RIP CURL WOMEN'S PRO BACK AT BELLS BEACH NEXT WEEK

BELLS BEACH, Australia (Friday, Mar. 30, 2007) – The second stop on the ASP Women's World Tour, the Rip Curl Women's Pro at Bells Beach, will see the event's triumphant return to the ASP calendar after a 2006 absence.

Running from April 3-8, 2007, the Rip Curl Women's Pro can be completed in two full days of surfing. It will run in tandem with the men's division of the Rip Curl Pro which takes four days to run and has a waiting period that stretches an additional five days until April 13, 2007.

Though an ASP Women's World Tour event was held at Bells Beach in 2005, the venue hasn't enjoyed a cemented spot on the ASP calendar since 2001. Only six of the current Top 17 were elite tour competitors at that time.

Defending Rip Curl Pro Champion Sofia Mulanovich (PER) will join three-time Bells Beach victor Layne Beachley (AUS) and 2000 event champion Megan Abubo (HAW) as the only surfers competing in the 22nd installment of women's competition at Bells with wins to their credit.

Several girls will be surfing Bells Beach as elite-tour competitors for the first time.

Despite making their World Tour debuts there next week, competitors like ASP Women's World Tour rookie Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and second-year tourer Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) are likely to have logged more time at the break than many of their cohorts courtesy of national junior competitions.

"I love Bells," Miley-Dyer said. "I've been surfing it since I was a kid and watching goofy-footers like Damian Hardman and Occy tearing the place apart when the Rip Curl Pro was on. I'm stoked that we have a comp there and I can finally pretend to be them!"

Miley-Dyer will meet Hawaii's Megan Abubo and Brazil's Jacqueline Silva in Heat 6 of Round 1.

Gilmore has drawn fellow rookie Caroline Sarran (FRA) and Rebecca Woods (AUS) in Round 1. The surfers finishing first and second in Round 1 advance straight to Round 3. The surfer finishing third in Round 1 has to surf Round 2 and risk elimination.

"I think it always helps to get some quality time in before the comp starts," Gilmore said. "Lucky for me I've done a few years of pro junior events at Bells leading up to qualifying. That and I tend to like any right hander really."

Gilmore won two ASP Women's World Tour events as a wildcard before qualifying for this year's tour, and as such, will not underestimate how far a surfer free from the pressure of ratings points and expectations can go.

The Rip Curl Women's Pro Wildcard has been awarded to local surfer and four-time Victoria state champ Amy Stewart (AUS). The 20-year-old natural-footer hails from Jan Juc and will have a home-break advantage not enjoyed by anyone else in the draw.

"It's a tricky but fun wave when you get it down," Stewart said. "It's only up the road from me so I've spent a fair bit of time out there."

Stewart will draw current World No. 1 Chelsea Hedges (AUS) and Samantha Cornish (AUS) in Heat 3 of Round 1 when the Rip Curl Women's Pro commences.

Additional information is available online at www.aspworldtour.com and www.ripcurlpro.com

RIP CURL WOMEN'S PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND ONE MATCH-UPS
HEAT 1: Silvana Lima (BRA), Claire Bevilacqua (AUS), Melanie Bartels (HAW)
HEAT 2: Rebecca Woods (AUS), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Caroline Sarran (FRA)
HEAT 3: Chelsea Hedges (AUS), Samantha Cornish (AUS), Amy Stewart (AUS)
HEAT 4: Layne Beachley (AUS), Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Rochelle Ballard (HAW)
HEAT 5: Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS), Amee Donohoe (AUS), Rosanne Hodge (ZAF)
HEAT 6: Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), Megan Abubo (HAW), Jacqueline Silva (BRA)

OFFICIAL RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH PRESS LAUNCH DETAILS
WHAT: Media Launch - 2007 Rip Curl Pro Surfing Festival at Bells Beach
WHERE: Bells Beach Carpark, Bells Beach
WHEN: Monday, April 2nd, 2007
TIME: 11am to 12.30pm
WHO: Kelly Slater (USA), Andy Irons (HAW), Mick Fanning (AUS), Ben Dunn (AUS), Layne Beachley (AUS), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Chelsea Hedges (AUS)

SLATER RARING TO RING THE BELL AT THE RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH

BELLS BEACH, Australia (Wednesday, Mar. 28, 2007) – Despite surfing incredibly consistently and securing his record eighth Foster's ASP World Title with two events to spare in 2006, Kelly Slater (USA) has not won an elite tour event since the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach last year.

