Aussie surfers ring up stunning title double at Bells
John Salvado |
Jack Robinson drew inspiration from some of surfing’s all-time greats and then took another giant stride towards joining them with victory in the Rip Curl Pro at storied Bells Beach.
The 27-year-old Australian has now won eight Championship Tour (CT) events in the past four years, with many of those triumphs coming at the sport’s most hallowed venues, including Pipeline, Teahupo’o, G-Land – and now Bells Beach.
It was a day of double triumph for the host nation, with resurgent Queenslander Isabella Nichols saluting in the women’s event.
Nichols claimed the biggest victory of her career by downing young Brazilian star Luana Silva 16.26 points to 12.67.
Paris Olympics Olympics silver medallist Robinson left it late before edging out Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi 14.14-13.87 in the men’s final on Sunday.
Robinson started the day by beating Jake Marshall in the last of the quarter-finals, before edging out another American, Griffin Colapinto, in the semis.
And before he paddled out for the final, Robinson and his support crew watched footage of the likes of Kelly Slater, Andy Irons, Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Taj Burrow carving it up at Bells.
“I was all fired up, it was inspiration from those guys and I just channelled that,” Robinson said.
“It’s been an honour.”
Once the final hooter sounded to end the final, Robinson lay down on his board in the water to let the magnitude of what he had achieved start to soak in.
“It’s really surreal and special,” said the 27-year-old West Australian.
“There’s not too many words for it when you’re in the moment.
“You’re just being, going out there and doing it.
“It was a really cool final with Kanoa. I just had this feeling we’d match up, just because we’ve been hanging out for the last few days.”
Nichols’ title triumph came after the 27-year-old only made her way back on to the CT this year.
She advanced all the way to the final of this month’s El Salvador Pro – after making the heartbreaking decision to miss her twin sister Helena’s wedding – then went one better with victory over Silva on Sunday at the famous Victorian break.
“The process for this win has honestly been a 15-year process,” Nichols said.
“I’ve been coming here since I was 15 years old.
“All the trips down here, three times a year to come down and work on my technique and it’s all paid off.
“To have a bell, honestly this does not feel real.
“I’m speechless.”
Nichols’ only other victory on the CT came three years ago at the Margaret River Pro.
The Hawaiian-born Silva, 20, won the world junior title this year, the same event that Nichols saluted at back in 2016.
Earlier on Sunday, Nichols took down her celebrated countrywoman and two-time world champ Tyler Wright in the semis.
After a thrilling run through the event, Australian wildcard Morgan Cibilic had no luck in a low-scoring semi-final loss to Igarashi, where decent-sized waves were at a premium.
Cibilic only caught his second wave of the heat in the final minute and fell, gifting victory to Igarashi, 10.27 points to 5.37.
“It is what it is at the end of the day – you can’t argue with the ocean,” said a philosophical Cibilic.
“But it is pretty brutal.”
AAP
