Rip Curl PRO 2015

Rip Curl PRO

<< It’s off for today… >>

… is literately the last thing you want to hear when you got up at 4.30AM, caught a flight from Sydney to Melbourne and somehow hitched your way to the infamous Rip Curl Bells Beach competition. The surf is actually quite big, but really messy and with a storm moving in over the horizon probably the better decision of that day.

I decide that the trip down here was too long already and joining the escaping crowds now would the wrong thing to do. So I head against the flow and with my camera and a walk-around-lens attached I start shooting the disaster. After about 20 minutes of reluctant shooting in close to horizontal rain I’m soaked and as I get to the edge of the cliffs I finally understand… 3 surfers out and more whitewash than ocean down there. It’s time to admit defeat and turn around.

The event site… abandoned for the day.

Whitewash… more than necessary.

<< Another Layday >>

Wednesday 8th of April 2015 – I’m prepared and ready to take whatever the Bells Beach weather has on offer for the day. Sadly it’s too much of a mess to run the comp and besides watching the pros practise and make the mess look surfable there is not much going on at the competition area… So for now enjoy a few free surfing shots of last year’s world champion Gabriel Medina and very talented Mason Ho and his sister Coco Ho.

Medina moving around in the slush.

Medina – escaping the frame

Enough for today. Even freesurfing seems like a waste of the world champion’s time on a day like today.

Coco Ho and her brother Mason Ho were out free surfing together.

Mason Ho making surfing look awesome – even in these not-so-exciting conditions at Bells Beach

Mason Ho

<< It’s a tie! >>

Thursday 9th of April 2015 – After a the last couple of days resting the comp is finally ON again and the men’s final rounds are running at full speed.

The day cleared up nicely and provided me with unexpected good light.

Tomorrow is the last day of the competition and I’m excited to shoot the finals of the Women’s Rip Curl Pro 2015.

And of course Congratulations to Mick Fanning for taking home the victory of this year’s Rip Curl Pro and to runner up Adriano De Souza.

I’ve been working on a style as for some reason I really like the strong contrast I can go do with black and white images and I have been working on a similar look and feel in coloured images – let me know what you think in the comment section at the end of the article.
I’ve been using a rather exceptional combination of lens – camera body (thanks to Olympus Australia) to capture this event and it has really worked wonders for me – I will be posting a full review of the E-M1 and Zuiko 300mm f/2.8 ED in the coming week. So keep an eye out for that if you’re interested in the gear I use.

But enough of the words… enjoy the photos:

Adriano de Souza (BRA) during Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Josh Kerr (AUS) about to take on a vertical lip at Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Adriano de Souza (BRA) during Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Club Sandwich – a success full rotation too!

Filipe Toledo (BRA) during Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

The crowds at the finals of the Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Filipe Toledo (BRA) during Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Filipe Toledo (BRA) meeting a fan after his expression session at the Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Jordy Smith (ZAF) during expression session at the Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Josh Kerr (AUS) escaping the crowds getting ready for his heat at the Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Josh Kerr (AUS) during Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Josh Kerr (AUS) wrapping himself in white wash and spray at the Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Mick Fanning (AUS) celebrating his victory at the Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Mick Fanning (AUS) during Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Mick Fanning (AUS) displacing water at the Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Mick Fanning (AUS) winning the Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Mick Fanning (AUS) at the Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Nat Young (USA) during Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

The Bell at the Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 9, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

The crowds gathering to see the victor Mick Fanning ring the bell for this year.

<< Last but not least: The Ladies! >>

The ladies wrapped up the competition today (Friday 10th of April 2015) and had pretty tough conditions to show off their skills in. The sun disappeared and so did the swell and with a dead low tide Bells wasn’t at it’s best. But anyway… the ladies rocked things up and made even the not-so-favourable conditions look amazing.

Congratulations to Carissa Moore, this years Women’s Rip Curl Pro champion and to runner up Stephanie Gilmore! Well surfed!

There’s a lot of swell on the horizon for the east coast of NSW and I’m stoked to be on a plane back to Sydney tonight. I can’t wait to get into the water and capture all the waves I can find around Sydney in the coming days. The next World Surf League comp for me will be in hotter and crystal clear waters at the Billabong Pro at Teahupo’o in Tahiti in August!

I would like to thank Olympus Australia for their amazing support and also the Bells Beach Backpackers in Torquay for being so flexible and such an amazing place to stay and all the unknown, friendly locals who gave me a ride and to and from the competition area each day – you are all legends! And of course thanks to the World Surf League for putting on such an amazing event.

For now, enjoy the selection of today’s photos of the women’s finals day at the Rip Curl Pro 2015 at Bells Beach.

Chris

Carissa Moore (HAW) and Johanne Defay (FRA) at Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 10, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Carissa Moore (HAW) and Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) celebrating at Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 10, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Carissa Moore (HAW) at Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 10, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Carissa Moore (HAW) at the Women’s Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 10, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Carissa Moore (HAW) speeding through the finals at the Women’s Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 10, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Carissa Moore (HAW) ringing the big bell at the Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 10, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Johanne Defay (FRA) at Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 10, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) at Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 10, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) in total focus for her semi finals heat at the Women’s Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 10, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) ripping at the Women’s Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 10, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) at the Women’s Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 10, 2015. Photo: SurfLove

Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) going full speed towards the lip of this wave at the Women’s Rip Curl PRO at Bells Beach, VIC, Australia, April 10, 2015. Photo: SurfLove