Hells Belles - The Rip Curl Womens Pro 2013

HELLS BELLES History was made at the 2013 Rip Curl Women’s Pro presented by Ford. Ask anyone who witnessed the surfing performances of the ASP’s Top 17 at Bells, and they’ll tell you: it was the best collective display of women’s surfing they’ve ever seen. A new performance benchmark was reached at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro and, lucky for surfing fans, it’s only going to get better.

When the spray had cleared, it was Carissa Moore and Tyler Wright who had claimed their spots in the Final, a rematch of their Final in Margaret River a week earlier. Tyler Wright was the birthday girl who turned 19 over the Easter Weekend and was surfing with power and flair rarely seen in ASP women’s competition. But Carissa, the graceful former world champion determined to bounce back from a lackluster year in 2012, was on an unstoppable run.

In the end, it was Carissa who found the waves when she needed them and got to ring her first-ever Bell trophy. But the real winner was women’s surfing and all of us who got to watch the historic performances by the ladies who competed at the 2013 Rip Curl Women’s Pro. Carissa Moore celebrates her first-ever Bell trophy under a shower of champagne.

Credit: Leyshon

THE NUMBERS Psst... Wanna know a secret? The live webcast on “Ladies’ Day” at Bells (Saturday, March, 30) had more viewers than Round 2 of the men’s event the following day. It’s the first time in Rip Curl Pro history that the women have posted better numbers than the men. Ladies Day was also the highest rated program on FUEL TV Australia for the day.

A beautiful morning for women’s surfing at Bells Beach.

Credit: Dunbar

Credit: Warbrick

STEPH’S TAKE ON LADIES’ DAY “Today has proven something for the girls...

Not that we have to prove anything to anyone.”

Despite sustaining a small fracture in her left foot in Rd. 1, Stephanie Gilmore soldiered on and reached the quarters. Credit: Leyshon

NIKKI VAN DIJK, THE PRIDE OF VICTORIA There’s a girl from Phillip Island named Nikki van Dijk.

The 18-year-old is the current ASP Women’s World Junior Champion. Coming in as the women’s wildcard, Nikki had nothing to lose and everything to gain at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro. Making the trip to Torquay a couple of weeks early and spending time with former Rip Curl Pro runner-up and local legend Adam Robertson obviously rubbed off on Nikki, who blitzed through the early rounds of the Rip Curl Women’s Pro, winning the hearts and minds of all who witnessed her run.

Wildcard Nikki van Dijk turned heads, taking down Tyler Wright & Malia Manuel in Round 1.

Credit: Warbrick

Bianca Buitendag. Credit Warbrick

Courtney Conlogue. Credit Warbrick

Malia Manuel. Credit Warbrick

Lakey Peterson threw down some of the most impressive carves of the event. Credit Warbrick

WISH THEY ALL COULD BE CALIFORNIA GIRLS

Lakey Peterson didn’t pick up a surfboard until she was 12 years old. The Californian’s speedy trajectory from NSSA National Title holder to ASP Women’s World Title threat was obvious at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro 2013, as Lakey took a starring role in some of the greatest heats in living memory.

The lady from the Golden State disposed of back-to-back Bell ringer Sally Fitzgibbons, not once but twice, on her way to a semi-final match-up with Carissa Moore. In one of the most amazing heats in women’s ASP history, Lakey went blow for blow with the former world champ until the final seconds, falling just 0.17 points short of a finals berth.

Sally Fitzgibbons looked like she might ring her third consecutive Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bell trophy, but came up just short to Lakey Peterson in the quarters credit Leyshon.

CALIFORNIA GIRLS

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Sage Erickson surfed stylishly in the opening rounds. Her performance, along with semi-finalists Courtney Conlogue and Lakey Peterson, established the California girls as a force on the Tour.

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At the Rip Curl Women’s Pro, Tyler Wright continued her incredible run in 2013 with a third consecutive ASP Women’s WCT finals appearance. Credit: Dunbar

BIRTHDAY GIRL Winning ASP events as a teenager, check. Pulling into huge barrels at P-Pass, check. Nailing her first cover shot, check. Tyler Wright is ticking boxes.

The Lennox Head local has been on a tear this year, and carried her form from the Gold Coast & Margaret River into Bells with a fairytale run to the Finals of the Rip Curl Women’s Pro. Celebrating her 19th birthday on Easter Sunday, Tyler was taken by surprise as she was presented with chocolate cake during a live post-heat interview. “I love chocolate!” exclaimed an overjoyed Tyler, who was also presented with her P-Pass cover shot framed in all its glory. Is this the year for the girl they call “Tyler the Creator?” Stay tuned...

ONE LOVE...

Credit: Dunbar

RESPECT

To the best of our knowledge, Aretha Franklin never visited Bells Beach. But she would have been stoked on the performance of Alana Blanchard. Alana is finally getting some R-E-S-P-E-C-T for her surfing. It used to be that the only shot you’d see of Alana in the surf mags was of a teeny-bikini bottom turn.

But everyone on hand at the 2013 Rip Curl Women’s Pro, from the commentators to the surfers to the guys in the parking lot, all agreed: Alana rips.

Alana Blanchard was ripping as she took down Stephanie Gilmore in Round 1.

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Sally Fitzgibbons. Credit Robertson

Rebecca Woods. Credit Danbar

Sofia Mulanovich.Credit Dunbar

Silvana Lima is back. Credit: Leyshon

SILVANA LIMA Silvana Lima barely surfed last year. Recovering from a severe knee injury kept her sidelined for much of the 2012 ASP Women’s Tour. That was all behind her at the 2013 Rip Curl Women’s Pro. Silvana showed no signs of cobwebs, blowing her competitors out of the water in the early rounds. Surfing with the flair we know, Lima was one of the standouts of “Ladies Day.”

Coco Ho. Credit Warbrick

Paige Hareb. Credit Kirstin

Pauline Ado. Credit Robertson.

Laura Enever. Credit Robertson

Carissa Moore laid down one of the most iconic turns in women’s surfing history at the 2013 Rip Curl Women’s Pro. Credit: Dunbar

THE SMILING ASSASSIN

We don’t think anyone has said a bad word about Carissa Moore. In fact, we dare someone to say a bad word about Carissa. The young Hawaiian even goes by the nickname “The Smiling Assassin.” You could see Carissa bobbing in the lineup at dawn, paddling out in the pitch dark, only to be illuminated by her fluorescent wetsuit and recognizable by her powerful hacks and buttery flow.

The Hawaiian proved her class as she went blow for blow with Lakey Peterson in a vicious semi-final battle that had all the hallmarks of one of the greatest battles in competitive surfing history. But when the final hooter blew, Carissa’s golden smile had returned and she was praising her competitor in a post-heat interview that reminded us all why this Hawaiian former world champ is truly in a class all her own.

AND THEN THERE WERE TWO...

2013 Rip Curl Women’s Pro finalists: Tyler Wright (left) and Carissa Moore (right). Credit: Leyshon

FAREWELL Thanks to the world’s best for putting on a groundbreaking performance at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro this year.

Best of luck in New Zealand.

We’ll see you next year at Bells Beach!

Credit Dunbar