Former rivals share Bells moment from the coach’s corner

TWO former sparring partners turned mentors are riding high after guiding their athletes to a dream result at the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach.

Bellbrae’s Cahill Bell-Warren led Hawaiian surfer Gabriela Bryan to her first ever win at Bells, while Jan Juc’s Tully Wylie guided Molly Picklum to her second runner-up finish at the event.

The close friends, who once pushed each other in the water, shared the moment from the coaches’ corner as their athletes met on opposite sides of the draw and ultimately in the final.

“It was hilarious,” Bell-Warren said. “We spoke to [Surfing Victoria chief executive and former surfer] Adam Robertson – a mentor for both of us – afterwards. He taught us the way of the world with Bells – now his students have guided the world number one and two.

“As soon as we saw the girls on different sides of the draw, we wanted a final matchup. There was a big build up and plenty banter.

“For it to happen and come to fruition is incredible. I’m so proud of what we both achieved and then to get the win.”

For Wylie, the result carried extra meaning after narrowly missing a spot in the main draw through the Victorian Trials.

“As much as it stung not surfing in the Rip Curl Pro this year, it was still a very special one,” he said in a post shared to social media.

“Thanks for trusting me Molly [Picklum]. That was heaps of fun.”

Bell-Warren first started working with Gabriela Bryan in 2017 at the Phillip Island Pro, with the pair maintaining contact over the years through mutual connections, including local surfer India Robinson.

“We’d worked together before, but this was the first time ever at Bells,” Bell-Warren said.

“To be honest, it was a strange one. On paper she should be excellent at Bells; her power is crazy.

“Her best result before this year was a quarter-final, so we just wanted to change her expectations and allow her to match her skills with the venue.

“The positioning in the lineup is something we specialise in, so it was on me to make the path to a score as easy and simple as possible.”

The win also marked a full-circle moment, with Bell-Warren having previously coached Carissa Moore to Bells victories in 2014 and 2015, an athlete Bryan had long admired.

“Carissa was who Gabby admired and looked up to, so to close that loop with Carissa now being back on tour was super touching,” Bell-Warren said.

Brazil’s Miguel Pupo claimed the men’s title – his second Championship Tour win – defeating reigning world champion Yago Dora in the final.