This wave was said to be the biggest wave paddled into in Indonesia. After a moment of glory I was violently sent up and planted on top of the coral rock ledge that was raised out of the water in the 2004 earth quake.
I was left shaking, bloody and feeling lucky to be in one piece @mattbromleysurf
California’s Caitlin Simmers (USA) and Cole Houshmand (USA) have claimed victory at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy, Stop No. 4 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2024 Championship Tour (CT). The two first-time Bells winners were the ones to beat on Finals Day as the Bowl dished up semi-clean surf in the three-to-four-foot range. It was a historical day of competition, with a number of firsts taking place on the 61st Finals Day at Bells and the 50th with Rip Curl as the title partner.
California’s Houshmand and Simmers Add Names to Illustrious List of Bell Ringers
San Clemente locals and childhood friends Cole Houshmand (USA) and Griffin Colapinto (USA) came into the Final of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach guaranteed to make history. With either of them winning, they’d be the first Californian male to hoist the Bell since Richie Collins (USA) in 1992, and with the form they displayed, it was either surfer that could take it. Houshmand started strong, posting a 7.00 (out of a possible 10) point ride on his opener and finally backing it up with a 6.50 for a 13.50 (out of a possible 20) two-wave total. Colapinto, who was the form surfer of the event, struggled to get going until the last few minutes of the match-up, and although he started to build, it wasn’t enough to overcome Houshmand. Houshmand got the win, becoming only the seventh goofy-footer to win the event in 61 years, joining names like Occhilupo, Carrol, Hardman, Lynch, Wilkinson and Ferreira.
“I’m speechless, and this is unreal,” said Houshmand. “I honestly don’t think it’s gonna sink in for a while. I’ve been visualizing this every day for the last two weeks, ringing that Bell, and I guess it works. I’m excited for the whole year. My biggest goal was to make it to Fiji as a Rookie, and now I have my sights set on a bigger goal. The Cut is out of my vision and there are bigger things for me to achieve now. The year really starts now. I told Griffin, ‘This is what we’ve dreamed of since we were kids competing,’ and I really wanted to enjoy it. It’s not often you get a Final with your best friend and mentor, but then again, there’s no one I want to beat more and no one I’d rather lose to. This is probably the best day of my life.”
Houshmand came into the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach sitting below the Mid-season Cut Line with an equal ninth as his best result in his rookie season. His maiden CT victory has rocketed him 18 spots up to eighth on the rankings within aim of the WSL Final 5 heading into the second half of the season.
Coming into the Final sitting in first and second on the rankings, whoever claimed the win between Caitlin Simmers (USA) and Johanne Defay (FRA) would leave Bells Beach wearing the yellow Leader Jersey as World No. 1. CT veteran Dafay came into the Final with the most momentum, and it showed as she took control early. With two mid-range scores, Defay held the lead for almost the entire Final. With just three minutes remaining, Simmers took a set wave with priority, scoring a 6.10 to get herself back into contention. With less than one minute remaining, Simmers forced Defay into a closeout, leaving Simmers out the back with sets rolling in. Taking her last chance with seconds remaining, Simmers put together a range of critical maneuvers to score a 6.67, receiving the last-minute news that she had won her maiden Bell on the sand after the buzzer.
“I was just thinking on my last wave, ‘This could be it,'” said Simmers. “In this sport, you always have to believe in yourself because that stuff happens. I still don’t believe it, and it doesn’t feel real. At this high of a level, you have to figure out ways to have an edge. There’s so much for me to think about, and it feels amazing to get the win. This wave is really difficult to work out, so it feels awesome. Yeah, wow, No. 1 in the world sounds great.”
Simmers made history today, becoming the youngest woman to ever win at Bells. Simmers took out her maiden Final at Bells Beach and her second Final of the year after winning stop No. 1 at Pipeline. Simmers rings the Bell as World No. 1 and wears the yellow Leader Jersey heading into the Western Australia Margaret River Pro.
