Latest news with #ripcurl
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aussies Wright and Nichols into semis at Bells Beach
Two-time world champion Tyler Wright will take on resurgent Isabella Nichols in an all-Australian women's semi-final in the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach. Wright edged past Bettylou Sakura Johnson in the last of four women's quarter-finals on Saturday. The Hawaiian young gun had the highest-scoring single wave of the heat, a 7.73-pointer, but 31-year-old Wright advanced 14.00-13.20. Sakura Johnson won a paddle battle midway through the contest, but it was the Australian who eventually emerged triumphant, grabbing the decisive wave when the Hawaiian had priority. "Honestly that stuff is just entertaining, it's so fun," said Wright, who leapt off the jetski to set up the paddle battle in an attempt to grab priority. "It's not fun to be on the losing side of it, but it's one of those ones where she rolled the dice and I rolled mine and that's what it came out to be. "I fell on one (wave) that was probably going to legitimately put me up. "It's really tricky out there ... and I'm so happy with my competitive mentality in that heat." Wright is the only one of the four women's semi-finalists to have previously rung the famous bell, having won the Rip Curl Pro in 2022 and 2023. After spending last year on the Challenger Tour, Nichols has returned to the big time with a vengeance. That's one way to secure your finals day ticket! 🎟️Isabella's headed to the Semifinals at the #RipCurlProBellsBeach.@ripcurl @originalbonsoy @visitmelbourne — World Surf League (@wsl) April 26, 2025 She made the final of the most recent event in El Salvador and is now just two wins away from what would be a maiden triumph at the iconic Victorian venue. "I've been coming here since I was 15," said 27-year-old Nichols after downing Hawaiian Gabriela Bryan 15.94-10.67. "I just love this place so much. "It's pretty hard to tell what a good wave is going to be out there. "Someone told me right before I was going down the stairs to trust your gut. "I let a bunch of waves go and it was 'oh man, that could have been a back-up score or something', but I just waited and waited and I managed to find two pretty beautiful waves." Nichols' recent run of good results have come on a trusty old board she took back out of the cupboard a couple of years ago. "It has just been something that I can trust," she said. "I know that as soon as the waves get over three feet that if I'm activated and on my back foot that I've got it, no matter what." Sally Fitzgibbons was just pipped by Costa Rican Brisa Hennessy in a high-scoring quarter-final, with the veteran Australian going down 15.40-15.17. Hennessy clinched the win with a brilliant late ride, which the judges rewarded with 9.40 points - the highest-scoring wave of the women's event to date. The men's quarter-finals were being surfed later on Saturday, with both titles to be decided on Sunday.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ewing stars in Bells surf as Huxtable shocks world No.1
Ethan Ewing has powered into the quarter-finals at Bells Beach with the highest heat score so far among the men or women at the Rip Curl Pro. Ewing, the only Australian surfer in the men's field who has won Bells before, shone on Anzac Day with his round-of-16 victory. Compatriot Xavier Huxtable started a pulsating day of competition with a massive upset, knocking out world No.1 Italo Ferreira. Then Ewing had 9.33 and 9.43 scores on Friday afternoon to post 18.76 in his win over Australian-born Connor O'Leary (13.34), now surfing for Japan. In the same way that compatriot Tyler Wright looks well-placed heading into the women's quarters, Ewing is boasting strong form while key rivals are being dispatched. American world No.1 Caitlin Simmers, also the defending champion at Bells Beach, and Australian world No.3 Molly Picklum were shock losers on Thursday in the women's round of 16. "I've had some shockers out here with consistency and not catching too many waves, so it feels good to have the Bowl give me one back," Ewing said. "That was super fun. "It just feels good to be in rhythm out here." Huxtable's joy at taking down Ferreira was short-lived, with Griffin Colapinto convincingly beating him 12.90 to 3.00 in the round of 16. But the local underdog, who gained entry to the Rip Curl Pro by winning the local trials event, pumped up the crowd with his triumph over the Brazilian ace. massive moment as Xavier takes the win over world number 1 🤯📺 Men's Round of 32 is LIVE.