Bells

[crabmeat thompson]

Hells Bells. Fasten seat belts, we're going to go fast. lol


http://www.thefreeridevoice.com/2015/04 ... low-roast/

The long acronyms are harder to say than the actual words Bri.

That's the beautiful thing about it!

[alakaboo]

I like.
Crows can count too.

[pirate_agenda]

how embarrassing are the surf line forecasts. says its going to be 4ft then in brackets (waist to shoulder high).

[Gumby]

Hells Bells. Fasten seat belts, we're going to go fast. lol


http://www.thefreeridevoice.com/2015/04 ... low-roast/

" It’s the only stop on tour who charge money to see the event. There’s parking, and then there’s an entry fee to see a day’s surfing"

What do they charge to watch it?

[crabmeat thompson]

Hells Bells. Fasten seat belts, we're going to go fast. lol


http://www.thefreeridevoice.com/2015/04 ... low-roast/

" It’s the only stop on tour who charge money to see the event. There’s parking, and then there’s an entry fee to see a day’s surfing"

What do they charge to watch it?

I'm not 100% sure, because I always had a media pass, so I would walk past the lineup paying.

But from memory ... Parking was $5 or $6 bucks, and entry was about $8 for adult $4 for children from memory. Once inside, food & coffee and beers weren't cheap. The vendors had to cover their 'lease' fee I guess.

[2nd Reef]

how embarrassing are the surf line forecasts. says its going to be 4ft then in brackets (waist to shoulder high).

Surfline uses 'face feet' as their metric, so technically they're correct. They switched over around 10 years back, a cynic might say around the time XXL and other big wave contests start getting big. By using face feet - as opposed to surfers feet that we all still use in Australia - every wave instantly became bigger and the magical 100 footer all of a sudden came within reach.

For instance, what they were calling 30 foot at Waimea twenty years ago is now considered approx. 50 ft.

[Gumby]

Hells Bells. Fasten seat belts, we're going to go fast. lol


http://www.thefreeridevoice.com/2015/04 ... low-roast/

" It’s the only stop on tour who charge money to see the event. There’s parking, and then there’s an entry fee to see a day’s surfing"

What do they charge to watch it?

I'm not 100% sure, because I always had a media pass, so I would walk past the lineup paying.

But from memory ... Parking was $5 or $6 bucks, and entry was about $8 for adult $4 for children from memory. Once inside, food & coffee and beers weren't cheap. The vendors had to cover their 'lease' fee I guess.

Wonder if security would confiscate a home-made vegemite sandwich before happily confirming that authentic home-made vegemite sandwiches can be purchased for just $10 ($15 for non-Victorian residents).

[crabmeat thompson]

Wonder if security would confiscate a home-made vegemite sandwich before happily confirming that authentic home-made vegemite sandwiches can be purchased for just $10 ($15 for non-Victorian residents).

we would fill the streets with their blood if they dare come for our $15 vegemite sangers.

[rmb]

Strider is our very own Brick Tamland. He loves lamp.

Ha ha great shit stir.

[bobjs]

Hells Bells. Fasten seat belts, we're going to go fast. lol

[rmb]

Hells Bells. Fasten seat belts, we're going to go fast. lol


http://www.thefreeridevoice.com/2015/04 ... low-roast/

I don’t agree with a lot in that article ,so I’ll throw my 2cents in about Bells.

Compared to a lot of other WCT venues, Bell is pretty consistent - the last 4 years in a row of good waves hinting at this. The problem, like any other venue on Earth is that a swell usually last 2-3 days but events take 3-4 days so you need two swells. They pack and move Bells because they have good back-up venues and have been willing to move, unlike many other contests. Brazil is not better than Bells/Winki/Joey on any level and Bells is not too bad with an onshore.

I consider the WCT should include a big open faced and technically difficult wave like Bells. Watching the early round 1 heats highlighted those with smoother styles, good board choice, better wave selection and reading, plus the usual luck and judging irregularities thrown in (e.g. Fanning losing to one air). That’s what contests are for aren’t they, to determine the best?

Kelly’s two scoring rides were surfed beautifully. He chose the better waves and surfed them pretty much perfectly with some genius stuff thrown in – check out his white-water reo, to 360 spin to backhand reo, on his 8.50 ride. He was so far above the others and Rincon highlighted that. If a WCT surfer can’t stay on an overhead full wave then there is something missing from their technique and/or board choice.

