Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach postponed

THE Rip Curl Pro will not run at Bells Beach over Easter, with the the World Surf League (WSL) this morning postponing or cancelling all events at all levels of competition through to the end of May in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

This includes the postponement of the other event in the Australian leg of the Championship Tour, at Margaret River, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards.

The Quiksilver Pro G-Land – scheduled to take place in a remote part of Indonesia in June – will either be canceled or moved to an area with more infrastructure.

In a video released today, WSL chief executive officer Erik Logan said the league had every intention of starting the 2020 Championship Tour season, and all of its tours, as soon as possible.

“We are already hard at work doing scenario planning for what a re-imagined 2020 tour might look like.

“I’m a fan, like you, and I want to see the world’s best surfers battle it out on the best waves in the world.  However, the WSL’s primary concern right now is for the health and safety for our athletes, fans and global employees.”

The WSL says June seems like the most likely time to start the 2020 season safely, based on the information the league is receiving from global experts and agencies about the pandemic.

“We are a truly global sport,” Logan said. “Moving tours and events between countries is challenging under the best of conditions. Under current circumstances, it’s just not possible, and will not be for some time to come. As a league that organises public gatherings, we are also extremely conscious of our social responsibility not to enable and accelerate the spread of the virus.”