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The soul of Rip Curl surf culture
April 30, 2025
Innovations
4 min read
Each year, Bells Beach echoes with the rhythm of swell and the spirit of competition – and Rip Curl has been there since 1973.
First staged in 1962, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach is a World Tour event held on Victoria’s Surf Coast. “It’s the longest-running professional surfing event on the planet,” says James Taylor, Rip Curl’s Group Creative Director. “Bells started before neoprene wetsuits – when competitors wore woollen football jumpers.”
“We call it the gathering of the tribe. It’s a pilgrimage to the epicentre of surf culture.”
Woollen jumpers and wild swells
The first Bells competition was a far cry from today's polished spectacle. Bells’ swells start in Antarctica and Rip Curl didn’t begin making wetsuits to brave the icy waters until 1969.
By the time Rip Curl became title sponsor in 1973, the event was still low key. Surfers competed for cash prizes that barely covered petrol, and certainly not airfares. But that year’s contest, won by the legendary Michael Peterson, set the scene for what the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach is today.
The gathering of the tribe
“When the Southern Ocean kicks up 10-foot swells, there is nothing like it,” James says.
In April 2025, Australians Jack Robinson and Isabella Nichols were crowned Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach champions in front of a home crowd.
Conditions in 2025 ranged from playful to punishing, and both winners rose to meet the moment.
For Isabella Nichols, who has been coming to Bells since she was 15, the win was deeply personal. “To be carried up the stairs by my dad, with most of my family and friends here… this is the best day of my life.” For Jack Robinson, victory was fuelled by family and fire: “It’s a special day.”
More than a contest
Bells is more than a trophy or a tour stop – and Rip Curl’s sponsorship is embedded in the brand’s DNA, James says.
“Behind the scenes, building a regional event like Rip Curl Pro is a massive commitment. But it aligns with our principles: preserving and protecting our environment and caring for our communities.”
The event brings tourists, hospitality, and economic opportunity to Victoria’s Surf Coast. It also brings a sense of belonging. “At Rip Curl, we understand what Bells means to the surfing community and our customers, because we are the customer. We’re out there too.”
And when the ocean delivers ten-foot walls and a thundering arena of locals and legends, there’s nowhere else the tribe would rather be.
