decade.

Two-time World Champion Tyler Wright and 2022 Final 5 competitor Ethan Ewing were unstoppable in their quest to ring the Bell today, each taking out World Champions on the road to the Finals. The rankings received a big shake-up today, with several more surfers being confirmed for a spot in the back half of the season. Current No. 1 Molly Picklum (AUS) managed to maintain her spot at the top of the rankings, representing how dangerous the young guard is; with the early elimination of Jack Robinson (AUS), CT sophomore Joao Chianca (BRA) has been confirmed as the new World No. 1.

WSL Champion Tyler Wright Goes Back-to-Back at Bells

Tyler Wright (AUS) rang the Bell for the second-consecutive time, marking an impressive 16th CT career win. Her road to the podium was not easy, as she had to take down World Champions Carissa Moore (HAW) and Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) along the way. This win was a special one as it marked her brother, Owen Wright’s (AUS) final CT event appearance of his career before officially retiring from competitive surfing. Wright hasn’t worn the yellow Leader jersey since 2021, but she is getting closer to taking it back, now sitting at No. 2 on the world rankings.

“It took me 12 years to get the first Bell, and this one, it felt different but all the same,” said Wright. “It’s an absolute honor and a privilege to surf here at Djarrak. It’s been amazing to have my full team and support here. It’s moments like these that mean the world to me now. To really execute this week the way I wanted to, like I have, I’m really proud.”

Wright dominated her competition throughout the day and showed no signs of slowing down during the Final. The two-time World Champion looked sharp and aggressive in her approach at Winki Pop. Her powerful, fins-free maneuvers earned her an 8.17 and 7.83 (out of possible 10) to set herself apart from Picklum. Picklum demonstrated her progressive edge, throwing several small airs to try and close the gap on Wright, but it wasn’t enough. As time wound down, the Tour veteran emerged victorious over the young talent.

“I feel really at home here, safe and able to open up a lot, and it's lovely to do that,” said Wright. “It’s been a big week with my bro (Owen Wright) retiring, and it's been really special. He had an amazing career and had obviously very traumatic points through that, so it was really cool to see him finish here.”

Current No. 1 Picklum continued her incredible run today, finding herself in the second CT Final of her career. Picklum showed how far her surfing has come, going from a 17th finish here last year all the way to a runner-up finish this year. She will once again hold onto the yellow Leader jersey going into the Western Australia Margaret River Pro.

“Coming home to Australia No. 1 in the world in front of my friends and family, means everything to me,” said Picklum. “I love being home, and to have had one of my best performances right here at home makes me super happy. Tyler and I have traveled a lot together and talked a lot of smack to each other; she’s always had me under her wing and helped me grow up and become a good athlete. I’m taking so much inspiration from Tyler; it’s incredible.”

Ethan Ewing Rings the Bell on 40th Anniversary of Mother Helen Lambert’s Bells Win

Ethan Ewing made history today, winning the Rip Curl Pro Bell Beach on the 40th anniversary of the year his late mother, Helen Lambert (AUS), won the event and rang the Bell in 1983. This marks the second CT win of Ewing’s career, the first being at J-Bay in 2022. With this meaningful win, he also moves up to No. 4 on the rankings going into Margaret River.

“This is far-out, it’s been such a crazy week and this event is the one I wanted to win the most, said Ewing. “It’s such a special thing, I’ve been thinking about it since I’ve been on Tour. It’s been a huge goal of mine and in honor of her [Ewing’s late mother, Helen Lambert], I wanted to do her proud. I’ve had her trophy next to my bed since I can remember and I’ve dreamt of having my name on the stairs with her. Tell your mum you love them because you never know what life throws at you.”

Ewing’s victory came with redemption, as he was defeated by Filipe Toledo (BRA) in the Semifinals last year, and he had to face him again in today’s Semifinals. Not wanting a repeat of last year, Ewing turned the heat on Toledo in the dying minutes by scoring an excellent 8.43 (out of possible 10).

Ewing was in sync with the ocean and stayed busy during the Final against Ryan Callinan. He effortlessly connected with the waves to throw powerful turns and earn a 14.50 heat total (out of possible 20). Callinan struggled to find a score of significance and ended the match with an 11.00.