Johanne Defay and Griffin Colapinto Continue Stellar Run With Runner-Up Finishes
Fresh off a win at the Meo Rip Curl Pro Portugal, Johanne Defay (FRA) came into CT Stop No. 4 full of confidence and with her sights on grabbing the Yellow Jersey for the first time in her career. Defay looked to be the woman to beat, posting some of the highest scores in each round to become the first European competitor to contest the Bells Final. With her back-to-back Finals appearances, Defay will now head to the Western Australia Margaret River Pro, sitting solidly in second place on the rankings.
“It feels amazing to make the finals, and I felt good out there. Too bad I made that mistake at the end,” said Defay. “I guess this is what surfing is, you’re out in the ocean, and there’s no certainty. It is what it is, and I have to swallow it, but I’m also happy to place second too. Knowing I’ve made history as the first French person to make the final at Bells feels special.”
Similar to Defay, Griffin Colapinto (USA) arrived at Bells fresh of a win in Portugal and carried plenty of that momentum into Stop 4, posting the highest heat total of the Semifinals, Quarterfinals and the event. Although disappointed, he wasn’t able to clinch his maiden win at Bells. Griffin was over the moon to share the Final with a good friend after seeing his Brother and CT Rookie Crosby Make the Cut and good friend Kade Matson (USA) earn the best result of his Rookie season, ending a great week of results for the San Clemente and Southern Californian contingent of CT surfers. Colapinto will hold onto the World No. 1 position and the yellow Leaders Jersey as he heads into Stop No. 5 at Margaret River.
“That was bittersweet for sure,” Colapinto said. “You always want to win it, especially when you’re in the final. I don’t want to ruin this moment, though – I’m so happy for Cole. We have surfed together since we were ten, so it’s crazy to be standing up here at Bells after going at it in the final. I feel like all of the crew from San Clemente are building momentum and finding their feet on tour, which is so good. We’re all staying together in West Aus, so it will be cool to have the two Bells there next to each other.”
Semifinalists Get Season Back on Track at Bells
Rio Waida (INA) earned his career-best CT result, finishing equal third at Bells Beach. Sitting right on the Cut-line coming into this event, a Semifinal finish at Bells jumps Waida up ten spots on the rankings to World No. 11. Matthew McGillivray (RSA) equaled his career-best CT result with a Semifinal finish at Bells. An equal third moves McGillivray up to World No. 14. Both surfers now head to Margaret River with a lot less pressure on them and their spot on tour ahead of the Mid-season Cut.
Brisa Hennessy (CRC) and Caroline Marks (USA) both earned equal third-place finishes this year at Bells. This is Hennessy’s third and Mark’s second Semifinal finish of this year.
For highlights from the 2024 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy Women’s Final Results:
1 – Caitlin Simmers (USA) 12.77
2 – Johanne Defay (FRA) 11.60
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy Men’s Final Results:
1 – Cole Houshmand (USA) 13.50
2- Griffin Colapinto (USA) 12.80
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy Women’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Johanne Defay (FRA) 13.53 DEF. Brisa Hennessy (CRC) 12.10
HEAT 2: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 13.93 DEF. Caroline Marks (USA) 9.24
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy Men’s Semifinal Results:
HEAT 1: Cole Houshmand (USA) 13.14 DEF. Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 7.77
HEAT 2: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 16.83 DEF. Rio Waida (INA) 14.53
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
A surprise huge swell offered up big barrels in Hossegor last Saturday, a few hopefuls tried to score paddling but the playing field was so big that only the surfers with jet ski assistance could get in the right spot to experience the visions we all dream of…
Judge for yourself by checking out this sick edit.