Only 5 Bells winners over the past 20 years have not been world champions. Fanning, Parko, Kelly, Andy, Sunny, and Occy make up the rest, and for my eye, these guys (maybe minus Sunny) are the also the best surfers to watch.Thats got to be saying something about the venue.

With comments like that Sunny will crack your fcuking skull and send you in for surfing his local break of Burleigh heads.

[crabmeat thompson]

Hells Bells. Fasten seat belts, we're going to go fast. lol


http://www.thefreeridevoice.com/2015/04 ... low-roast/

I don’t agree with a lot in that article ,so I’ll throw my 2cents in about Bells.

Compared to a lot of other WCT venues, Bell is pretty consistent - the last 4 years in a row of good waves hinting at this. The problem, like any other venue on Earth is that a swell usually last 2-3 days but events take 3-4 days so you need two swells. They pack and move Bells because they have good back-up venues and have been willing to move, unlike many other contests. Brazil is not better than Bells/Winki/Joey on any level and Bells is not too bad with an onshore.

I consider the WCT should include a big open faced and technically difficult wave like Bells. Watching the early round 1 heats highlighted those with smoother styles, good board choice, better wave selection and reading, plus the usual luck and judging irregularities thrown in (e.g. Fanning losing to one air). That’s what contests are for aren’t they, to determine the best?

Kelly’s two scoring rides were surfed beautifully. He chose the better waves and surfed them pretty much perfectly with some genius stuff thrown in – check out his white-water reo, to 360 spin to backhand reo, on his 8.50 ride. He was so far above the others and Rincon highlighted that. If a WCT surfer can’t stay on an overhead full wave then there is something missing from their technique and/or board choice.

Only 5 Bells winners over the past 20 years have not been world champions. Fanning, Parko, Kelly, Andy, Sunny, and Occy make up the rest, and for my eye, these guys (maybe minus Sunny) are the also the best surfers to watch.Thats got to be saying something about the venue.

yeah good points. minus the sunny bit. he was a treat to watch the way he'd just manhandle waves with aggression. Andy always said his biggest surfing influence was Sunny.

bells is for sure a polarising wave (for tour) ... its the best fun wave in the world to surf for a hack like me.

the surfers themselves either love it or hate it, with not much in between -- and from asking around a few years back in fiji, it seemed more hated it than loved it, for what that's worth? goofy foots are at a real disadvantage out there unless it's on the pump, so right off the bat all the goofs hate it...

long interval swells feed bells, means lots of lulls. It's tidally influenced even when it's pumping which breaks it into two separate waves, so you're shit outta luck should your heats fall in the mid-tidal range when rincon starts appearing but not quite and out the back is starting too be long and straight.

imo, wave quality is everything on tour. there's no way, margs, rio, portugal, bells should be on the tour if your tagline is, the best surfers in the best waves ... make them 6-star primes, still bring out all the bells and whistles broadcast for them and sell them like the US Open.

I agree we need a high performance wave on tour, but for me ... Trestles is a much better wave and offers all of the dynamics of bells which you offered above ˆˆ, only it does it with much more consistency and it goes left & right so there is no disadvantage because of your footedness.

you feeling me here bob?

[bobjs]

Well I agree wave quality is everything for the tour and Bells has issues, but if they are going to start changing venues, Bells wouldn’t be the first on my hit list. Several other venues have worse waves and/or are less consistent. If the tour is to go to truly the world's best waves, it could be considered, but we are a long way from that yet. In the meantime, enjoy a reasonably consistent quality wave and start by getting get rid of Rio.

[crabmeat thompson]

Well I agree wave quality is everything for the tour and Bells has issues, but if they are going to start changing venues, Bells wouldn’t be the first on my hit list. Several other venues have worse waves and/or are less consistent. If the tour is to go to truly the world's best waves, it could be considered, but we are a long way from that yet. In the meantime, enjoy a reasonably consistent quality wave and start by getting get rid of Rio.

hell no. bells wouldn't be the first on the list to cull, but... I would cut 4 and have a 7-stop world tour. with a highly polished supplemental 6-star prime tour underneath it.

the WSL struggles for legitimacy while margs & rio are stops on tour. it shows the tour is all about money, revenue, business, than it is faux taglines like the best surfers on the best waves.