“It feels pretty good. I’ve had a slow start this year,” continued Ewing. “This event I really found my feet, and I’m really looking forward to all of the events. There’s a lot of beautiful places we get to go to and I’m looking forward to all of them.”

Today marks the second Finals appearance of Callinan’s career, the first being in 2018 in France. After falling off the CT last season and a slow start this year he needed a big result at Bells to keep himself above the Mid-season Cut. In his Semifinal heat, Callinan remained calm under the pressure of two-time World Champion and past Bells winner John John Florence (HAW). Florence maintained a narrow lead the majority of the heat. But, at the seven-minute mark Callinan took to the air and landed a full-rotation to post an excellent 8.50 (out of a possible 10) and take the heat win.

“It’s a bit of a blur to be honest,” said Callinan. “To be here competing at Bells is an honor, it's one of my favorite events of the year every year. I love it down here, I always have a lot of support. My aunt and uncle are here in the crowd. It was incredible seeing Occy and trying to rep it for him and the goofies. I’d like to say thank you to my coach, I don’t get too many opportunities to be on stage very often and I want to say thank you for always pushing me a lot to improve and be the best I can be.”

Updated Confirmations for the Mid-season Cut

The full day of competition saw the world’s best surfers push each other to the limit as they fought for critical ranking points to keep their spots on Tour. Alongside today’s event finalists, Callinan, Ewing, Wright, and Picklum; Carissa Moore (HAW), Yago Dora (BRA) Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Gabriel Medina (BRA) and John John Florence (HAW) were all confirmed spots above the Mid-season Cut, which means they’ve secured their place in the back-half of the 2023 CT season.

Women’s CT: Made the Mid-season Cut

Molly Picklum (AUS)
Tyler Wright (AUS)
Carissa Moore (HAW)

Men’s CT: Made the Mid-season Cut

Joao Chianca (BRA)
Jack Robinson (AUS)
Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Ethan Ewing (AUS)
Griffin Colapinto (USA)
Ryan Callinan (AUS)
Caio Ibelli (BRA)
John John Florence (HAW)
Yago Dora (BRA)
Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
Gabriel Medina (BRA)

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Women’s Final Results:

1 - Tyler Wright (AUS) 16.00
2 - Molly Picklum (AUS) 12.00

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Final Results:

1 - Ethan Ewing (AUS) 14.50
2 - Ryan Callinan (AUS) 11.00

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Women’s Semifinal Results:

HEAT 1: Molly Picklum (AUS) 12.83 DEF. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 12.24
HEAT 2: Tyler Wright (AUS) 15.33 DEF. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 9.66

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Semifinal Results:

HEAT 1: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 15.93 DEF. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.30
HEAT 2: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 15.30 DEF. John John Florence (HAW) 12.26

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Women’s Quarterfinal Results:

HEAT 1: Isabella Nichols (AUS) 12.53 DEF. Caroline Marks (USA) 8.67
HEAT 2: Molly Picklum (AUS) 14.74 DEF. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 14.54
HEAT 3: Tyler Wright (AUS) 13.30 DEF. Carissa Moore (HAW) 12.70
HEAT 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 12.50 DEF. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 11.00

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Quarterfinal Results:

HEAT 1: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 13.43 DEF. Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 12.67
HEAT 2: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 15.00 DEF. Jackson Baker (AUS) 14.90
HEAT 3: John John Florence (HAW) 14.17 DEF. Connor O'Leary (AUS) 11.44
HEAT 4: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 11.23 DEF. Griffin Colapinto (USA) 11.10

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Round of 16 Results:

HEAT 1: Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 10.43 DEF. Joao Chianca (BRA) 9.90
HEAT 2: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 14.33 DEF. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 10.10
HEAT 3: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 13.34 DEF. Jordy Smith (RSA) 11.86
HEAT 4: Jackson Baker (AUS) 10.86 DEF. Yago Dora (BRA) 9.07
HEAT 5: Connor O'Leary (AUS) 13.33 DEF. Xavier Huxtable (AUS) 11.80
HEAT 6: John John Florence (HAW) 14.77 DEF. Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 14.10
HEAT 7: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 13.63 DEF. Maxime Huscenot (FRA) 10.90
HEAT 8: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 16.33 DEF. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 15.10

For highlights from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Next Stop: Western Australia Margaret River Pro

Mikey Wright & Rolo Montes | Time

We enter on an exit. Late season Indo- Mikey and Rolo take the bet and head east. 17,000 islands- somethings gotta be working- hell, even a broken clock is right twice a day. Either way, It’s a welcome change of pace - Rolo coming up for air after a busy year and looking to slow things down, Mikey getting back into the swing after a broken ankle and getting ready to ramp up.

There’s an old saying: “opportunity only dances with those who are already on the dance floor- and while Rolo and Mikey had never heard that saying- they are direct proof that it’s true. If you wanna win, you gotta roll the dice. Couple of waves, couple of fish, couple new friends- can’t ask for more than that.

Mikey, never one to let the momentum go to waste, took his good fortune and headed to Hawaii. We end with a new start.

Braw- a short surf film from the north of Scotland

Craig Mclachlan is Scottish and British Junior Surfing Champ and a local at Thurso. He’s spent most the winter getting kegged…

“This winter I got the best barrels from sunny crisp cold days through to dark days before the blizzards.’ says Craig

‘The water gets down to 5 degrees in the Thurso lineup due to the melt waters coming off the mountains but with the right equipment you’re still pretty sweet in the keg. During the harsh winter conditions it was Malcolm Anderson who captured the incredible waves on footage and braved to stand on the reef for so long.

‘The fired up backing track was from a young band based in Scotland called The Zebecks. The song is called ‘Living’./

Supported by Dark North, Skindog Surfboards, Tens sunglasses and Figure Creative.

Occy Style Eras

His unique approach to riding a wave has arguably inspired more "cover bands" than any other surfer in modern times, Occy claims he's always evolving. "The best style to me," he says, "is no style at all."

Mark Occhilupo's influence on surfing - especially for the legions of goofyfoots who came after him - is immeasurable. That said, he remains on his own personal style journey, from brash young upstart in the early '80s to the surf-as-you-feel flow-master he is today.

As part of Billabong's Five Decades celebration, they walk through some definitive eras in his surfing and get his take on them now:

00:00 - Phase 1: The Early Years
“After looking over the footage from this time, my arms are actually all over the place. It wasn’t until Gordon brought me up to the Gold Coast when I really learned how to smooth out my style.” - Mark Occhilupo

00:52 - Phase 2: Occy V. Curren
“It wasn’t until I saw Tom Curren come. I really loved the way he surfed and wanted to surf like that.” - Mark Occhilupo

01:50 - Phase 3: Set Free
“I surfed perfect waves, which made me fall in love with surfing again.” - Mark Occhilupo

02:22 - Phase 4: Unbeatable
“All that time filming with Jack in those perfect waves got me in prime form for the Dream Tour. I was actually practicing for those events years before I ever knew I was going to get to them.” - Mark Occhilupo

03:22 - Phase 5: Forever Fired Up
“These are the twilight years, the really good years. Every session is a blessing, and that’s what keeps me psyched.” - Mark Occhilupo

Sprynga – Reubyn Ash

Sprynga - A single-session Spring surf edit with Reubyn Ash as he tears into some North Cornish nuggets.

Edited by Adam Norris of Offshores Photo.

Shot by Adam Norris. @offshoresphoto/

Music 'Flipper' by Soara
Courtesy of Epidemic Sound

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach

• Current World No. 1 Molly Picklum Makes the Mid-season Cut
• Fitzgibbons, Igarashi, and Gilmore Put on Excellent Performances Under Pressure of Being Cut
• Colapinto, Florence, and Marks Dominate Competition in Opening Round
• Men’s Wildcards Owen Wright and Xavier Huxtable Thrive
• More Available at WorldSurfLeague.com

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, Presented by Bonsoy, Stop No. 4 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2023 Championship Tour (CT), commenced today with Winki Pop providing the world’s best surfers with rippable, three-to-four foot surf to open the prestigious event. The full day of competition saw the completion of the men’s and women’s Opening Rounds with lots of big scores posted.

