Australian and American Colapinto shine at Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach as World Tour celebrates its 50th year.
Reigning world champion Molly Picklum opened the defence of her title with second place on Saturday at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach event as the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) celebrates its 50th year with the 2026 edition. Here is all you need to know:
– The largest ever field of world champions lined up in Australia to launch the 2026 season with competitive surfing’s longest-running event hosting the season opener for the first time in 25 years.
– The iconic Bells Bowl saw 10 returning World Champions – the most to feature in a single season in the CT’s 50-year history – take to the water including the likes of Australian Picklum, 2024 World Champion Caity Simmers (USA) and 2023 World Champion Caroline Marks (USA).
– On the men’s side, 2019 World Champion Ătalo Ferreira (BRA) suited up as well as Olympic champion Kauli Vaast (FRA), and Olympic silver medalists Jack Robinson (AUS) and Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) with a combined men’s and women’s 12-stop global tour across the season plus an increased women’s field (24 up from 18).
– Picklum and Simmers both made it through to the quarter-finals after Marks, Canadian Erin Brooks and the returning Carissa Moore got knocked out in Round Two, Australian Isabella Nichols ending Simmers’ challenge in the last eight as Picklum beat Lakey Peterson (USA) and then Nichols to make the final.
– Her Hawaiian opponent Gabriela Bryan had already posted some of the highest single waves and heat totals in every round, and she took the best waves of the first two sets in the final to earn an early advantage then smashed a huge carve into a fins-free closeout hit to post a 14.83 two-wave total.
– Picklum struggled to find the waves she wanted and could only muster a score of 8.33 in return, leaving Bryan to win her fifth CT event with her fifth straight head-to-head defeat of the Australian. Picklum now heads to the next Western Australia Margaret River Pro event ranked second in the world, though.
– Bryan, 24, said: “Molly is an incredible surfer and person. We hung out in Kauaâi in the off season, and she just pushes us all so much, so it was cool to share a Final with her.”
– The men’s action this week saw American Griffin Colapinto, Igarashi and Italian Leonardo Fioravanti all make the last eight, only for the latter two to get knocked out. Colapinto’s charge came to an end in the semi-finals to Brazilian Miguel Pupo, who then defeated compatriot Yago Dora in a high-scoring final 15.60 to 13.90.
– It was a first win at the location for Pupo too in the semi-clean four-to-five foot swell at Winkipop that capped off a thrilling week. He said: “I was dreaming about this moment. So much hard work, age 34, 14 seasons. If you were to tell me I would be number one in the world today, I would probably laugh at you.”
