The iconic Australian surf spot Bells Beach was the venue for the second contest on the Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour, and the top surfers from across the globe put on an awesome performance that did not disappoint. Despite the tricky conditions at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach 2015 event, organizers kept the heats going, with some of the world’s best dropping out early.
Slater Out in Round 5
One of the biggest upsets of the contest had to be Kelly Slater’s elimination in the fifth round. In a heat against the current world champion Gabriel Medina, it all came down to picking the wrong wave for Kelly, who had priority but couldn’t get the score he needed. His surfing throughout the event up to being knocked out was super smooth, just see how he rode one wave in this video:
https://youtu.be/h0XO17taXng?list=PLQ3-3sUOFLfFcdx5XxBBvmBOO2LjdN9M5
Carissa Moore Claims Bells Victory Three Times in a Row
Hawaiian Carissa Moore became the first female surfer to claim victory at the professional Bells Beach contest three times in a row. She managed to knock out Australian 6-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore in a super tight final, winning by just 0.73 of a point. Moore beat Gilmore in the last Championship Tour event final too, so she now sits firmly in 1st place with a 4,00 point lead on Gilmore. Check out the highlights from finals day next:
https://youtu.be/o4L6_lYvd8Q?list=PLQ3-3sUOFLfGH1ErgEhrbNLU-JaA9ZFWm
Fanning Wins to Lead the World Champ Race
Defending his Bells victory last year, Mick Fanning defeated Adriano De Souza to claim his fourth win at Bells Beach. Only Kelly Slater and Mark Richards have won at Bells four times, so a win next year would make Fanning the record holder. The final went down to a tie-break decision, the first time it has happened in the new World Surf League. Fanning’s win has now put him in the number one spot in the Samsung Galaxy World Tour rankings. Watch the highlights of the men’s action below:
https://youtu.be/hU8YFZ_Y_NQ?list=PLQ3-3sUOFLfFcdx5XxBBvmBOO2LjdN9M5
The Next Event
So now the tour moves on around the coastline of Australia, with the next event being held in Western Australia. The world’s best will take on the monster waves at Margaret River, and it could be a nail biter at a notoriously sharky area. Last year Slater took out a GoPro at The Box to show us what he sees while in the barrel, but he wasn’t the only one in the water. Keep a close eye at around 17 seconds and see if you think the man in the grey suit was passing him by on this wave.
https://youtu.be/PB64wbBVRG4