Slater beat former Rip Curl Pro champion Joel Parkinson (AUS) in the 2006 event final to tie Tom Curren (USA) for the most elite tour events won by single surfer. Both Curren and Slater have 33 event titles to their credit at present.

"It seems strange that I haven't had a win since Bells and that it has been a full year since I won an event, because I had such a great year last year," Slater said. "I made a couple of finals and had a few thirds but I think I may have been suffering from a mental block about passing Tom's event win record. It's been on weighing on my mind and maybe if I could have put that to bed it would have freed me up to clinch a couple more wins last year."

The ASP event wins record is one of the only accolades in professional surfing that Slater does not own outright. He is hoping to change that when the Foster's ASP World Tour heads to Torquay, Australia for the 35th Annual Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach next week.

"I would love to have a win at Bells," Slater said. "In a way it would be more meaningful to win my 34th there, just because Tom is so synonymous with Rip Curl and Bells Beach in general. I was hoping to put [the record] to rest at Trestles last year because Tom and I both won our first professional events there and I thought that would have been pretty ironic, but it would be special to do it in Torquay too."

Adding to the history and prestige of Australia's longest running surf event, will be the attendance of several surfing icons synonymous with the event and the sport.

"I just turned 35 last month and it's the 35th anniversary of the Rip Curl Pro, so Bells and I are sort of in alignment right now," Slater joked. "It hasn't been one of my better events on tour, but with Tom and some of the other greats' presence there for the anniversary celebrations, if I could for some reason pull off a win it would be pretty special."

Slater will face rest of the Foster's 45, wildcards Owen Wright (AUS) and Matt Wilkinson (AUS) and the winner of the Victoria Place To Be Trials (who will earn the third and final wildcard) when competition commences next week.

The Rip Curl Pro waiting period starts Tuesday, Apr. 3 and stretches until Apr. 13. Stop 2 of the ASP Women's World Tour, the Rip Curl Women's Pro Bells Beach, will run in tandem with the Foster's ASP World Tour event.

OFFICIAL RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH PRESS LAUNCH DETAILS

WHAT: Media Launch - 2007 Rip Curl Pro Surfing Festival at Bells Beach

WHERE: Bells Beach Carpark, Bells Beach

WHEN: Monday, April 2nd, 2007

TIME: 11am to 12.30pm

WHO: Kelly Slater (USA), Andy Irons (HAW), Mick Fanning (AUS), Mark Occhilupo (AUS), Ben Dunn (AUS), Layne Beachley (AUS), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Chelsea Hedges (AUS)

FANNING AND HEDGES ENTER 35TH ANNUAL RIP CURL PRO ASP RATINGS LEADERS

BELLS BEACH, Australia (Thursday, Mar. 22, 2007) –The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, the second event on the Foster's ASP World Tour and ASP Women's World Tour, will celebrate its 35th anniversary in the magical amphitheater that is Bells from April 3-13, 2007.

The longest-running surf event in Australia, the annual pilgrimage to Bells Beach continues with the world's best surfers and their fans congregating on the famed break's cliffs again this Easter.

Adding to the already historic aura that envelops the event will be a gala celebration to honor the former Rip Curl Pro champions who have made their mark on the event's 35-year history.

Honorees will include Simon Anderson [1977, 1981], Tom Curren [1985, 1990], Tom Carroll [1986] and Damien Hardman [1988, 1993] among others.

