2026 Championship Tour Season Gets Underway at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy

BELLS BEACH, Victoria, Australia (Friday, April 3, 2026) – The 2026 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) season is officially underway after the completion of Round One of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy this afternoon. A long hold waiting for more swell and a favourable tide eventually saw competition commence in bumpy, four-to-five-foot waves on the Bells Bowl, with only the four heats of men’s Round One being completed before daylight was lost. After just two hours of competition on Day 1, the 50th year of the World Tour is off to a flying start with exciting performances and early upsets taking place at Bells Beach.

Wildcard Duo Upset Early Proceedings at Bells Beach

The straightforward confidence of Dane Henry (AUS) saw the 19-year-old Rip Curl Wildcard carry his strong lead-in form directly into a heat win in his first-ever CT appearance. Facing 2026 Rookie Oscar Berry (AUS), who was also competing in the first CT heat of his career, Henry posted the highest single wave score of the day, a 7.83, earned from a series of three sharp attacks to the Bells Bowl. Known for his prowess above the lip, the reigning WSL World Junior Champion stuck to a traditional approach for his opening heat and now readies himself to take on current World No. 2 Griffin Colapinto (USA) in Round 2.

“It’s always the goal to win an event, I don’t come into comps just for the experience,” Henry said. “I feel really comfy here, and I know that one day I’ll be here, and it’s been super inspiring to be in this environment, and it’s been pushing me to take my mental to a new level, and I think it has. I’m feeling really, really excited and really comfortable. It’s all pretty new for me. I don’t really get this much attention around the QS [Qualifying Series], but it’s been really awesome. This week really showed me what my job is in life and what I’m in for once I get here. I’ve been loving every single minute of it, and I’m really excited to keep it going.”

The last heat of the day saw history repeating itself as the Victoria Trials winner and local hopeful Xavier Huxtable (AUS) claimed an exciting heat win to the cheers of the local crowd as the sun set on Bells Beach to set up a head-to-head heat with Italo Ferreira (BRA). Similar to 2025, Huxtable used all of his experience on the Bowl to string together a 12.94 heat total to overcome former Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach runner-up Callum Robson (AUS). After a career best 17th place finish on the Challenger Series last season, Huxtable continues to show he can well and truly mix it at the elite level with another CT heat at his home break. 

“This time of year, it’s pretty special,” Huxtable said. “Coming from here, growing up, watching it and now getting to compete in it. It’s such a special time for not only me, but everyone else in the town. To have everyone down here screaming kind of felt like in the Torquay Pub. But no, it was so much fun and loved it. You take away a fair bit in these comps, you learn so much in such a short period of time. I’ve been lucky enough and fortunate enough to come from here to get a few wildcards in. I’ve learned a lot of things that not only translate into these events, but also those QS and Challenger heats. So yeah, kind of just trying to put them to use here.”

Rookies Set The Pace on Opening Day of The Season

After a number of years of falling just short of qualifying, Brazilian livewire Mateus Herdy (BRA) was finally able to pull on a CT jersey as a full-time competitor today at Bells Beach, matching up with Liam O’Brien (AUS) in the first heat of the 2026 season. Herdy got a solid start, posting a 7.10 (out of a possible 10) early in the heat for a solid three-turn combination on one of the bigger faces of the afternoon. O’Brien fought back with a couple of impressive offerings of his own, but Herdy then slammed the door with 6.63 to win Heat 1 of Round One with a two-wave total of 13.80 (out of a possible 20). Herdy will now meet his great friend and reigning World Champion, Yago Dora (BRA), in Heat 9 of Round Two when competition resumes. 

“[I feel] amazing, stoked, happy, really happy, yeah just stoked, out of words,” Herdy said. “I’ve felt like I’ve belonged here for a while. I see the bright side of everything, you know. They asked me if they wanted to run today. I was like, dude, there’s a jet ski, there’s a hot tub, there’s everything I need. I’m so happy, like whatever. The waves are really good out there. I know this is not a good day for the CT, but for the Challenger Series, this is the ultimate Finals Day. Liam [O’Brien] is a really good friend and a great surfer. I’ve watched all his clips, and he’s so gnarly. But yeah, everyone on Tour is gnarly, I guess I get Yago [Dora] now.”

Continuing the trend set by Herdy in Heat 1, 2026 CT Rookie Luke Thompson(RSA) put on a commanding performance to take down Morocco’s Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) in Heat 3 of Round One. Similar to Herdy, Thompson looked right at home from the opening exchange, posting a 14.67 two-wave total, the highest of the event so far, for his aggressive frontside approach. Thompson will now match up with his compatriot, friend and mentor, World No. 3 Jordy Smith (RSA) in Round 2.

