The 2023 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach is done and dusted.
In all Australian finals on both sides of the draw, Ethan Ewing beat out Ryan Callinan (exactly 40 years after his mom won the same event), and Tyler Wright took home her second Bell over Molly Picklum. So now, let’s look back on all the excellent rides.
The WSL’s judging criteria deems an “excellent” ride in the 8.0 to 10-point range. And despite the somewhat lackluster conditions during the entirety of the Bells contest window this year, more than a few surfers locked in excellent scores.
Those who scored an 8.0 or above are as follows:
Ethan Ewing, Tyler Wright, Griffin Colapinto, Jackson Baker, John John Florence, Bettylou Sakura Johnson, Dylan Moffat, Samuel Pupo, Kanoa Igarashi, Molly Picklum, Caroline Marks, Sally Fitzgibbons, Stephanie Gilmore, Liam O’Brien, Ethan Ewing, Yago Dora, Connor O’Leary, Filipe Toledo, and Ryan Callinan.
After Bells, the competitors are headed to Western Australia and the Margaret River Pro – the final event before the dreaded mid-season cut. (Here’s a breakdown of everyone who is facing elimination.)
And regardless of the conditions this year, Bells Beach is still a surfing staple. In fact, this year they celebrated 60 years of competition, making it one of the longest running events in surfing history.
From the WSL press desk, here’s what they had to say about the event:
“Bells Beach means Australian surfing heritage. As one of the sport’s longest-running events, it’s an old-school test of power and rail-to-rail surfing for today’s progressive athletes. The deep history, combined with the pressure of the fast-approaching Mid-season Cut, makes getting a win and ringing ‘The Bell’ one of the great honors in the sport.”
On to the next; no sleep ‘til Margies.
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