The stress of the looming Mid-season Cut proved to push some competitors to find success while others fell to the pressure. Current World No. 1 Molly Picklum (AUS) became the first woman to make the Mid-season Cut with her Opening Round win. Tour veteran Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), eight-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), and Final 5 competitor Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) thrived, winning their Opening Round matchups in excellent form, while 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA above) and Brisa Hennessy (CRC) were sent to the Elimination Round.

Current World No. 1 Molly Picklum Makes the Mid-season Cut
Current World No. 1, Molly Picklum (AUS) secured herself a spot in the second half of the season by winning her Opening Round heat against Macy Callaghan (AUS) and Johanne Defay (FRA). Callaghan started the match strong, earning a 7.17 (out of possible 10) with a critical finishing maneuver. But, Picklum quickly answered back with several explosive turns to earn an excellent 8.00. As time wound down, Tour veteran Defay struggled to find a rhythm and was sent to the Elimination Round. In just her sophomore year on Tour, Picklum is getting closer to a shot at her maiden World Title.

“There’s always first-heat nerves, but Winki was providing, and it was just a matter of completing your rides to get the big scores and I’m super happy to open with an excellent score,” said Picklum. “It’s unfortunate to get cut, I’ve been there and I don’t want to do it again so I’m super happy to have made the cut. Final 5, let’s do this!”

Five-time World Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) is currently sitting right below Picklum on the rankings and is eager to get the yellow Leader jersey back. She notched an important heat win in her Opening Round matchup against Lakey Peterson (USA) and event wildcard Kobie Enright (AUS).

Colapinto, Florence (above), and Marks Dominate Competition in Opening Round
California’s Griffin Colapinto (USA) looked right at home on the long rights of Winki Pop, posting a near-excellent two-wave total of 15.66 (out of a possible 20) in Heat 2 of the Opening Round. Colapinto’s scoreline included an 8.33 for a massive full-rotation air reverse. His performance was too much for his opponents Maxime Husenot (FRA) and Seth Moniz (HAW), to overcome. Currently sitting at fifth on the world rankings, Colapinto is eyeing a spot in the Rip Curl WSL Finals and a shot at a maiden World Title later this year.

“That was super fun, the waves were really similar to some spots at home in California, so I felt right at home,” Colapinto said. “There was a light sea breeze which helped with the airs, and I’m stoked to make it through with my friend Seth (Moniz). Obviously, the main focus this week is to win the event, but I’m also enjoying time with my friends and having fun. I’m really enjoying all aspects of my time on Tour this year, competition and downtime. I'm just making the most of all of it.”

The last heat of the men’s Opening Round was one of the most action-packed of the day. An in-form John John Florence (HAW) controlled the heat, displacing buckets of water with his signature power turns. Fellow Hawaiian Barron Mamiya and injury replacement Morgan Cibilic (AUS) posted solid scores, but they weren’t enough to catch Florence. As time wound down, Florence posted the second-highest heat total of the men’s Opening Round, an excellent 16.26 (out of a possible 20).

Floridian powerhouse Caroline Marks (USA, above) stamped her authority on the field, posting a massive two-wave total of 15.83 for her trademark backside attack. Competing at Bells for the first time since 2019, Marks dominated her matchup with Isabella Nichols (AUS) and fellow goofy-footer Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA). Marks has finished equal third in her last two appearances at Bells and hopes to improve on that result this year. Nichols also progressed into the Round of 16 with an impressive performance at Winki Pop, while Weston-Webb was sent to the Elimination Round.
“It feels really nice to get such a good start at this event,” Marks said. I’m really happy to be back at Bells Beach and just Australia in general. It’s been a few years since my last trip, so I’m grateful to be here. I have a really good relationship with this wave; some of my favourite surfers have won this event like Mark Occhilupo. I’m definitely drawing some inspiration from him.”

Men's Wildcards Owen Wright and Xavier Huxtable Thrive
Aussie surfing legend Owen Wright (above) got his last CT event off to a great start, claiming the heat win over reigning World Champion and Bells Winner Filipe Toledo (BRA) and 2023 CT Rookie Ian Gentil (HAW). Wright looked in good rhythm with the long walls of Winki, combining pure lines with fins-free finishes to narrowly edge out his competitors and progress into the Round of 32.

