Beyond Boarders

Joel Parkinson (AUS), continued his winning start to the 2009 season, claiming the 2009 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach by defeating local surfer Adam Robertson (AUS), trials winner and event wildcard, in pumping 2m (6ft) waves at Bells Beach, Australia.

This was the second stop on the 2009 ASP World Tour and capacity crowds turned out to watch a historic final. The next stop on the 2009 ASP World Tour will be the Billabong Pro Teahupoo from May 9 ? 20, 2009.

Labels: 2009, ASP World Tour, Australia, Bells Beach, Joel Parkinson

This year is whipping though at an incredible pace and the first two events of both the men's and women's tours are already done and dusted.
In event one for the girls, the 2008 Roxy Pro Gold Coast, last year's world runner-up Sofia Mulanovich (PER) beat Samantha Cornish (AUS) at Australia's Snapper Rocks. However, just a few days late, in the final of the Rip Curl Women's Pro at Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia, reigning ASP Women's World Champion, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) came from behind with five minutes remaining to defeat Sofia, claiming her second consecutive Rip Curl Women's Pro title and jumping from 9th to 2nd in the tour ratings. A mere 600 points behind leader Sofia Mulanovich.

The 2008 ASP Women's World Tour now takes a breather until July, when the top 17 female surfers will do battle again in Brazil.

The guy's tour opened in sensational style with eight-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) beating reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS) at his home break of Snapper Rocks. This put Kelly in the number one slot of the ratings for the first time since claiming his last ASP World Crown in 2006. Proving that the win was not a fluke, he then proceeded to take the Rip Curl Pro at Bells beach. Launching a huge air, he earned a last minute score and beat Bede Durbidge (AUS) in the final. 36-year old Slater, has now claimed his 36th event win and rung surfing's bell for the third time but even more significantly, has cemented his position as the world's number one surfer.
The next event on the men's ASP World Tour will take place in Teahupoo, Tahiti from May 8-18, 2008.

Labels: 2008, ASP World Tour, Australia, Bells Beach, Kelly Slater, men's, Snapper Rocks, Sofia Mulanovich, women's

In an epic Bells Beach final for the 2007 Rip Curl Pro, Taj Burrow (AUS) snatched victory from Andy Irons (HAW) with just 90 seconds left on the clock, producing one of the surfing displays of the tournament. The result takes him to joint number one in the world rankings with fellow Australian and long time friend, Mick Fanning.

Labels: ASP World Tour, Australia, Bells Beach, surfing, Taj Burrow

ASP Women?s World Tour Rookie Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) is on top of the world after winning the Rip Curl Women's Pro and her first victory as an elite tour surfer at Bells Beach today.
She was in red hot form, trouncing the defending Rip Curl Pro and 2004 World Champion Sofia Mulanovich (PER) in the final, which has catapulted her to equal World No. 1 with 2005 World Champion Chelsea Hedges (AUS).
Steph trailed Sofia for the first half of the final, but left the Peruvian needing a perfect 10.00 after posting the highest wave score of the entire event, a 9.33, with six minutes to go.






















Mulanovich, moves from equal 17th to World No. 3 with her second place finish. Gilmore, who won two ASP Women?s World Tour events as a wildcard before qualifying for the 2007 elite tour, is determined to earn a world title in her first year on the tour.






The ladies now have some free time and do not surf another ASP Women?s World Tour event until August when they head for Brazil. Meanwhile, the Men's Rip Curl Pro continues at Bells.

Labels: ASP World Tour, Bells Beach, Rip Curl Women's Pro, Stephanie Gilmore

The Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, Australia starts the waiting period tomorrow, Tuesday, April 3 and stretches until April 13, 2007. This will be stop 2 on the Foster's ASP Men's world tour and also stop 2 of the ASP Women's World Tour, the Rip Curl Women's Pro Bells Beach, which will run in tandem with it.

Men's ASP World Champion, Kelly Slater (USA) has not won an elite tour event since winning the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach last year. Slater beat former Rip Curl Pro champion Joel Parkinson (AUS) in the 2006 event final to tie Tom Curren (USA) for the most elite tour events won by single surfer; both Curren and Slater have 33 event titles to their credit.

This year is the 35th anniversary of the Rip Curl Pro and Tom Curren and a number of other great surfers will be there for the anniversary celebrations, so Kelly Slater reckons that clocking up a 34th event title at Bells this year and beating Tom would be something really special.

Labels: ASP World Tour, Australia, Bells Beach, Kelly Slater, surfing, Tom Curren