LET FRE EDOM RI N G 2014 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach The land of hope, dreams and rail turns
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PHOTO: COREY WILSON
DING-DONG
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EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief | TAYLOR PAUL Managing Editor | BEAU FLEMISTER Assistant Editor | ZANDER MORTON Photo Editor | PETER TARAS Associate Photo Editor | JIMMY WILSON Art Director | CHATO AGANZA Associate Art Director | NOA EMBERSON Online Editor | BRENDAN BUCKLEY
ALL PHOTOS Jimmicane
WORDS BY Brendan Buckley COVER PHOTO: BELLS BEACH
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S U B S C R I B E #6 ISSUE
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C H O O S E
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Y O U R “
KING ISLAND IN A DEATH TRAP WITH JACK FREESTONE & MITCH CREWS
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FEET
THE
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GOES,
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‘I CAN’T LAND THIS THING…’”
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TWENTY
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V I C E
KING ISLAND IN DEATH TRAP WITH FREESTONE & MIT [pg. 084]
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YEARS OF
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TITLE TRAINING IN EAST AFRICA + PATIENT ZERO: DION AGIUS' CONTAGIOUS STRAIN OF CREATIVITY [pg. 090]
R E F R E S H YO U R CO O K I E S
R E F R E S H YO U R CO O K I E S
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JO RDY’S
J O R DY ’S
TURN
T I T L E T R A I NDane Reynolds is Loaded, ING IN John John Florence is Done and Jordy
E A S T Smith A F R Iis...none? CA Biopics be damned; Jordy Smith has a 2014 world title in his sights. Training for a campaign. Africa.
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PHOTO: RYAN MILLER
TURN
PATIENT ZERO: DION AGIUS' CONTAGIOUS STRAIN OF CREATIVITY [pg. 090]
DIGITA L
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YO U A R E HER E # 3 R I P C U R L P R O B E LLS B EAC H
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BEFORE WE BEGIN... W H Y IS IT CAL L E D B E L LS ? We knew you were craving a history lesson. So, Bells Beach is named after some dude named John Calvert Bell. Farmer Johnny had a pastoral run at Bells back in the summer of sheep, 1840. A pastoral run is basically a permit to live and raise livestock on a plot of land, so John and the fam camped out at Bells where their livestock grazed so hard. Hard enough to name the wave after them.
AN D THEN W HAT ? Then surfing happened. Bells has reportedly been freesurfed since 1949, and competitively surfed since 1961 — making it the world’s longest running surf competition.
SO THAT’S WHY EV E RYB O DY KEEP S CA LLI NG I T ICO NIC? Yes. And because it’s the nice way of saying “old.”
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2014 RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH GOOD BY E, AU STR A L I A We saw a new champion at each of the three Australian events on the 2014 Men’s ASP World Championship Tour. The stint lasted a total of 53 days. There were kangaroos. There were meat pies. There were long, wild nights, awful nicknames, dangerous marine animals and every other Australian cliché you could think of. But after Bells, it was time to say goodbye to the land down under. Hey, speaking of Bells…
THE WAVES…
W I N KI P O P…
How iconic is too iconic? A consistently supple swell graced
Winkiwho? OK, Winkipop is Bells’ next-door neighbor. The
the bulk of the waiting period, which allowed us to see
two waves are separated by a few hundred meters of unin-
Bells’ true face. And boy, is she a fox. In the head-high con-
spired reef, picket fence not included. Winki is a better wave
ditions that we grew accustomed to, Bells offered a 2- to
than Bells, unless you’re riding a single fin in the 1960’s with-
3- turn wall on the outside, a midsection built for cutbacks
out a leash. It hosted the semifinals and the finals. She was
and a place to make a closing statement on the inside. A
a kind and fair host and for that, we thank her. But when we
morning low-tide helped things run smoothly, because
weren’t Winkipopping, we were on…
when it ain’t low tide, Bells ain’t Bells. It’s…
D RY LAN D … RIN CON…
The Aussies love their Easter holiday and many of them use
Not you, Santa Barbara. Rincon is Bells’ next-door neighbor.