Surfers: Joan Duru, Miky Picon, Marc Lacomare, Aritz Aranburu, Jerome Sahyoun, Marco Mignot, William Aliotti, Mathias Maallem, arnaud Darrigade,
THE STREETS | MAISIE PETERS | GHETTS |
PROFESSOR GREEN | CAT BURNS | FUTURE UTOPIA |
SAMMY VIRJI | EWAN MCVICAR | GOOD NEIGHBOURS | AYANNA | TAKE A CHANCE ON US | ANTSLIVE | TORS
AND PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED ACTS INCLUDING –
BECKY HILL | COURTEENERS | TOM ODELL | DECLAN MCKENNA | SOFT PLAY | HOLLY HUMBERSTONE | KATE NASH | BICEP PRES. CHROMA | NIA ARCHIVES | KENYA GRACE | OVERMONO
The sun is shining and spring has sprung, which means Boardmasters 2024 is just a few months away! And today, the festival reveals its third and final wave of acts, completing the line up for 2024. 40+ artists including The Streets, Maisie Peters, Ghetts, Professor Green and more join the huge line-up which includes headliners Chase & Status, Sam Fender and Stormzy. Shaping up to be the biggest Boardmasters yet, fans can check out the final billing, as well as stage splits, revealed as part of today’s announcement. Plus, there’s tons to explore at this summer’s Boardmasters, including new festival stages, reimagined spaces, plenty of new places to discover and uncover. That’s not to mention the best in international surfing as the Boardmasters Opensupported by Rubicon Raw Energy with the WSL returns to Fistral Beach. Cornwall’s own surf and music festival, takes place from 7 – 11 August 2024 across two stunning sites in Newquay, Cornwall. We’ll see you at the beach!
This is not a drill – demand for this year’s Boardmasters has been at an all-time high and fans are urged to get their tickets now to avoid missing out. Limited tickets remain, with less than 7% of Camping tickets available and Day tickets being snapped up fast – and Saturday Day Tickets already completely sold out! Check out the Boardmasters website for more information at www.boardmasters.com.
Today, Birmingham grime legends The Streets join the line-up for Boardmasters. Pioneers of UK garage, The Streets have cemented themselves as one of the most influential groups in British music culture since bursting onto the scene in 2002. The Streets remain groundbreaking to this day, with a catalogue of hits including ‘Fit But You Know It’, ‘Has It Come To This?’, ‘Blinded By The Lights’, ‘Dry Your Eyes’ and 2022’s ‘Brexit At Tiffany’s’. Maisie Peters’ innate talent for storytelling and relatable songs has seen her rack up over half a billion streams globally. Maisie has sold out London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire and headlined her own U.S. tours and is now heading to Cornwall for Boardmasters. Her acclaimed debut album shot straight to No. 2, every date on her headline tour sold out in 1 minute and she has released a string of pop bangers including ‘Cate’s Brother’, ‘Blonde’, ‘Good Enough’ and ‘Not Another Rockstar’.
Ghetts’ latest album ‘On Purpose, With Purpose’ has earned him a deserved flurry of rave reviews including Guardian describing the release as “brimming with elegant fury”. Notably one of the UK’s most prolific and influential rappers, Ghetts joins the Boardmasters bill. He’s an Ivor Novello nominee, a Mercury Prize nominee, and a MOBO Award winner, who serves up sharp commentary and has collaborated with everyone from Kano, Wretch 32 and Sampha. East London’s own MC and rapper Professor Green has remained prolific throughout his incredible career and this summer you’ll find him on Cornish shores, taking to the Boardies main stage for a set laden with his biggest hits including ‘I Need You Tonight’, ‘Jungle’, and ‘Read All About It’. The brilliant platinum-selling singer songwriter Cat Burns joins, too, known and loved for her relatable tracks including ‘go’ and ‘people pleaser’.
Other hot new additions to the line up include Future Utopia, the psych rock band which is the brainchild of the renowned Fraser T Smith who’s added his magic to works by Adele, Dave and Stormzy. Plus, the unstoppable Sammy Virji will be on the decks serving up infectious grooves, as well as ‘Tell Me Something Good’ hitmaker and Scotland’s biggest hyped DJ of the moment Ewan McVicar, breakthrough duo Good Neighbours and drawing on all things RnB, soul and reggae, Äyanna is not to be missed. Find the full Boardmasters line up here.
