Holy Toledo: Filipe, Tyler Wright ring the bell after Pro wins

TWO-time world champion Tyler Wright has made it third time lucky at Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach after busting through the pain barrier to finally win the iconic World Surf League (WSL) event today (Sunday, April 17).

Wright lost the Bells Beach final to Carissa Moore in both 2013 and 2014.

But the 28-year-old Australian got her revenge on Sunday, beating Moore 16.93 to 10.57 in a dominant performance that featured rides of 8.93 and 8.00.

Wright was brimming with joy as she caught a wave in to celebrate the win, and she was chaired out of the ocean by her brothers Owen and Mikey Wright.

“Honestly this is a dream come true,” Wright told the WSL broadcast.

“There’s been so many times I wanted to give up on getting back to this sort of form. It’s taken all of me. It’s unbelievable.”

Just making it to the final was no easy feat for Wright.

The two-time world champion edged past three-time Bells winner Courtney Conlogue 14.23 to 13.90 in a tense semi-final showdown.

Wright trailed Conlogue with seven minutes remaining in the heat, needing a 7.01 ride to retake the lead.

The Australian produced the goods when it mattered most, attacking a wave with intensity to secure a 7.33.

But the effort required to claw her way back took its toll on Wright, who was left in pain and needed to take some time out after the heat to recuperate.

Wright missed half of 2018 and almost all of 2019 after being struck down by an illness that was later diagnosed as post-viral syndrome, and she is aware that pushing her body too hard can take its toll.

Wright thanked the people who supported her through her health challenges.

“I feel incredibly lucky for everyone that I have around me and also the people that have helped me work this hard to get back,” Wright said.

“It’s not easy to rebuild after two years out of the water. Building back takes a lot of patience and a lot of trust and rebuilding trust in myself to manage this sort of stuff again.”

Ethan Ewing’s hopes of emulating his mother by winning the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach have been cruelly denied as Brazilian Filipe Toledo knocked off two rising Australian stars to triumph.

Ewing soared into the final four after posting an impressive quarter-final win over Olympic bronze medallist Owen Wright on Saturday.

But his 35-minute semi-final against Toledo today was blighted by a lack of surfable waves.

Ewing’s first scoring wave didn’t come until there was just six minutes remaining – and it was too small to do any major damage.

And after Toledo had gone to the air in the early stages of the heat to post a 6.0 before following it up with a 4.73, Ewing needed a 7.30 on his second scoring wave to secure victory.

Ewing set off on just his second wave with 30 seconds remaining, but he crashed out on his first turn in an attempt to pull off something special.

The 23-year-old’s late mother Helen Lambert won the 1983 Bells Beach title, and Ethan was visibly devastated after losing to Toledo.

“I’m just super shattered after that one,” Ewing said.

“I felt like if a good wave came through, I would have been in a good position. But time ran out.

“I wish we went on hold. I know the heat before had a lot of waves, but looking back it’s pretty bad.”

Australian rookie Callum Robson secured a spot in the final after edging past countryman Jack Robinson 11.86 to 11.50 in a tight semi-final showdown.

But Toledo was a class above in the decider, going to the air on several occasions to win 14.74 to 12.94.

His first wave was the best of the lot, pulling off an alley-oop before finishing with a full ramp reverse.

Toledo, who marked his 27th birthday on Saturday by beating John John Florence in the quarter-finals, is now the new world No.1 heading into the Margaret River Pro.

“It’s the best feeling in the world. It’s the best birthday present ever,” Toledo said after winning Bells Beach for the first time.

“It’s always been a dream to win this event. So much history, so many special names on the stairs.”

Although Robson couldn’t come up trumps in the final, his performance moved him up to sixth in the world rankings, and ensured he has already done enough to survive the mid-season cut.

Ewing shot up to eighth, and he is also assured of making the cut when it’s made after the upcoming Margaret River Pro.

“I think I’ll take a lot of confidence away from my performance here,” Ewing told the WSL broadcast.

“I felt good. I felt like I had a lot more to give to be honest. I’ll keep working hard and look forward to Margs.”