the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach to help celebrate. The town
No, actually Rincon is Bells’ sibling. They share a bunk
of Torquay also happens to be a surf shop mecca, which
bed and both love it when mom cooks chicken nuggets.
for WCTers meant it was time to ink some autographs and
Rincon is a chunk of reef just up the point from Bells that
show face at some bro-brah parties. Other than that, life
loves high tide. Rincon lets you get away with a little bit
outside of the contest was rather mellow. Some people
more than proper Bells — a sectiony wall allowing for a few
drove the Great Ocean Road. Others surfed the nearby
turns, or airs, if you’re name is John, Julian or Taj. Fun! But,
beachbreaks. We heard that someone attended a footy
when it wasn’t Rincon it was…
match and one guy probably even made a Point Break reference.
DO YOU KNOW WHO’S GONNA WIN THE WORLD TITLE? Your guess is as good as Joe Turpel’s, but Gabriel Medina is
into Brazil. What he shouldn’t be happy about: Mick Fanning
still sitting in first place. He looks so comfortable all the way up and Joel Parkinson nipping at his heels. So, moving forward, there, and why wouldn’t he? Australia must be the most dif-
the question will be whether the veterans can snuff Gabriel’s
ficult leg of the tour for Gabe, yet he’s still waltzing away with
flame with a their intrepid-consistency or if Gabe can burn
two keeper results. He ought to be happy with that heading
them with his freakish ability. We’ll sure as hell be watching. 09
EARLY LET’S ROLL
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ROUNDS
1 -3
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BRIDESMAIDS Nat Young, 2nd place at the 2013 Rip Curl Pro Bells. Josh Kerr, 2nd place at the 2014 Drug Aware Pro Margaret River.
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Nobody turns like Jordy Smith does.
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Not even Jordy Smith, half the time.
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THE CASTLE It’s not a house, it’s a home.
VIP AREA Look at all those VIPs
COMPETITORS AREA Jordy Smith, Travis Logie, Tommy Whitaker, Miguel Pupo
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JUDGES (Hey! No peeking.)
SOLITARY
WEBCAST
BEACH ANNOUNCERS
Renato Hickel
Joe Turpel and Martin Potter
Ross Slavern and Chris Binns
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When Julian Wilson ditches his fins, do you think they get upset?
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“FLORENCE?...FLORENCE?”
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“HERE!”
Well, it’s about time John John showed up.
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DRESS CODE
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As the story goes, Adriano arrived at Bells Beach this year and immediately went for a swim with all his clothes on. Weird, we know. Here he is a few days later, dressed to the 9s — a 9.17 to be exact.
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ROUND 2, HEAT 3: GLENN HALL: 13.20 MICHEL BOUREZ: 9.34. Enough said. 024
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Owen Wright spins and Owen Wright wins...Round 3 anyway.
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Kelly Slater yells at children
Pillow talk with Gabriel Medina and Owen Wright 028
Nat Young and Kolohe Andino
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Mick Fanning is as Joel Parkinson does. Or something like that.
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...
LAY DAYS S IM P LE TI M ES I N T H E SU R F C OAST S H IRE
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Winkipop
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Filipe Toledo
Adriano de Souza
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BORED GAMES You think it’s an accident that the Hurley team has a near monopoly on the world tour?
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You know how great chess players think several moves ahead? Surfers do the same thing. Look at Owen Wright’s eyes — in his mind, he already kicked out.
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Ryan Miller, Steph Gilmore, Freddy P.
Nat Young and Brett Simpson.
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THE COOL KIDS TABLE
Ace Buchan, Joel Parkinson, Josh Kerr, John John Florence, Nat Young and Kolohe Andino weigh the pros and cons of letting Miguel Pupo sit with them. 041
The wave is flat. John John’s surfing is not.
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Joel Parkinson shows Mick Fanning the way.
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CJ Hobgood and Maurice Cole. 044
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If your shaper doesn’t grope you when you pick up a board, you’re not doing it right.
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Homeland Tax We’re sure Coco will be on the other side of the collection when Mick is in Hawaii come November.
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G I RLS P U T A R I N G ON IT.
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AL L
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Sally Fitzgibbons, on her way to a Semifinal finish.