There’s plenty more for festival-goers to discover, across Boardmasters 11 stages which include a newly-designed and newly-located The View which does firmly what it says on the tin, offering the best views in the house overlooking the beautiful Watergate Bay. Plus, DJs will be taking to the decks down at The Point; the ultimate clubbing destination at Boardmasters which comes with an eye-popping new design and will this year sit alongside Unleashed presented by Drip for the unmissable after hours hot spot. From theKeg & Pastonbury, The Boulevard, and daily Beach Cleans to Street Food, Pub Quizzes, Surf Screenings, Bingo, Karaoke, and Family Fun, there’s an abundance of options of day to night activities. Stay tuned for more surprises yet to be revealed.
New for 2024, the Paradise Surf Club is a nod to Boardmasters’ long standing surf heritage. The surf shack will be landing on the shores of Boardmasters arena, and comes complete with an outdoor deck space to soak up the view of the coastline. What’s more, festival-goers’ favourites are set to return. Muscle Beach is back – Boardmasters’ very own outdoor gym, bigger and better than ever and free for camping ticket holders. Expect professional personal trainers, challenges and prizes and high octane workout sessions for a full five days of fitness. And, ACTION! The free Boardies Cinema returns for 2024, too. Expect surf films, comedies, Hollywood classics and more, as camping ticket holders are invited to settle in with their mates for some movie magic. For those seeking a moment of calm amidst the excitement, Boardmasters presents Zennor Haven at the festival campsite. A haven for mindfulness, Zennor Haven offers expert-led sound baths, wellness discussions, panel talks, massages, and workshops. It’s the perfect spot to reconnect with nature and appreciate the stunning surroundings of the coast.
Steeped in heritage, Fistral Beach is the world-famous home of British surfing, and the place where Boardmasters began back in 1981. During the festival, Fistral Beach transforms into a vibrant surf festival complete with pro surf competitions, art installations, workshops, DJs and a bustling surf village. For the ninth consecutive year, the WSL will return for the Boardmasters Open supported by Rubicon Raw Energy. The best of UK and international surfers will go head-to-head in the country’s biggest surf competition. Pro Surfers make their welcome return competing in the shortboard & longboard competitions. Plus, the next generation of groms will battle it out in the returning Junior Open competition. Athlete registrations are opening Thursday 28th March at 10am – athletes can go to www.boardmasters.com/surfing to see full detail and enter the competitions.
Fans seeking to make a more sustainable travel choice, can book a Coach + Camping Ticket package with Big Green Coach. Plus there are new direct coach routes servicing Cornwall and the South West.
Don’t miss out on Boardmasters 2024. With limited Camping + final tier Day Tickets remaining, snap them up now at www.boardmasters.com!
Pictured: 2024 CT Rookie Sawyer Lindblad (USA) has guaranteed her best result of the season with a Quarterfinal berth at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy. Credit: © WSL / Aaron Hughes
World No. 1 Picklum and Reigning Event Winner Wright Eliminated on Day 2
World No.1 Molly Picklum (AUS) will have to wait another year for her chance to ring the iconic Bell after she was taken down by 2024 CT Rookie Sawyer Lindblad (USA) in the Round of 16 at Winkipop. Picklum was hoping to find some form after falling into the Elimination Round and only just sneaking into the Round of 16, but Lindblad had other ideas, posting the equal highest heat total of the day, a 15.67 (out of a possible 20). Lindblad looked sharp on her backhand and has guaranteed her best result at the elite level as she looks to move above the Mid-season Cut line with a Quarterfinals berth.
“It feels really good; I was really fired up after my loss in Portugal, it felt good to know that I can get scores in the 7’s and 8’s so I came into this event really excited,” Lindblad said. “This is only my third time surfing Winkipop, and it’s such a sick wave. It reminds me of Trestles at home. I’m honestly just really happy to make it out of the Round of 16. I’m not really thinking about the Cut. This is my first year on Tour, and I don’t really feel that much pressure, to be honest. I just want to keep surfing and getting high scores.”
