Massive Performances See Quarterfinals Set at Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy

BELLS BEACH, Victoria, Australia (Thursday, April 9, 2026) – Day 5 at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy, Stop No. 1 of the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), has seen an incredible day of competition set the Quarterfinalists with the completion of women’s Round Two and men’s Round Three. Winkipop delivered the cleanest conditions of the window so far, with some of the biggest scores of the event being dropped in the groomed three-to-four-foot waves.

The next call will be tomorrow, April 10, at 7:45 a.m. AEST for a potential 8:05 a.m. start with women’s Quarterfinals at Winkipop, with men’s Quarterfinals to follow.

First-Time Men’s Bells Winner Guaranteed After Massive Day of Upsets 

Over the last two days of competition for the men, we have seen all six of the current Tour surfers who have won at Bells Beach eliminated from competition, opening the door for a first-time Bell ringer in 2026. Round Two and Three for the men saw the elimination of Ethan Ewing (AUS), Jack Robinson (AUS), Jordy Smith (RSA), Cole Houshmand (USA), Filipe Toledo(BRA) and Italo Ferreira (BRA) in a day of upsets at Winkipop.  

Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) caused one of the upsets of the event in Heat 6 of Round Three, eliminating two-time Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach winner Filipe Toledo (BRA) in an incredible matchup at Winkipop. Toledo took control of the heat, posting a 14.67 (out of a possible 20) two-wave total early on with a trademark display of super-fast rail carves and fins-free surfing in conditions made for the two-time World Champion. Fioravanti played a patient game, waiting for the best wave of the heat, which eventually came to him, and when given the opportunity, he didn’t hold back, throwing an amazing three-turn combination, full of speed, variety and commitment, to post an excellent 8.50 (out of a possible 10) and turn the heat in the final minutes.

“Surfing against Filipe [Toledo], he is one of the GOAT’s, one of my favourite surfers,” Fioravanti said. “In these conditions, I knew it was going to be very, very tough. I went into the heat like all or nothing. That wave just had a beautiful wall; I almost didn’t catch it. If you see, I paddled so hard for it. And then as soon as I was gliding, I’m like, wow, this thing’s really going to slow down. It’s funny because I was bottom turning and I could see him, and I’m like, ‘That’s Filipe Toledo, I’m going to have to push really hard if I want to get him.’ It was almost an extra motivation. I was just glad to finish the wave off and do the surfing that I wanted to do on it. To hear the score was pretty special.”

Heat 7 on paper looked to be one for the ages as the returning three-time World Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA) matched up with countryman Italo Ferreira (BRA), a former winner at Bells Beach, and it didn’t disappoint. Within the first 10 minutes of the heat, both surfers had caught a number of great-looking waves, belting backside turns and going to the air, with Ferreira earning a 14.66 combination and Medina taking the advantage with 15.20. After an explosive start, the ocean slowed right down, leaving the 2019 World Champion chasing Medina to no avail, giving the surfing superstar a spot in the Quarterfinals and a shot at his maiden Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach event win. 

“The ocean is really slow out there, but when it comes, it’s so fun,” Medina said. “My best one was a long one, and I just didn’t want to make any mistakes on that one, and I’m happy with my 8. I was praying to God, like, ‘Oh, I want to get an 8.’ So I’m happy with that. Italo [Ferreira] is a great surfer; I’m a big fan of his surfing. It’s always tough to go against him. This time it went all my way. It’s hard to go against those guys; you’ve got to be smart. I tried to play the game. It gave me a lot of confidence. It always feels good when you win a heat. These kinds of places, you want to surf with just you and another guy. That’s my focus, I just want to surf one more heat, one more heat, until the Finals, because you’re sharing the lineup just with another guy. It’s the best feeling, actually.”

2024 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach runner-up Griffin Colapinto (USA) continued his solid form at Stop No. 1 of 2026, taking out an all Southern Californian matchup with Jake Marshall (USA). Both surfers were rewarded for their seamless rail work, but it was Colapinto’s form above the lip that saw him get the nod from the judges as he looks to get his World Title campaign off to the perfect start with a maiden win at Bells Beach. Colapinto will meet up with another Southern Californian local when he takes on reigning event runner-up Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) in Quarterfinal 2 when competition resumes. 

Barron Mamiya (HAW) showed he’s got what it takes to go all the way at Bells, taking down former event winner and Bells standout Jordy Smith (RSA) in Heat 2 of Round Three with a great display of power and progression at Winkipop. Reigning World Champion Yago Dora (BRA) also continued his run to the Quarterfinals with a narrow win over Marco Mignot (FRA). Dora’s countryman, Samuel Pupo (BRA), was able to overcome Rio Waida (INA) to book the last spot in the Quarterfinals at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.

Pupo Clutches Up To Post Highest Heat Total of Event 

The sole Australian remaining in the event on the men’s side, George Pittar(AUS), opened his campaign against CT veteran Miguel Pupo (BRA) with a masterclass of speed and flow through exceptional rail work, posting a near-excellent 15.60 heat total before Pupo was able to break out of the mid-range. All seemed to be going the way of the 23-year-old from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, who recently requalified for Tour, but a late charge from Pupo saw an 8.50 and 8.27 delivered in quick succession. Seamless three-turn combos from the goofy-footer’s backhand on larger waves delivered the highest heat total of the event so far, 16.77, to eliminate Pittar and move into the Quarterfinals at Bells for just the second time in his career.

