The World's Oldest Surf Competition - Bells Beach Pro, Australia
Bells Beach is the longest-running surfing event in the world, held annually in Australia, beginning its inception in 1973. Named after Torquey's core wetsuit company Rip Curl, Bells Beach is the third stop on the 2014 Samsung Galaxy ASP Men's World Championship Tour. 11-time ASP World Champ Kelly Slater has won this competition four separate times now, Gold Coast talent Joel Parkinson triumphed in 2011 and last year, Adriano de Souza became the first Brazilian male who won in this prestigious competition. “Ringing a Bell” or winning one at Bells is one of surfing’s highest honors. Who will ring the bell in 2014?
The Rip Curl Pro ran in 15-foot monster sets in 1981 – one wave was even ridden from Rincon all the way to Winkipop! The same year, shaping pioneer Simon Anderson won the event on a three-fin board, ushering in the dominance of the Thruster within surfboard design. In 1987 Nick Wood and Richard Marsh made the final…and they were both trialists, with Nick winning at the ripe old age of 15! Mick Fanning also won the event as a wildcard in 2001 and again in 2012. In 1993 Bells hosted the move that has transformed professional surfing as we know it – flat surf forced the event to go mobile…a luxury often utilized now. Sunny Garcia has taken advantage of the mobile event by winning the prestigious contest three times at mobile locations. The only surfers to have ever won three consecutive Bells titles have been Michael Peterson (1973 – 1975) and Mark Richards (1978 – 1980).
The legendary freestyle windsurfing event on lake Neusiedl is back! Since 1998 the best Freestyle Windsurfers in the world travel down to the Austrian water sports capital to compete in the European Freestyle Pro Tour. This edition, taking place
between the 27th of April and the 1st of May, will be…
Bells Beach is located on the coast of Victoria, one of the world's most scenic coastal sceneries, in Surf Coast Shire area. The beach is accessible by a car, just 100 km south-west of Melbourne, on the Great Ocean Road, about 7 km from Torquay, the birthplace of both Rip Curl Wetsuits and Quiksilver Clothing. For many this place defines the essence of surf culture and is considered as Mecca of surfing.
Waves
Bells Beach is comprised of several breaks, The Bowl, Outside Bells, Rincon, Centreside, Southside and Winkipop among them. Outside Bells is the main break that produces a long, fast, even wall when it gets above six foot. The Bowl is the steep final section of the wave, and east of The Bowl, Winkipop runs over a reef producing a quick, hollow wave that often surpasses conditions at Bells proper. Australian breaks are known for its White Sharks appearance and some have been spotted around the chilly waters of Torquay at times so one must watch out while surfing there.
How to get there
The best way is to rent a car to get to the beach. Melbourne airport is a good hour away from Torquay, and the break at Bells is a fair hike from most of the local accommodations. You can stay there overnight if you want, Bells is a pretty sleepy spot provided you are not cold-blooded.
Event information:
Event date: April 16 – 27, 2014 Prize Money: $500,000.00 Time difference: GMT + 10 Coordinates: 38º20′ S, 144º19′ E The closest airport: Melbourne Avalon Airport, Geelong (GEX)
Source: ASP Hawaii website. All images are property of ASP.
The international top event this year is all about the new Olympic windsurfing class, foil windsurfing and wingfoiling. More than 300 world’s best windsurfers from 42 nations will compete in various foil classes on Lake Silvaplana.
The first of 16 GKA Kite World Tour events begins in Cape Verde this month.
Ten islands make up the archipelago of Cabo Verde which lies two hours south of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, due to their geographical location the islands are frequented with pumping swell and trade winds.
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