“That felt great to get a heat win straight off the bat,” Wright said. “I’ve had a bit of time out of the jersey but I felt like I just slipped back into competition mode nicely and felt confident, which was good. I’m just so happy to get a win early in my final event. I think in the past at this event I’ve fallen in the Quarterfinals or around there so I’m hoping to surf with less pressure on myself this year and see what I can do as a wildcard.
Another wildcard who was turning heads on Day 1 was Trials winner Xavier Huxtable (AUS) who progressed through his heat in second place behind rankings leader Jack Robinson (AUS). Robinson was unstoppable, throwing multiple airs to comfortably win the heat, leaving Torquay local Huxable to take second over 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA). Slater will have to battle it out in the Elimination Round when competition resumes.

The next call will be made tomorrow morning at 7:15 a.m. AEST for a possible 7:35 a.m. AEST start.

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Opening Round Results:
HEAT 1: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 14.50 DEF. Nat Young (USA) 11.43, Carlos Munoz (CRC) 8.54
HEAT 2: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 15.66 DEF. Seth Moniz (HAW) 11.03, Maxime Huscenot (FRA) 10.37
HEAT 3: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 13.27 DEF. Caio Ibelli (BRA) 10.94, Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 10.34
HEAT 4: Dylan Moffat (AUS) 12.33 DEF. Joao Chianca (BRA) 11.67, Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 10.84
HEAT 5: Owen Wright (AUS) 12.84 DEF. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 11.24, Ian Gentil (HAW) 10.36
HEAT 6: Jack Robinson (AUS) 12.56 DEF. Xavier Huxtable (AUS) 11.50, Kelly Slater (USA) 9.60
HEAT 7: Kolohe Andino (USA) 11.64 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 10.80, Connor O'Leary (AUS) 10.00
HEAT 8: Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 14.47 DEF. Jordy Smith (RSA) 12.47, Callum Robson (AUS) 11.93
HEAT 9: Jackson Baker (AUS) 13.00 DEF. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 11.37, Rio Waida (INA) 10.60
HEAT 10: Yago Dora (BRA) 13.83 DEF. Samuel Pupo (BRA) 13.67, Jake Marshall (USA) 10.00
HEAT 11: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 16.40 DEF. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.00, Liam O'Brien (AUS) 12.43
HEAT 12: John John Florence (HAW) 16.26 DEF. Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 12.17, Barron Mamiya (HAW) 12.10

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Women’s Opening Round Results:
HEAT 1: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 13.07 DEF. Sophie McCulloch (AUS) 11.93, Caitlin Simmers (USA) 11.24
HEAT 2: Molly Picklum (AUS) 13.73 DEF. Macy Callaghan (AUS) 13.50, Johanne Defay (FRA) 13.16
HEAT 3: Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.33 DEF. Lakey Peterson (USA) 13.66, Kobie Enright (AUS) 12.57
HEAT 4: Caroline Marks (USA) 15.83 DEF. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 13.04, Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 9.40
HEAT 5: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 16.57 DEF. Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 13.73, Tyler Wright (AUS) 12.17
HEAT 6: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.16 DEF. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 12.06, Brisa Hennessy (CRC) 11.50

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Elimination Round Matchups:
HEAT 1: Callum Robson (AUS) vs. Liam O'Brien (AUS) vs. Ezekiel Lau (HAW)
HEAT 2: Rio Waida (INA) vs. Barron Mamiya (HAW) vs. Maxime Huscenot (FRA)
HEAT 3: Connor O'Leary (AUS) vs. Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Carlos Munoz (CRC)
HEAT 4: Matthew McGillivray (RSA) vs. Ian Gentil (HAW) vs. Jake Marshall (USA)

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Women's Elimination Round Matchups:
HEAT 1: Caitlin Simmers (USA) vs. Brisa Hennessy (CRC) vs. Kobie Enright (AUS)
HEAT 2: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) vs. Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Johanne Defay (FRA)

More available at WorldSurfLeague.com.