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Australian surfing competition
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]
The song "Hells Bells" by AC/DC is played every morning before the first competition.[ 3]
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]
Since the birth of this competition it had different names.
Men
Year
Winner
Nation
Score
Runner-Up
Nation
Score
Prizemoney
2023
Ethan Ewing
Australia
14.50
Ryan Callinan
Australia
11.00
$80,000
2022
Filipe Toledo
Brazil
14.74
Callum Robson
Australia
12.94
$80,000
2021
Not Held
-
-
-
-
2020
Not Held
-
-
-
-
2019
John John Florence
Hawaii
14.30
Filipe Toledo
Brazil
13.83
$607,800
2018
Italo Ferreira
Brazil
15.66
Mick Fanning
Australia
12.83
$607,800
2017
Jordy Smith
South Africa
18.90
Caio Ibelli
Brazil
17.46
$579,000
2016
Matt Wilkinson
Australia
17.37
Jordy Smith
South Africa
14.16
$551,000
2015
Mick Fanning (4)
Australia
15.27
Adriano De Souza
Brazil
15.27
$525,000
2014
Mick Fanning (3)
Australia
16.83
Taj Burrow
Australia
13.26
$450,000
2013
Adriano De Souza
Brazil
16.26
Nat Young
United States
15.83
$450,000
2012
Mick Fanning (2)
Australia
18.80
Kelly Slater
United States
18.07
$425,000
2011
Joel Parkinson (3)
Australia
18.53
Mick Fanning
Australia
13.25
$425,000
2010
Kelly Slater (4)
United States
17.03
Mick Fanning
Australia
12.00
$400,000
2009
Joel Parkinson (2)
Australia
17.40
Adam Robertson
Australia
13.37
$320,000
2008
Kelly Slater (3)
United States
15.63
Bede Durbidge
Australia
15.16
$320,000
2007
Taj Burrow
Australia
16.83
Andy Irons
Hawaii
14.73
$300,000
2006
Kelly Slater (2)
United States
15.44
Joel Parkinson
Australia
13.83
$280,000
2005
Trent Munro
Australia
16.57
Andy Irons
Hawaii
15.07
$270,000
2004
Joel Parkinson
Australia
17.13
Taj Burrow
Australia
14.04
$250,000
2003
Andy Irons (2)
Hawaii
17.57
Joel Parkinson
Australia
15.40
$250,000
2002
Andy Irons
Hawaii
24.45
Sunny Garcia
Hawaii
22.65
$250,000
2001
Mick Fanning
Australia
20.85
Danny Wills
Australia
19.15
$250,000
2000
Sunny Garcia (3)
Hawaii
23.05
Flavio Padaratz
Brazil
21.00
$135,600
1999
Shane Dorian
Hawaii
24.75
Sunny Garcia
Hawaii
23.65
$120,600
1998
Mark Occhilupo
Australia
24.25
Shane Dorian
Hawaii
19.80
$120,600
1997
Matt Hoy
Australia
26.50
Damien Hardman
Australia
21.80
$120,600
1996
Sunny Garcia (2)
Hawaii
30.80
Todd Prestage
Australia
29.15
$105,000
1995
Sunny Garcia
Hawaii
34.70
John Shimooka
Hawaii
33.00
$105,000
1994
Kelly Slater
United States
29.70
Martin Potter
Australia
28.30
$105,000
1993
Damien Hardman (2)
Australia
22.00
Barton Lynch
Australia
20.00
$100,000
1992
Richie Collins
United States
30.00
Martin Potter
United Kingdom
27.00
$100,000
1991
Barton Lynch
Australia
71.80
Damien Hardman
Australia
68.80
$125,000
1990
Tom Curren (2)
United States
111.3
Dave Macaulay
Australia
100.8
$92,500
1989
Martin Potter
United Kingdom
123.5
Damien Hardman
Australia
113.3
$66,500
1988
Damien Hardman
Australia
126.6
Tom Carroll
Australia
114.1
$42,000
1987
Nick Wood
Australia
3
Richard Marsh
Australia
2
$35,000
1986
Tom Carroll
Australia
5
Tom Curren
United States
0
$30,000
1985
Tom Curren
United States
2
Richard Cram
Australia
1
$25,000
1984
Cheyne Horan
Australia
2
Tom Carroll
Australia
0
$25,000
1983
Joe Engel
Australia
Wes Laine
United States
1982
Mark Richards (4)
Australia
Tom Carroll
Australia
$20,000
1981
Simon Anderson (3)
Australia
Cheyne Horan
Australia
$16,000
1980
Mark Richards (3)
Australia
Wayne Bartholomew
Australia
$15,100
1979
Mark Richards (2)
Australia
Wayne Bartholomew
Australia
$11,200
1978
Mark Richards
Australia
Wayne Bartholomew
Australia
$14,450
1977
Simon Anderson
Australia
Peter Drouyn
Australia
$9,500
1976
Jeff Hakman
Hawaii
Ian Cairns
Australia
$6,000
1975
Michael Peterson (3)
Australia
Shaun Tomson
South Africa
1974
Michael Peterson (2)
Australia
Peter Drouyn
Australia
1973
Michael Peterson
Australia
Midget Farrelly
Australia
1972
Terry Fitzgerald
Australia
Peter Drouyn
Australia
1971
Paul Neilsen
Australia
Peter Drouyn
Australia
1970
Nat Young (3)
Australia
Ted Spencer
Australia
1969
Ted Spencer (2)
Australia
Frank Latta
Australia
1968
Ted Spencer
Australia
Keith Paull
Australia
1967
Nat Young (2)
Australia
Peter Drouyn
Australia
1966
Nat Young
Australia
1965
Robert Conneely
Australia
Nat Young
Australia
1964
Mick Dooley
Australia
1963
Doug Andrew
Australia
1962
Glynn Ritchie
Australia
1961*
George "Ming" Smith
Australia
£1 ($2) Note: Smith won "wave of the day", not the actual final and the 1961 event was actually held in 1962.