#RipCurlProBellsBeach @ripcurl @originalbonsoy @melbourne — World Surf League (@wsl) April 25, 2025 "I got to the end of it and looked up, the whole stand, all my family and friends, everyone, was up there just screaming - going 'C'mon'," Huxtable said. "It got me so excited. It's a feeling that's pretty-much impossible to replicate." Ferreira had beaten Huxtable to win their opening-round heat. The third surfer involved, Moroccan Ramzi Boukhiam, dramatically suffered a freak knee injury and was forced out of the event. Organisers had hoped to finish the men's round of 16 on Friday but three heats remained - including Australian Jack Robinson against Brazilian Filipe Toledo. View this post on Instagram A post shared by World Surf League (@wsl) Ewing will face in-form Japanese Olympic silver medallist Kanoa Igarashi in the last eight. The winner will take on either South African Jordy Smith or Australian Morgan Cibilic in the semi-finals. Cibilic, like Huxtable a wildcard entry for the Rip Curl Pro, also scored a major upset to reach the quarters when he dispatched Italian world No.6 Leonardo Fioravanti. Smith won the last round in El Salvador, his first tour victory since taking out Bells Beach eight years ago. Before Ewing's masterclass, American Jake Marshall also had shone on Friday with his 18.33 to beat Joao Chianca in their top-quality round of 32 heat. Organisers waited two hours on Friday morning before resuming competition in four to six-foot conditions, with the event window ending on Monday.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fitzgibbons stuns Simmers in another Bells Beach upset
Australian surfing star Sally Fitzgibbons has knocked world No.1 Caitlin Simmers out of the Rip Curl Pro in another Bells Beach boilover. Thursday morning's round-of-16 heats opened with top Australian Molly Picklum also suffering a shock loss to Brazilian world junior champion Luana Silva. Fitzgibbons has reached her first WSL quarter-final in a year, beating Simmers 12.73 to 10.10. But Picklum's bid for an elusive Bells Beach title has been foiled again, as Silva took down the world No.3 13.66 to 12.64. Picklum arrived in strong form, reaching the top four in all four World Surf League rounds so far this season and finishing runner-up in two of them. But after coming second at Bells Beach two years ago, she also failed to make last year's quarter-finals. Surfing resumed at the Winky Pop break in clean three-to-four-foot conditions. After finishing runner-up to Hawaiian Gabriela Bryan in the last round at El Salvador, Australian Isabella Nichols had the highest heat score so far on Thursday. Nichols beat Spaniard Nadia Erostarbe 15.00 to 10.03 and will face Bryan again in the quarters. Gabby Bryan at a running right point... say less 🗣️You just knew she was going to light it upThe #RipCurlProBellsBeach is LIVE all day on @originalbonsoy @visitmelbourne — World Surf League (@wsl) April 24, 2025 The men will start their round of 32 after the women's heats. The last women's heat on Thursday will be an all-Australian duel between two-time world champion Tyler Wright and Ellie Harrison.
Ya Biladi
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Ya Biladi
Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam's Rip Curl Pro ends in agony with knee injury
Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam's run at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, Australia, came to a painful end after he sustained a serious knee injury while exiting the water following his heat. Boukhiam, who placed last in Heat 6, was walking across rocks back to shore when a wave struck him from behind, causing his left knee to twist. A video captured him crying out in pain, clutching his leg, and being helped from the water by fellow surfers. The 31-year-old was later taken off the beach in a medicab and seen limping on crutches into the event's medical suite. World No. 1 Italo Ferreira, who competed in the same heat, described the moment on the event broadcast: Injury update ? Ramzi has been injured exiting the water following his Opening Round heat. Wishing Ramzi a speedy recovery ? #RipCurlProBellsBeach @ripcurl @originalbonsoy @visitmelbourne — World Surf League (@wsl) April 22, 2025 «He'd just finished the wave and was waiting for the score. I saw him walking, then he went into the rock. The other wave hit him from behind… he said, 'I'm gone, I'm gone.'» On Instagram, Boukhiam shared a photo of himself being helped from the water by two surfers, writing: «Life doesn't always make sense… and right now, it's really tough to accept what happened». «Getting a major injury — again — and during a contest I felt so ready for, just breaks me», he added. «With everything I've already been through, it honestly hits deep». He thanked fellow surfers for their support and vowed to come back «stronger than ever», saying, «everything happens for a reason». Boukhiam was competing at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, the longest-running event in professional surfing and one of the most iconic stops on the World Surf League Championship Tour.