48 World Titles Light Up Bells Beach For WSL50 Expression Sessions

As competitors waited for the swell to rise, fans who filled in at Bells Beach were treated to four consecutive expression sessions, including back-to-back WSL50 Expression Sessions, one for five men’s World Champions and the other for 11 women’s World Champions. Current CT competitors Caity Simmers (USA), Caroline Marks (USA), Molly Picklum (AUS), Carissa Moore (HAW), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Tyler Wright (AUS), Filipe Toledo(BRA), Yago Dora (BRA) and Italo Ferreira (BRA) were joined by Layne Beachley (AUS), Kelly Slater (USA), Debbie Beacham (USA), Pam Burridge(AUS) and Pauline Menczer (AUS), along with reigning World Junior Champions Dane Henry (AUS) and Isla Huppatz (AUS) on the Bells Bowl. 

It was a few hours of surfing dedicated to celebrating 50 years of the World Tour and the generations of World Champions – the past, present and future. The sessions provided a moment in time for the future of surfing, Huppatz and Henry, to share the water with icons of our sport and for the fans on the beach to imagine what’s next.

Shortly after the men’s World Champions expression session wrapped, reigning World Longboard Champions Rachael Tilly (USA) and Kai Ellice-Flint (AUS) delivered a showcase of the grace and style that features on the WSL Longboard Tour. The pair lit up the Bells lineup with the noserides and carves that define the annual Bioglan Bells Beach Longboard Classic.

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Round One Results
HEAT 1: Mateus Herdy (BRA) 13.80 DEF. Liam O’Brien (AUS) 13.24
HEAT 2: Dane Henry (AUS) 13.66 DEF. Oscar Berry (AUS) 6.30
HEAT 3: Luke Thompson (RSA) 14.67 DEF. Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 12.00
HEAT 4: Xavier Huxtable (AUS) 12.94 DEF. Callum Robson (AUS) 10.27

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Round Two Matchups
HEAT 1: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Joel Vaughan (AUS)
HEAT 2: Ethan Ewing (AUS) vs. George Pittar (AUS)
HEAT 3: Jordy Smith (RSA) vs. Luke Thompson (RSA)
HEAT 4: Barron Mamiya (HAW) vs. Seth Moniz (HAW)
HEAT 5: Jake Marshall (USA) vs. Joao Chianca (BRA)
HEAT 6: Griffin Colapinto (USA) vs. Dane Henry (AUS)
HEAT 7: Cole Houshmand (USA) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
HEAT 8: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Morgan Cibilic (AUS)
HEAT 9: Yago Dora (BRA) vs. Mateus Herdy (BRA)
HEAT 10: Crosby Colapinto (USA) vs. Marco Mignot (FRA)
HEAT 11: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs. Kauli Vaast (FRA)
HEAT 12: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Eli Hanneman (HAW)
HEAT 13: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Xavier Huxtable (AUS)
HEAT 14: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Alan Cleland (MEX)
HEAT 15: Connor O’Leary (JPN) vs. Rio Waida (INA)
HEAT 16: Jack Robinson (AUS) vs. Samuel Pupo (BRA)

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Women’s Round One Matchups
HEAT 1: Yolanda Hopkins (POR) vs. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
HEAT 2: Tya Zebrowski (FRA) vs. Alyssa Spencer (USA)
HEAT 3: Brisa Hennessy (CRC) vs. Francisca Veselko (POR)
HEAT 4: Bella Kenworthy (USA) vs. Nadia Erostarbe (ESP)
HEAT 5: Vahine Fierro (FRA) vs. Anat Lelior (ISR)
HEAT 6: Sawyer Lindblad (USA) vs. Carissa Moore (HAW)
HEAT 7: Luana Silva (BRA) vs. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
HEAT 8: Lakey Peterson (USA) vs. Ellie Harrison (AUS)

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy will run at Bells Beach from April 1 – 11, 2026. The competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. Also, check out more ways to watch from the WSL’s broadcast partners.

The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy is proudly supported by Rip Curl, Visit Victoria, Surf Coast Shire, Bonsoy, WSL One Ocean, Red Bull, Apple, True Surf, Surfline, I-Sea, YETI, eero, Stone & Wood, Hydralyte, GWM, Fatboy Bikes, Bond University, mophie, Boost Mobile, Volley, Bioglan and RACV.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.