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Coco Ho and Laura Enever
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Jack Freestone and Alana Blanchard
Sally Fitzgibbons
Laura Enever
Nikki Van Dijk
Carissa Moore
Courtney Conlogue
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Carissa Moore is so confident that the watch on her wrist just says “victory� on it.
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Rincon
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Rincon royalty: Coco Ho
Carissa Moore and Coco Ho
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Courtney Conlogue
MAKE IT RINGCON.
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As solemn as one could ever be while wearing those slippers (foot warmers).
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Tyler Wright can dance if she wants to.
Carissa can leave her cares behind. 062
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Tyler Wright (yellow), looking to improve on her 1-6 record verus Carissa Moore (pink).
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First, make it rain.
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Then, make it ring.
(Carissa Moore makes it two in a row.)
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4- S E M I S
LATE ROUNDS GO ON OR GO HOME.
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Taj Burrow 071
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Like wine, cheese and leather boots, Taj Burrow just gets better with age.
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OK, PERFECT!
John John Florence got the first 10-point ride of 2014 with this blast.
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JJF was hungry like the wolf. 077
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Here’s a photo of Kelly Slater doing a really big turn and one of him looking genuinely perplexed. Our flipbook staples, so to speak.
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Jarrad Howse and Jordy Smith
Laura Enever
Adam Robertson giving the ASP staff a history lesson 080
Check. Check. Check. Mick Fanning, giving Julian Wilson’s board a volume check the evening before their Semi final clash.
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WHY SO SHY?
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Jordy Smith caught this wave needing a 9.97 to beat Julian Wilson in their Round 5 heat. He got a 9.93, even though this was the bestsurfed wave of the event.
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In the Quarterfinals...
John John did an air.
John John won.
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Kelly Slater didn’t do an air.
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6.33
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Julian Wilson, lots to smile about. 087
You can predict Mick Fanning’s turn, but you can’t predict the weather.
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FIN VS TAJ BURROW
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NAL MICK FANNING
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Hint-hint. Wink-wink.
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Mick’s wave: 8.83.
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Taj’s Wave: 9.63.
Taj wins this battle.
But Mick wins the paddle battle.
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And now he’s back in the saddle.
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Taj Burrow, looking like he just got his bell rung.
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WCT R A NKI N GS STA N DI N GS A FT E R T H E 2 014 R I P C U RL P RO B E LLS B EAC H M EN ’ S 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 13 15 15 17 18
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G ab ri e l M e d i n a J o e l P a r k i n s on M ic k Fa n n i n g Kelly S l ate r Taj B u r row Adria n o D e S ou za J osh Ke r r M ic h e l B ou rez Nat You n g M ig u e l P u p o J ulia n Wi l s on J o rd y S m i t h J o h n J oh n F l ore n c e Bed e D u r b i d g e C . J. H ob g ood Owen Wr i g h t Fre dd y P ata cch i a J r. Adam M e l l i n g
WOME N’ S 19 19 21 21 21 21 21 26 26 26 26 26 26 32 33 33 33 36
Filipe Toledo Mitch C rews Kai O tton Sebastian Z ietz Adrian B uchan Kolohe A ndino J adson A ndre J eremy Flores Matt Wilk inson A ritz A ranburu Travis Logie D ion Atk inson Tiago Pires G lenn H all A lejo Muniz R aoni Monteiro B rett S impson Mitch C oleborn
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 10 12 13 13 13 13 17
Ca r issa Mo o re Ste p h a n ie Gilmo re Tyle r Wr ig h t Sa lly Fitzg ib b o n s Bia n c a Bu ite n d a g Ma lia Ma n u e l Co u rt n ey Co n lo g u e La key P ete rs o n Dimity Stoyle Co c o Ho La u ra En eve r P a ig e Ha re b P a u lin e Ad o Alessa Qu izo n Nikki Va n Dijk Jo h a n n e Defay Ala n a Bla n c h a rd
BIGGEST JUMPS
BIGGEST SLUMPS
John J o h n Fl o re n ce 10 places Mic k Fa n n i n g 8 places Julia n W i l s o n 6 places
F i lipe Toledo 5 p la c es M itch Crews 5 p la c es M ichel Bourez 4 p la c es
U P N EXT
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