Rip Curl Pro
Australian surfing competition
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Rip Curl Pro, formerly the Bells Beach Surf Classic, is a WSL (formerly ASP) World Tour surfing competition held in and around Torquay, Victoria and sponsored by surf company Rip Curl. The event is based at Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia. The event winner is awarded the prestigious 'Bell' trophy.[1] It is the longest running professional surfing competition in the world.[2]
champions
| Current season, competition or edition: | |
| Sport | Surfing |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Most recent champions | |
| Most titles | |
| Official website | , |
The song "Hells Bells" by AC/DC is played every morning before the first competition.[3]
History
The competition has been held annually at Easter time at Bells Beach, Victoria continuously since 1962,[4] becoming a professional competition and sponsored by Rip Curl in 1973.[2] The contest has had various sponsors over the years, including in 1984 Australian rock band, Australian Crawl.
The first Bells Beach contest was supposed to be held in late 1961 but was delayed until the Australia day weekend of 1962. The first winner was NSW surfer Glynn Ritchie.[5] Occasionally George "Ming" Smith is credited as winning the 1961 event but he actually won the "wave of the day" in the first contest (1962) and was awarded a prize of 1 pound, and a pennant saying "winner 1961".
The event became mobile from 1993, and was held at various locations in Victoria, depending upon weather conditions. The entire 2005 event was held at Phillip Island due to poor conditions in Torquay. The event is now held only at Bells Beach and nearby Winkipop.
The famous Bells trophy was designed and built by Bells Beach local Joe Sweeney. The first time a Bell trophy was awarded was 1968. Winners of the Rip Curl Pro receive smaller replica Bells trophies to keep. Each year, Rip Curl founder Doug 'Claw' Warbrick presents the trophies to the winning athletes.[6]
The 2020 and 2021 contests were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]
Naming
Since the birth of this competition it had different names, such as the Bells Beach Easter Classic.[8]
Results
Men
Women
| Women | |||||||
| Year | Winner | Nation | Score | Runner-Up | Nation | Score | Prizemoney |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Isabella Nichols | 16.26 | Luana Silva | 12.67 | $80,000 | ||
| 2024 | Caitlin Simmers | 12.77 | Johanne Defay | 11.60 | $80,000 | ||
| 2023 | Tyler Wright (2) | 16.00 | Molly Picklum | 12.00 | $80,000 | ||
| 2022 | Tyler Wright | 16.93 | Carissa Moore | 10.57 | $80,000 | ||
| 2021 | Not held | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2020 | Not held | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2019 | Courtney Conlogue (3) | 15.83 | Malia Manuel | 14.84 | $420,800 | ||
| 2018 | Stephanie Gilmore (4) | 14.17 | Tatiana Weston-Webb | 13.94 | $298,900 | ||
| 2017 | Courtney Conlogue (2) | 17.00 | Stephanie Gilmore | 16.33 | $289,500 | ||
| 2016 | Courtney Conlogue | 16.53 (9.03) | Sally Fitzgibbons | 16.43 (8.33) | $275,500 | ||
| 2015 | Carissa Moore (3) | 14.00 | Stephanie Gilmore | 13.27 | $262,500 | ||
| 2014 | Carissa Moore (2) | 15.73 | Tyler Wright | 14.10 | $250,000 | ||
| 2013 | Carissa Moore | 11.00 | Tyler Wright | 6.94 | $120,000 | ||
| 2012 | Sally Fitzgibbons (2) | 10.76 | Stephanie Gilmore | 10.33 | $110,000 | ||
| 2011 | Sally Fitzgibbons | 16.77 | Carissa Moore | 15.40 | $110,000 | ||
| 2010 | Stephanie Gilmore (3) | 14.67 | Sofia Mulanovich | 10.00 | $100,000 | ||
| 2009 | Silvana Lima | 17.34 | Stephanie Gilmore | 13.06 | $90,000 | ||
| 2008 | Stephanie Gilmore (2) | 16.50 | Sofia Mulanovich | 16.17 | $85,000 | ||
| 2007 | Stephanie Gilmore | 16.50 | Sofia Mulanovich | 11.93 | $80,000 | ||
| 2006 | Not held | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2005 | Sofia Mulanovich | 15.83 | Serena Brooke | 11.83 | $65,000 | ||
| 2004 | Not held | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2003 | Not held | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2002 | Not held | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2001 | Neridah Falconer | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2000 | Megan Abubo | 18.90 | Rochelle Ballard | 18.75 | $30,000 | ||
| 1999 | Layne Beachley (3) | 21.25 | Sandie Dryden | 17.40 | $30,000 | ||
| 1998 | Layne Beachley (2) | 24.50 | Prue Jeffries | 21.90 | $30,000 | ||
| 1997 | Lisa Andersen (4) | 26.00 | Pam Burridge | 23.65 | $35,000 | ||
| 1996 | Pauline Menczer (3) | 22.30 | Lisa Andersen | 22.25 | $25,000 | ||
| 1995 | Lisa Andersen (3) | 27.10 | Pauline Menczer | 26.30 | $25,000 | ||
| 1994 | Layne Beachley | 20.67 | Lisa Andersen | 13.16 | $25,000 | ||
| 1993 | Pauline Menczer (2) | 19.7 | Wendy Botha | 16.3 | $25,000 | ||
| 1992 | Lisa Andersen (2) | 23.2 | Neridah Falconer | 22.6 | $20,000 | ||
| 1991 | Pauline Menczer | 90.8 | Michele Donoghoe | 88.3 | $20,000 | ||
| 1990 | Lisa Andersen | 111.5 | Kim Mearig | 98 | $20,000 | ||
| 1989 | Wendy Botha | 120.8 | Toni Sawyer | 104.5 | $15,000 | ||
| 1988 | Kim Mearig (2) | 115.9 | Freida Zamba | 113.5 | $13,500 | ||
| 1987 | Jodie Cooper | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1986 | Frieda Zamba (2) | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1985 | Frieda Zamba | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1984 | Kim Mearig | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1983 | Helen Lambert | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1982 | Debbie Beacham | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1981 | Linda Davoli | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1980 | Margo Oberg (3) | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1979 | Lynne Boyer | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1978 | Margo Oberg (2) | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1977 | Margo Oberg | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1976 | Gail Couper (10) | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1975 | Gail Couper (9) | - | - | - | $200 | ||
| 1974 | Gail Couper (8) | - | Judy Trim | - | - | ||
| 1973 | Not held | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1972 | Gail Couper (7) | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1971 | Gail Couper (6) | - | Judy Trim | - | - | ||
| 1970 | Gail Couper (5) | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1969 | Vivien Campbell | - | Phyllis O'Donnell | - | - | ||
| 1968 | Gail Couper (4) | - | Vivien Campbell | - | - | ||
| 1967 | Gail Couper (3) | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1966 | Gail Couper (2) | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1965 | Not held | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1964 | Gail Couper | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1963 | Not held | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1962 | Not held | - | - | - | - | - | |