What Bells lacks in progression, it makes up for in historical significance.
And so, the world’s best surfers descended upon the world’s longest-running surf contest for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach finale on Wednesday, making the most of wind-slopped, head-high conditions, and closing it out with bang on both sides of the draw.
Who doesn’t want a Bell on their trophy mantle?
On the women’s side, young Caity Simmers took on Tour veteran Johanne Defay. And the longtime CT surfer from France had a stranglehold on the heat until the dying seconds. But then Caity, needing a single score, took off on a wave just before the horn blew. She cracked the lip with a go-for-broke opening turn, probably the hack of the event.
It was more than enough; Simmers locked in her second win of the season so far, and etched her name in the history books as the youngest woman ever to win Bells.
“I was just thinking on my last wave, ‘This could be it,'” said Simmers. “In this sport, you always have to believe in yourself because that stuff happens. I still don’t believe it, and it doesn’t feel real. At this high of a level, you have to figure out ways to have an edge. There’s so much for me to think about, and it feels amazing to get the win. This wave is really difficult to work out, so it feels awesome. Yeah, wow, No. 1 in the world sounds great.”
As for the men, the final was equally exciting (at least in the final five minutes) coming down to the wire. Two surfers from San Clemente, CA – Griffin Colapinto and Cole Houshmand – went head-to-head on the Bells Bowl. Tour rookie Cole Houshmand held onto the lead for the majority of the exchange, representing the goofyfooters as the only right-foot-forward surfer on both sides of the final draw.
And Houshmand put the nail in the coffin with a final wave, and under a minute left – searing backhand surfing to fend off the world #1, and lock in his first win on the CT.
“I’m speechless, and this is unreal,” said Houshmand. “I honestly don’t think it’s gonna sink in for a while. I’ve been visualizing this every day for the last two weeks, ringing that Bell, and I guess it works. I’m excited for the whole year. My biggest goal was to make it to Fiji as a Rookie, and now I have my sights set on a bigger goal. The Cut is out of my vision and there are bigger things for me to achieve now. The year really starts now. I told Griffin, ‘This is what we’ve dreamed of since we were kids competing,’ and I really wanted to enjoy it. It’s not often you get a Final with your best friend and mentor, but then again, there’s no one I want to beat more and no one I’d rather lose to. This is probably the best day of my life.”
Next stop: the Western Australia Margaret River Pro, coming April 11th-21st.
***
Don’t miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We’re always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels.
Whether you’re a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos.