Rip Curl Pro

The Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach is Australia’s longest running and most prestigious professional surfing event. It is the second of 12 Foster’s ASP Men’s World Championship Tour (WCT) events scheduled in 2009 and one of the favourite stops for many of the globetrotting pros.

The Rip Curl Pro is one of six Victorian Government-designated Hallmark International Sporting Events held in this state each year – an honour it shares with the Melbourne Formula 1, Phillip Island Moto GP, Australian Tennis Open, Melbourne Cup and the AFL Grand Final. Bells Beach is Australia’s most iconic surf spot.

It was the birthplace of Rip Curl and one of our country’s most popular tourist destinations. It’s a high performance right-hand reef break that tests even the most experienced surfer.

Although Kelly Slater is a two-time winner, he rates Bells as one of the hardest waves in the world to master. Bells boasts two unique sections that break over two different reefs - ‘Rincon’ and ‘The Bowl’.

The Bowl works on big Southern Ocean swells, serving up powerful walls for carves and steep turns. It’ll hold up to 15ft and is the ideal spot for a classic Bells Beach heat.

When the surf is small, the waves are best at Rincon. Look out for the Virgin Air show and Foster’s Expression Session when conditions are like this, because the pros will be boosting airs and reinventing moves for multiple cash prizes.