THE world\u2019s best surfers descended on Bells Beach in force as the Rip Curl Pro opened its competition window this week.<\/p>\n
Surf was non-existent at the WSL Championship Tour event\u2019s official launch, featuring a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony, but organisers say the forecast is improving every day and the swell is predicted to hit from Thursday onwards.<\/p>\n
Reigning Bells winners Stephanie Gilmore and Italo Ferreira were among the stars to make an appearance on Tuesday, alongside four-time winner Kelly Slater, three-time winner Carissa Moore, Owen Wright, Nikki van Dijk and Caroline Marks (who won the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast in Queensland last week).<\/p>\n
Ferreria, who also had a first-up win last week, said he was coming into this year\u2019s Rip Cur Pro with \u201ca little bit more pressure\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m the first one on the rank, but it\u2019s good for me, I think \u2013 I need to change this pressure into energy and put it into the heats and every single wave and try to ring the bell again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Van Dijk said she had been training intensely over the off-season with her new coach, Richard \u201cDog\u201d Marsh, and was keen to get into the water at Bells.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had an interesting background here. I\u2019ve grown up at Phillip Island and have been really close to this place, which my results haven\u2019t shown. I\u2019ve had three really close years\u2026 every year I kind of make the quarters but I\u2019m really looking forward to doing my very best out here and hopefully doing a lot better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of his wins, Slater said his 2006 victory over Joel Parkinson was his favourite.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was big and perfect that whole week. That was a year we didn\u2019t have to fight for conditions; it was just good and the tides were low throughout the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Local surfing fans will have something to cheer for, with Torquay\u2019s Harry Mann winning the Trials event and claiming one of the two men\u2019s wildcard entries into the Rip Curl Pro.<\/p>\n
This has been a childhood dream of mine since I was a kid on the beach watching Kelly Slater ring the bell,\u201d Mann said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got second back in 2014 and never thought I was going to get in after that, so it\u2019s such a relief to get it done and make the main round.\u201d<\/p>\n
Western Australia\u2019s Jacob Wilcox secured the second men\u2019s wildcard, while Queenslander Kobie Enright won the women\u2019s wildcard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE world\u2019s best surfers descended on Bells Beach in force as the Rip Curl Pro opened its competition window this week. Surf was non-existent at the WSL Championship Tour event\u2019s official launch, featuring a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony, but organisers say the forecast is improving every day and the swell is predicted to […]<\/p>\n