Women
Year
Winner
Nation
Score
Runner-Up
Nation
Score
Prizemoney
2023
Tyler Wright (2)
Australia
16.00
Molly Picklum
Australia
12.00
$80,000
2022
Tyler Wright
Australia
16.93
Carissa Moore
Hawaii
10.57
$80,000
2021
Not held
-
-
-
-
-
2020
Not held
-
-
-
-
-
2019
Courtney Conlogue (3)
United States
15.83
Malia Manuel
Hawaii
14.84
$420,800
2018
Stephanie Gilmore (4)
Australia
14.17
Tatiana Weston-Webb
Hawaii
13.94
$298,900
2017
Courtney Conlogue (2)
United States
17.00
Stephanie Gilmore
Australia
16.33
$289,500
2016
Courtney Conlogue
United States
16.53 (9.03)
Sally Fitzgibbons
Australia
16.43 (8.33)
$275,500
2015
Carissa Moore (3)
Hawaii
14.00
Stephanie Gilmore
Australia
13.27
$262,500
2014
Carissa Moore (2)
Hawaii
15.73
Tyler Wright
Australia
14.10
$250,000
2013
Carissa Moore
Hawaii
11.00
Tyler Wright
Australia
6.94
$120,000
2012
Sally Fitzgibbons (2)
Australia
10.76
Stephanie Gilmore
Australia
10.33
$110,000
2011
Sally Fitzgibbons
Australia
16.77
Carissa Moore
Hawaii
15.40
$110,000
2010
Stephanie Gilmore (3)
Australia
14.67
Sofia Mulanovich
Peru
10.00
$100,000
2009
Silvana Lima
Brazil
17.34
Stephanie Gilmore
Australia
13.06
$90,000
2008
Stephanie Gilmore (2)
Australia
16.50
Sofia Mulanovich
Peru
16.17
$85,000
2007
Stephanie Gilmore
Australia
16.50
Sofia Mulanovich
Peru
11.93
$80,000
2006
Not held
-
-
-
-
-
2005
Sofia Mulanovich
Peru
15.83
Serena Brooke
Australia
11.83
$65,000
2004
Not held
-
-
-
-
-
2003
Not held
-
-
-
-
-
2002
Not held
-
-
-
-
-
2001
Neridah Falconer
Australia
-
-
-
-
2000
Megan Abubo
Hawaii
18.90
Rochelle Ballard
Hawaii
18.75
$30,000
1999
Layne Beachley (3)
Australia
21.25
Sandie Dryden
Australia
17.40
$30,000
1998
Layne Beachley (2)
Australia
24.50
Prue Jeffries
Australia
21.90
$30,000
1997
Lisa Andersen (4)
United States
26.00
Pam Burridge
Australia
23.65
$35,000
1996
Pauline Menczer (3)
Australia
22.30
Lisa Andersen
United States
22.25
$25,000
1995
Lisa Andersen (3)
United States
27.10
Pauline Menczer
Australia
26.30
$25,000
1994
Layne Beachley
Australia
20.67
Lisa Andersen
United States
13.16
$25,000
1993
Pauline Menczer (2)
Australia
19.7
Wendy Botha
Australia
16.3
$25,000
1992
Lisa Andersen (2)
United States
23.2
Neridah Falconer
Australia
22.6
$20,000
1991
Pauline Menczer
Australia
90.8
Michele Donoghoe
Australia
88.3
$20,000
1990
Lisa Andersen
United States
111.5
Kim Mearig
United States
98
$20,000
1989
Wendy Botha
Australia
120.8
Toni Sawyer
Australia
104.5
$15,000
1988
Kim Mearig (2)
United States
115.9
Freida Zamba
United States
113.5
$13,500
1987
Jodie Cooper
Australia
-
-
-
-
1986
Frieda Zamba (2)
United States
-
-
-
-
1985
Frieda Zamba
United States
-
-
-
-
1984
Kim Mearig
United States
-
-
-
-
1983
Helen Lambert
Australia
-
-
-
-
1982
Debbie Beacham
United States
-
-
-
-
1981
Linda Davoli
United States
-
-
-
-
1980
Margo Oberg (3)
United States
-
-
-
-
1979
Lynne Boyer
United States
-
-
-
-
1978
Margo Oberg (2)
United States
-
-
-
-
1977
Margo Oberg
United States
-
-
-
-
1976
Gail Couper (10)
Australia
-
-
-
-
1975
Gail Couper (9)
Australia
-
-
-
$200
1974
Gail Couper (8)
Australia
-
Judy Trim
Australia
-
-
1973
Not held
Australia
-
-
-
-
1972
Gail Couper (7)
Australia
-
-
-
-
1971
Gail Couper (6)
Australia
-
Judy Trim
Australia
-
-
1970
Gail Couper (5)
Australia
-
-
-
-
1969
Vivien Campbell
Australia
-
Phyllis O'Donnell
Australia
-
-
1968
Gail Couper (4)
Australia
-
Vivien Campbell
Australia
-
-
1967
Gail Couper (3)
Australia
-
-
-
-
1966
Gail Couper (2)
Australia
-
-
-
-
1965
Not held
-
-
-
-
-
1964
Gail Couper
Australia
-
-
-
-
1963
Not held
Australia
-
-
-
-
1962
Not held
Australia
-
-
-
-
[ 8]