The Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach in Victoria faced another competition delay on Saturday due to poor surf conditions.
After deteriorating conditions on Friday afternoon halted the men’s opening round following just one heat, organisers had hoped for an improvement by Saturday morning — but it didn’t materialise.
World Surf League’s Tom Bennett confirmed conditions remained unfavourable early in the day.
“When we arrived at Bells Beach, the surf was small and wind-affected,” he said. “We want to give the surfers the best possible conditions to compete, so we’ll reassess tomorrow morning, hoping for cleaner, offshore winds and a better swell.”
The iconic international event has run annually at Bells Beach since 1961, with the exception of 2021 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, similar conditions — onshore winds and weakening swell — led organisers to pause the competition for 48 hours.
Meanwhile, Tyler Wright made a strong start to her campaign yesterday, securing the second-highest wave score in the women’s opening round as she looks to revive her season and chase a third Rip Curl Pro title.
