The Rip Curl Pro is a surfer's dream event

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach

Australia's stunning coastline has often been associated with rolling swells and talented surfers. Perhaps few events in the country showcase this better than the annual Rip Curl Pro, taking place at Bells Beach this year - just south of Torquay, near Melbourne.

The competition is already underway, having begun on April 1, and lasts until April 12. Is your Victoria holiday accommodation booked yet so you can catch the finals?


Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach

Torquay has long been famous for being the home of many of our country's greatest surf brands. It's perhaps no surprise then, that one of the greatest surfing competitions in Australia - and indeed the world - is held near here each year.

The Rip Curl Pro has been running since the early 1960s, and is now in its 54th year. That not only makes it the oldest competition of its kind in Australia, but also the entire world!

This time of year brings consistent swells to the Bells Beach area, partly why it's so great for a surfing tournament. In 1973, Rip Curl fronted some prize money for the famous championship, turning it into the pro event it is today. Now surfers from around the globe flock here each year to compete for the coveted prize - the Bell - and a chance to enter the ranks of surfing's best and brightest.

Some of the major players who have arrived this year include both NSW's own Mick Fanning and the USA's renowned Kelly Slater. Fanning has held three Championship Tour (CT) titles since he started in 2002, and has rung the fabled Bells Beach bell three times (with consecutive wins in 2013 and 2014).

Could Slater take him down this year? The surfing master has been in the game since the 1980s, and has held a CT rank of first place 11 times since then, with three second-place titles as well.

That's not even mentioning defending women's champion Carissa Moore, who not only holds the title from last year's Rip Curl Pro, but also titles from the Roxy Pro Gold Coast and upcoming Drug Aware Margaret River Pro.

If you want to find out who wins this year's Bells Beach tournament, the best way is to see it for yourself right where it's all happening.


"Torquay has long been famous for being the home of many of our country's greatest surf brands. It's perhaps no surprise then, that one of the greatest surfing competitions in Australia - and indeed the world - is held near here each year."


Bells Beach holiday information

The Bells Beach area is located less than an hour and a half from Melbourne Airport. Getting from place to place could be done by booking a bus, though the city airport has plenty of rental car options should you opt for a little more freedom.

Prominent rental car names such as Avis, Budget and Hertz are all available, with offices in the airport's domestic terminal.

As for your resort accommodation itself, while you are on the Great Ocean Road, why not stay somewhere that will grant you unparalleled access to it, as well as Bells Beach? Mantra Lorne is perfectly situated along the waterfront of its namesake town, less than an hour's drive south of the Rip Curl Pro. This hotel mixes contemporary facilities with classic stylings, having been built around the oldest permanently operating guest house in the state, Erskine House. Thanks to this, your options here include both modern apartments and colonial heritage rooms.

Don't let the historic exterior fool you, however. Within the hotel grounds are a range of amenities to rival any sophisticated city hotel, and perhaps even beat them. For example, you could try your hand at tennis on one of four courts, enjoy the outdoors on the croquet pitch or bowling green, relax in the onsite spa, work out in the gymnasium or pop down to the beach to catch some waves of your own.


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