[channels]

Hells Bells. Fasten seat belts, we're going to go fast. lol


http://www.thefreeridevoice.com/2015/04 ... low-roast/

I don’t agree with a lot in that article ,so I’ll throw my 2cents in about Bells.

Compared to a lot of other WCT venues, Bell is pretty consistent - the last 4 years in a row of good waves hinting at this. The problem, like any other venue on Earth is that a swell usually last 2-3 days but events take 3-4 days so you need two swells. They pack and move Bells because they have good back-up venues and have been willing to move, unlike many other contests. Brazil is not better than Bells/Winki/Joey on any level and Bells is not too bad with an onshore.

I consider the WCT should include a big open faced and technically difficult wave like Bells. Watching the early round 1 heats highlighted those with smoother styles, good board choice, better wave selection and reading, plus the usual luck and judging irregularities thrown in (e.g. Fanning losing to one air). That’s what contests are for aren’t they, to determine the best?

Kelly’s two scoring rides were surfed beautifully. He chose the better waves and surfed them pretty much perfectly with some genius stuff thrown in – check out his white-water reo, to 360 spin to backhand reo, on his 8.50 ride. He was so far above the others and Rincon highlighted that. If a WCT surfer can’t stay on an overhead full wave then there is something missing from their technique and/or board choice.

Only 5 Bells winners over the past 20 years have not been world champions. Fanning, Parko, Kelly, Andy, Sunny, and Occy make up the rest, and for my eye, these guys (maybe minus Sunny) are the also the best surfers to watch.Thats got to be saying something about the venue.

yeah good points. minus the sunny bit. he was a treat to watch the way he'd just manhandle waves with aggression. Andy always said his biggest surfing influence was Sunny.

bells is for sure a polarising wave (for tour) ... its the best fun wave in the world to surf for a hack like me.

the surfers themselves either love it or hate it, with not much in between -- and from asking around a few years back in fiji, it seemed more hated it than loved it, for what that's worth? goofy foots are at a real disadvantage out there unless it's on the pump, so right off the bat all the goofs hate it...

long interval swells feed bells, means lots of lulls. It's tidally influenced even when it's pumping which breaks it into two separate waves, so you're shit outta luck should your heats fall in the mid-tidal range when rincon starts appearing but not quite and out the back is starting too be long and straight.

imo, wave quality is everything on tour. there's no way, margs, rio, portugal, bells should be on the tour if your tagline is, the best surfers in the best waves ... make them 6-star primes, still bring out all the bells and whistles broadcast for them and sell them like the US Open.

I agree we need a high performance wave on tour, but for me ... Trestles is a much better wave and offers all of the dynamics of bells which you offered above ˆˆ, only it does it with much more consistency and it goes left & right so there is no disadvantage because of your footedness.

you feeling me here bob?

I gotta say I disagree with a bit of this. I like the fact the tour has a variety of waves. As good as big Teahupoo was last year, other years when it isn't so big and perfect watching surfers pull into barrel after barrel is a bit mechanical. Similar to the Box sojourn at Margaret River last year, watching guys pull in to a short barrel gets pretty boring after a while. If I look at surfing footage I would go back to watching...Parko tearing 8 foot plus Bells Bowl or Occy at the Skins. In terms or putting power and railwork into a big wall, I like Bells.

Bells has a place (although I hate Rincon), Trestles, CloudBreak, Teahupoo et al.. Even Margaret River, yes it gets onshore easy but I would put Margs at 8 - 10 foot and offshore against any place in the world. But Brazil can still GTFO.

[channels]

Also, need to make the comps quicker so they can pick the eyes out of the swell and conditions.

[foamy]

Also, need to make the comps quicker so they can pick the eyes out of the swell and conditions.

Virtually every non-participant who has ever commented on the tour agrees with you.
AND it would be easy to do AND it would reduce costs.
But still they don't.
I suppose they reckon more show time means more revenue. To the casual observer, the long stretches of the uninteresting wears down even the most avid viewer.

I saw some bloke comment on twitter yesterday. Heat 1 at Bells and I am already bored.

[steve shearer]

Thats cause on ground sponsors want time in front of peoples faces and air-time.

Bells will never die because as Braithy intimated when it comes to money it's one of the few events that makes any economic sense.