BELLS BEACH, Victoria/Australia (Friday, March 27, 2015) - The second stop on the 2015 Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, approaches as the world’s best surfers converge on one of the most iconic surfing venues in the world.
With a competitive window of April 1 - 12, 2015, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach will witness the world’s best male and female surfers battle the elements and adapt their approaches in hunting for waves, scores and the honor of ringing the coveted Bell over the coming two weeks.
Following a dramatic opening event on Australia’s Gold Coast earlier this month, the respective competitive fields of the world’s best surfers have been honing their equipment, bodies and techniques for the upcoming challenges of the Victorian coastline and the WSL promises to deliver more of the unparalleled adventure, competitive drama and athleticism of professional surfing once again at Bells Beach.
Filipe Toledo (BRA), current CT No. 1, has spent the brief break training in Indonesia and comes into the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach as a lauded frontrunner following his sensational maiden CT victory on the Gold Coast. The fleet-footed Brazilian faces Owen Wright (AUS) and compatriot Jadson Andre (BRA) in Round 1 of competition.
Carissa Moore (HAW), two-time world champion, is back in the yellow leader jersey following her own impressive showing on the Gold Coast. The defending Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach winner takes on Dimity Stoyle (AUS) and the winner of the local trials in the opening round of competition.
Mason Ho (HAW), newly-signed Rip Curl athlete and current No. 16 on the WSL QS rankings, has been allocated one of two wildcards into the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. The second will be decided via the local trials to be held on March 31.
Surfline, official forecasters for the World Surf League, are calling for:
Fun/mid size SW swell is lining up for the opening day of the event waiting period, Wednesday the 1st. Fading and smaller SW swell likely prevails for the end of the new week (Thur/Fri). Long range charts point to a relatively slow Easter Weekend, with some small SW swell possible, with potential for better SW swell around the 6th-7th.
Catch Toledo, Moore, Mick Fanning (AUS), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Kelly Slater (USA), Tyler Wright (AUS), Gabriel Medina (BRA), John John Florence (HAW) and the rest of the world’s best surfers as the take on the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach LIVE at WorldSurfLeague.com
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Heat 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Kai Otton (AUS), Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 3: Kelly Slater (USA), Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Ricardo Christie (NZL)
Heat 4: John John Florence (HAW), Italo Ferreira (BRA), C.J. Hobgood (USA)
Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS), Freddy Patacchia Jr. (HAW), TBD
Heat 6: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Matt Banting (AUS), TBD
Heat 7: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Keanu Asing (HAW)
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF), Nat Young (USA), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 9: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Glenn Hall (IRL)
Heat 10: Josh Kerr (AUS), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 11: Filipe Toledo (BRA), Owen Wright (AUS), Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 12: Julian Wilson (AUS), Kolohe Andino (USA), Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Malia Manuel (HAW), Bianca Buitendag (ZAF), Laura Enever (AUS)
Heat 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Silvana Lima (BRA), Nikki Van Dijk (AUS)
Heat 3: Carissa Moore (HAW), Dimity Stoyle (AUS), TBD
Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW), Alessa Quizon (HAW)
Heat 5: Tyler Wright (AUS), Johanne Defay (FRA), Sage Erickson (USA)
Heat 6: Lakey Peterson (USA), Courtney Conlogue (USA), Coco Ho (HAW)
