A compelling start to the season in Hawaii was followed up by an event which saw Supertubos provide some of the most super of tubes we’ve seen in recent times, and the near-month long hiatus which has ensued has provided the surfing world with a chance to catch its collective breath after a hectic few weeks. The tour is set to return with a bang, however, when we head to Torquay for the first Rip Curl Pro at Bells since 2019. This is arguably the most iconic event on the schedule, and for many pro surfers, ringing the famous bell upon securing victory there is among the top items on their bucket list. With the first ever mid-season cut set to take place after just two more events, this year’s edition of the Rip Curl Pro at Bells is more important than ever, so let’s take a look at how the men’s version of the event is shaping up.
The Favourites
It’s been a topsy turvy start to the season for John John Florence, but with his health seemingly intact and Medina out of the picture, he is the deserved favourite for both the world title, and this event. By his own admission, Florence was disappointing in Hawaii. He finished 5th at Pipeline – below expectations at his home break, which he surfs as well as anyone in history – and 17th at Sunset Beach, but a semi-final appearance at Supertubos marked something of a return to form. He won at Bells back in 2019, which, given that it has been off the tour for the past couple of years, means that he is technically the reigning champion, and he also has a couple of other semi-final appearances here. Clearly he surfs the wave well, as he does most in the world, and will take some beating over the next week or two.
One of his biggest threats is the man who he beat in that 2019 event’s final in Filipe Toledo. The speedy Brazilian is not really suited to Pipeline and never looked likely to excel in the heaving conditions at Sunset either, but he impressed at Supertubos, making it through to the final and jumping up to third place in the world in the process. He is at his best in small-medium conditions with long walls, and that’s likely what he’ll get here. Bells can turn on and get very solid on its day, but it’s not the kind of heavy, dumping size that typically causes Toledo problems. There will probably be a decent swell at some point during the event window, but if it stays on the smaller side he might be the favourite courtesy of his ability to manufacture scores out of average waves. Regardless of the conditions, however, he deserves to be considered among the top hopes.
Toledo’s compatriot, Italo Ferreira rounds out the list of favourites for the Rip Curl Pro. Like Florence, he has won here in the past, his victory a memorable defeat of Mick Fanning in an event which marked the retirement of the Aussie legend. Incidentally, Fanning will return as a wildcard for this event in what is a major coup for the event, but this time around Ferreira is much more likely to advance deep into the contest than the man whose career he ended four years ago. Like both Toledo and Florence, Ferreira didn’t start the season as he would have liked in Hawaii, but he did come into some form at Supertubos and managed to secure a third place there. He’s made it through to at least the quarter-finals each of the last three times he’s competed at Bells, and it would be a surprise to see him fail to repeat that dose this time around.
The Next Tier
Kanoa Igarashi is getting increasingly close to deserving a spot among the aforementioned names heading into most events. He has improved each and every year of his career and this season appears no different, with finishes of 5th, 2nd and 5th in the opening three events enough to have him sitting atop the world rankings. He will subsequently wear the yellow jersey at Bells Beach, a break at which he hasn’t enjoyed a great deal of success so far in his career. In four attempts there, he’s finished 9th on three occasions and 25th once, but given the way he’s surfed so far this year it’s hard to imagine him not doing better than that this time around.
At 34 years of age, Jordy Smith’s hopes of ever securing a world title might be getting slimmer, but nonetheless he is still consistently making it through the early rounds of most events. Finishes of 9th, 9th and 5th so far this season, however, have placed some question marks around his ability to advance deep into these contests. Despite that, there is still some cause for optimism for him heading into the Rip Curl Pro. He’s a former winner here, having taken out the event in 2017, and his home break of Jeffrey’s Bay – where he’s won twice – bears plenty of similarities to Bells Beach. If ever he’s going to buck the trend of quarter-final and Round of 16 defeats, this is one place where he’s likely to do it.
Griffin Colapinto finally broke through for a maiden Championship Tour win at Supertubos, getting a significant monkey off his young back in the process. The win followed consecutive 17th place finishes to start the season, and saw him catapult from 27th – and well below the mid-season cut line – to 7th, just outside the top five. At 23 years of age he still has plenty of improvement left in him and consistency is evidently still something of an issue, but the talent which took him to a 6th place finish in last year’s world rankings is undeniable. He might be just as likely to bomb out in the opening round as he is to win this, but if he can continue the momentum he created in Portugal then he is a definite threat at Bells.
The Roughie
Is it fanciful to consider the prospect of Mick Fanning returning to the tour for a one-off appearance and taking out the whole thing? Probably, but we can dream. The three-time world champ was for a long time a force at Bells, ringing that famous bell on four occasions. He first won way back in 2001, before taking it out three times in four seasons between 2012 and 2015. As mentioned, he also made it through to the final as recently as 2018, when he lost to Italo Ferreira, so there’s no doubt the form is there. The main concern surrounding him will obviously relate to his preparation; while his competitors have been plying their trade at the top level, he’s been doing his own thing for four years now and is well and truly out of practice in competition. Regardless, the 40-year-old knows what it takes to win at Bells and will have plenty of supporters in the crowd, and the deeper he advances into the contest the stronger that support will get.
Our Tip
After three long years, the Rip Curl Pro at Bells is finally back on the calendar, and with the mid-season cut just a couple of events away there is plenty on the line at the 2022 edition. Names like Conner Coffin, Jack Robinson and Morgan Cibilic have plenty of work to do to ensure that they advance through to the second half of the season, while at the other end of the rankings there are plenty of big names jostling for spots in the top five. Of those, Florence is the one who looks most ready to launch, both figuratively and literally. He currently sits in 8th after an indifferent start to the season, but having recaptured some of his best form at Supertubos, he can make it two wins in as many contests at Bells Beach.