Local Trials winner Ellie Harrison (AUS) continued her charge through the draw, overcoming reigning two-time Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Winner Tyler Wright (AUS). Wright and Harrison went back and forth in the back-end of the heat, with the lead changing a number of times. With Wright leading on the buzzer, Harrison made it to the beach and waited for her last score, which was enough to get the lead and leave the two-time World Champion with an equal 9th-place finish.
“When I saw the heat draw come out, I was like ‘oh no’ – I look up to Tyler so much, she’s the nicest person in the water, gives me compliments, she’s such a cool girl,” Harrison said. “I went into that heat with the mentality that I’ve got nothing to lose. I tried to keep my cool, so I was just waiting for the perfect opportunity to find where the sets were coming in and try to get a big score. Then I got another one, and I wasn’t sure if it was going to be the score, but I was so glad I got through. It’s a dream come true surfing at Bells, walking out with all my family and friends cheering for me on, it’s something I’ve thought about every year, and now it’s real. It’s a little weird, I don’t know how to act.”
Injury replacement Morgan Cibilic (AUS) continued the theme of upsets today, putting on a strong performance to defeat World No. 4 Jack Robinson(AUS) in the tough Winkipop conditions. Cibilic will take on form surfer and fellow Novacastrian Ryan Callinan (AUS) in the Round of 16.
“It feels amazing, I’m just so stoked to be here and grateful for the opportunity to be able to compete in another CT, and it makes it so much sweeter to make a few heats and put a couple of waves together,” said Ciblic. “It’s been so good. Coming down to the home of Rip Curl and getting to surf the bowl pumping yesterday was kinda a dream of mine. Getting to surf against Jack man-on-man was pretty sick. I’m pretty good mates with him, so it was good to have a little battle and epic to come out on top.”
Caroline Marks and Samuel Pupo Steal the Show at Winkipop
Reigning World Champion Caroline Marks (USA) was the standout performer of the Round of 16, posting the equal highest two-wave total of the women’s event to overcome an in-form Sophie McCulloch (AUS). Marks’ backhand looked on point at Winkipop, smashing massive critical turns to earn a two-wave total of 15.67 (out of a possible 20). Marks will take on Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) in the Quarterfinals when the competition resumes.
“That was really fun. I love surfing Winkipop. It’s a different wave, and I rode a different board, so it was cool to change things up,” Marks said. “You are always aware of what’s going on around you and who is dropping out of the draw, but I’m really trying to focus on myself. There hasn’t been a female goofy-footer win this event for so long, and I’d love to break that streak – this has always been an event I’d love to win with so many of my heroes having won it. There is a long way to go before I get close to that though.”
Samuel Pupo (BRA) put on a dominant performance, posting the highest wave of the day with an 8.50 and the highest heat total of the Round with a 15.23, ahead of Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA). Before Bells, Pupo sat well below the Mid-season Cutline, but a good result here will be valuable for him as he tries to secure a place for the rest of the tour season.
“It means so much, still pretty early in the contest, really but this Round of 32 has been getting the best of me, a lot of close heats,” Pupo said. “This whole trip has been really tricky for me mentally and emotionally, having some rough nights of sleep. It’s hard to stay calm with all these bad results I’ve been getting; you wonder if maybe you’re doing something wrong. It’s hard to keep doing the same thing and believing it’s going to work at some point. I don’t want to leave it to Margaret’s, so I’m stoked to make this heat.”
World No. 2 and Reigning Bells event winner Ethan Ewing (AUS) narrowly dodged a major upset, taking a last-minute win over the in-form Rip Curl wildcard George Pittar (AUS). After much deliberation from the judges, Ewing was left to hear the final scores on the Winkipop shoreline, scoring a 6.43 to jump Pittar after the buzzer.