“I was feeling confident with my board and with the work I put in over here and at the Bowl,” Pupo said. “I was like, I just need the wave. I looked at Adriano [de Souza], and Adriano was like, ‘Come down, you need a bigger wave, that’s it, the surfing is there.’ I caught two bombs, and that was it. George [Pittar] is an amazing surfer, especially on right point breaks. I knew he was going to post 15 points, so I knew I had 16 points on me. I was just hoping the wave was going to show up.”

Women’s Quarterfinalists Decided at Winkipop 

The last heat of women’s Round Two witnessed one of the most exciting heats of the event as the defending Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach winner Isabella Nichols (AUS) went toe-to-toe with three-time Bells winner Carissa Moore(HAW). Moore, who was surfing just her second CT heat since returning from a two-year break from the Tour, looked in amazing touch with the clean walls of Winkipop, keeping busy and posting some good scores on smaller sets. Nichols, on the other hand, dropped anchor and waited for a set, a tactic that paid dividends as she found the biggest wave of the set and got to work, piecing together three massive turns with plenty of variety to post an excellent 8.50 and take control of the heat. Five-time World Champion Moore continued to fight, ending the heat with a 15.07 two-wave total, but with a solid backup in her scoreline, Nichols took the win with an excellent 16.27 total, the highest of the event so far for the women.

“Looking at the bracket that came out when Sawyer [Lindblad] and Carissa [Moore] were head-to-head, I knew I was going to have a really tough draw,” Nichols said. “For me, it was never like I need to go 80%. It’s more like I got to full throttle 100 per cent this heat, which is actually sometimes almost better because you know you can’t make mistakes, especially with how slow it was out there. You really had to pick the right waves, which I actually find really enjoyable because it’s part of the chess match. Whatever happened, this event, I was just so stoked to be here. It’s been a long off-season, as everyone knows. We’ve had all those emotions building up. For everyone, we’ve already surfed our heats 10 times over. I’d already rehearsed that heat like, in my sleep, through the day, so yeah, that heat, I’m glad it’s over.”

The two further heats that completed women’s Round Two saw two Californians moving through, with former Bells winner Caity Simmers taking down CT Rookie Nadia Erostarbe (ESP) in Heat 7, while CT veteran Lakey Peterson (USA) overcame Erin Brooks (CAN) in Heat 6. Peterson, who calls this area home for parts of the year, had a close call with Brooks, as Peterson held the lead and control of the heat for its entirety, posting an excellent 8.50 with seconds left to extend her lead. But, right behind her, on a bigger, more critical wave, was Brooks, putting on a backside surfing clinic, smashing three huge turns in the lip to post an 8.90, the highest single wave of the event so far. It was still short of the requirement, leaving Peterson to move into the Quarterfinals with a two-wave total of 15.83.

“[Erin Brooks] got me three times last year. I was like, ‘Ok grom, here we go.’ She’s so deadly, like you saw on her last wave,” Peterson said. “I felt like I knew where I was out there and pretty sure-footed. I’ve surfed so much out here, so I just felt calm and enjoyed it. [To ring the Bell] would be a dream for sure. I’ve been doing this for 14 years now, and I’ve never gotten it. It would be amazing to have that on the mantelpiece. I’ve definitely thought about it a lot, but I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself. It’d be pretty cool to ring that thing. I don’t think I’d ever stop ringing it. Every time I came in the door I’d give it a little ring.”

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Women’s Round Two Results
HEAT 1: Alyssa Spencer (USA) 14.00 DEF. Caroline Marks (USA) 11.20
HEAT 2: Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) 10.93 DEF. Anat Lelior (ISR) 6.76
HEAT 3: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 15.66 DEF. Francisca Veselko (POR) 6.00
HEAT 4: Luana Silva (BRA) 15.26 DEF. Tyler Wright (AUS) 13.76
HEAT 5: Molly Picklum (AUS) 16.50 DEF. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 7.34
HEAT 6: Lakey Peterson (USA) 15.83 DEF. Erin Brooks (CAN) 15.23
HEAT 7: Caitlin Simmers (USA) 11.20 DEF. Nadia Erostarbe (ESP) 10.56
HEAT 8: Isabella Nichols (AUS) 16.27 DEF. Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.07

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Round Three Results
HEAT 1: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 16.77 DEF. George Pittar (AUS) 15.60
HEAT 2: Barron Mamiya (HAW) 14.00 DEF. Jordy Smith (RSA) 12.17
HEAT 3: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 13.43 DEF. Jake Marshall (USA) 11.66
HEAT 4: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 12.67 DEF. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 7.00
HEAT 5: Yago Dora (BRA) 12.67 DEF. Marco Mignot (FRA) 12.33
HEAT 6: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 15.27 DEF. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.67
HEAT 7: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.60 DEF. Italo Ferreira (BRA) 14.66
HEAT 8: Samuel Pupo (BRA) 15.33 DEF. Rio Waida (INA) 12.80

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Women’s Quarterfinal Matchups
HEAT 1: Alyssa Spencer (USA) vs. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW)
HEAT 2: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) vs. Luana Silva (BRA)
HEAT 3: Molly Picklum (AUS) vs. Lakey Peterson (USA)
HEAT 4: Caitlin Simmers (USA) vs. Isabella Nichols (AUS)

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Men’s Quarterfinal Matchups
HEAT 1: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Barron Mamiya (HAW)
HEAT 2: Griffin Colapinto (USA) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
HEAT 3: Yago Dora (BRA) vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
HEAT 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Samuel Pupo (BRA)

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.