“I felt pretty good about that last wave; it felt better than my other wave, to be honest, but yeah, it was challenging conditions out there,” said Ewing. “George is such a good surfer, and I made some mistakes but I’m stoked to get through.” I did see there were a lot of upsets today, but I try to just focus on myself. Like I said, I’ve got a lot of things to work on, and I’m looking forward to improving.” Ewing said, keeping his dream alive of taking back-to-back Bells wins.
Matildas and Other Sports Stars Cheer on World’s Best Surfers at Bells
Bells Beach hasn’t just attracted the world’s best surfers over the opening two days of competition. Spotted on site have included Matildas players Chloe Logarzo and Elise Kellond Knight, coming to cheer on their good friend India Robinson (AUS), alongside surf fan and Ten-time World Champion cliff diver Rhiannan Iffland.
Two-time Olympic Medalist and nine-time XGames Medallist snowboarder Scotty James met with fellow RedBull team rider Jordy Smith (RSA) to talk Bells Beach with the past Event Winner.
AFL superstar Charlie Curnow from the Carlton Football Club was seen at the event site, supporting close friend Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) in his Opening Round Heat.
For highlights from today’s action at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy Women’s Elimination Round Results:
HEAT 1: Sophie McCulloch (AUS) 13.17 DEF. Molly Picklum (AUS) 11.50, India Robinson (AUS) 4.67
HEAT 2: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 12.04 DEF. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 11.23, Alyssa Spencer (USA) 10.56
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy Women’s Round of 16 Results:
HEAT 1: Johanne Defay (FRA) 15.46 DEF. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.17
HEAT 2: Ellie Harrison (AUS) 13.73 DEF. Tyler Wright (AUS) 12.74
HEAT 3: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) 15.67 DEF. Molly Picklum (AUS) 11.74
HEAT 4: Brisa Hennessy (CRC) 12.74 DEF. Lakey Peterson (USA) 12.73
HEAT 5: Caroline Marks (USA) 15.67 DEF. Sophie McCulloch (AUS) 12.10
HEAT 6: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 11.97 DEF. Luana Silva (BRA) 11.67
HEAT 7: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 13.10 DEF. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 12.93
HEAT 8: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 13.83 DEF. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 12.04
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy Men’s Round of 32 Results:
HEAT 1: Morgan Cibilic (AUS) 13.64 DEF. Jack Robinson (AUS) 12.93
HEAT 2: Ryan Callinan (AUS) 14.50 DEF. Imaikalani deVault (HAW) 7.13
HEAT 3: Samuel Pupo (BRA) 15.23 DEF. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 9.70
HEAT 4: Matthew McGillivray (RSA) 10.66 DEF. Connor O’Leary (JPN) 9.34
HEAT 5: Ethan Ewing (AUS) 12.93 DEF. George Pittar (AUS) 12.73
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy Men’s Round of 32 Remaining Matchups:
HEAT 6: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) vs. Liam O’Brien (AUS)
HEAT 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Cole Houshmand (USA)
HEAT 8: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Jacob Willcox (AUS)
HEAT 9: Griffin Colapinto (USA) vs. Tully Wylie (AUS)
HEAT 10: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Crosby Colapinto (USA)
HEAT 11: Barron Mamiya (HAW) vs. Kelly Slater (USA)
HEAT 12: Jake Marshall (USA) vs. Frederico Morais (POR)
HEAT 13: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Kade Matson (USA)
HEAT 14: Yago Dora (BRA) vs. Ian Gentil (HAW)
HEAT 15: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Rio Waida (INA)
HEAT 16: Jordy Smith (RSA) vs. Caio Ibelli (BRA)
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy Women’s Quarterfinal Matchups:
HEAT 1: Johanne Defay (FRA) vs. Ellie Harrison (AUS)
HEAT 2: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) vs. Brisa Hennessy (CRC)
HEAT 3: Caroline Marks (USA) vs. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
HEAT 4: Caitlin Simmers (USA) vs. Gabriela Bryan (HAW)