Honorees still donning contest rashvests this year will be Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Megan Abubo (HAW) and reigning world champion Layne Beachley (AUS) on the women's side and defending Rip Curl Pro and world champion Kelly Slater (USA), Mark 'Occy' Occhilupo (AUS), Andy Irons (HAW), Joel Parkinson (AUS), injury replacement Trent Munro (AUS) and current World No. 1 Mick Fanning (AUS) for the men.

"Everything that has happened over the past 35 years has continued to add and build up the huge prestige around the Rip Curl Pro," current World No. 1 Mick Fanning said. "Everyone that has won the Rip Curl Pro has pretty much gone on to do something fairly huge. You've got guys like MP [1973, 1974 and 1975 Rip Curl Pro Champion Michael Peterson], Mark Richards [1978, 1979, 1980, 1982], Kelly Slater [1994, 2006], Andy Irons [2002, 2003] and Occy [1998] – it's pretty much the who's who of surfing. 'The Bell' is a pretty bloody good trophy to have on your mantelpiece!"

To win the Rip Curl Pro and subsequently 'Ring the Bell' is considered one of the sport's highest honors. Fanning rang it as a wildcard in 2001. His best result at the Rip Curl Pro since was an equal 3rd finish in 2003.

"It was an amazing feeling," Fanning said. "Ever since I was a little kid I had been watching people ring the Bell and talk about the feeling you get, so to do it that one time was huge. I wish I was a little bit stronger so I could have lifted it above my head, but I am really excited to try and win it again – hopefully this year."

After a strong finish to his 2006 campaign, Fanning shot to No. 1 on the ratings with a win at the first event on the 2007 Foster's ASP World Tour earlier this month.

"I think that if you can get a good start in the first two events it really helps towards setting up a world title chance," said Fanning. "Being in Australia for the start of the year always helps too and everyone is looking towards getting a really strong result at the Rip Curl Pro."

Chelsea Hedges (AUS), who won an ASP Women's World Title in 2005 and the first event on this year's calendar, is also hoping to post back-to-back victories at home in Australia.

"After seeing Mel Redman-Carr win three events in a row last year, anything is possible," Hedges said. "It will be great to get back down to Bells again. I love surfing on my backhand and I love surfing Bells so it will interesting to see what happens down there."

The ASP Women's World Tour was notably absent from the 2006 Rip Curl Pro calendar but a welcome addition to the roster this year. Beachley, who posted Bells Beach victories in 1994, 1998 and 1999, is among the female competitors thrilled to be back at the prestigious venue.

"I'm really looking forward to getting down to Bells," Beachley said. "It's been a few years since we've been there regularly. I own three and I would love to own four."

A Rip Curl Pro Surf & Music Festival is run in conjunction with the ASP World Tour events. For more information visit www.aspworldtour.com and www.ripcurl.com/ripcurlpro.

PAST RIP CURL PRO MEN'S EVENT CHAMPIONS
2006: Kelly Slater (USA)
2005: Trent Munro (AUS)
2004: Joel Parkinson (AUS)
2003: Andy Irons (HAW)
2002: Andy Irons (HAW)
2001: Mick Fanning (AUS)
2000: Sunny Garcia (HAW)
1999: Shane Dorian (HAW)
1998: Mark Occhilupo (AUS)
1997: Matt Hoy (AUS)
1996: Sunny Garcia (HAW)
1995: Sunny Garcia (HAW)
1994: Kelly Slater (USA)
1993: Damien Hardman (AUS)
1992: Richie Collins (USA)
1991: Barton Lynch (AUS)
1990: Tom Curren (USA)
1989: Martin Potter (GBR)
1988: Damien Hardman (AUS)
1987: Nicky Wood (AUS)
1986: Tom Carroll (AUS)
1985: Tom Curren (USA)
1984: Cheyne Horan (AUS)
1983: Joe Engel (AUS)
1982: Mark Richards (AUS)
1981: Simon Anderson (AUS)
1980: Mark Richards (AUS)
1979: Mark Richards (AUS)
1978: Mark Richards (AUS)
1977: Simon Anderson (AUS)
1976: Jeff Hackman (HAW)
1975: Michael Peterson (AUS)
1974: Michael Peterson (AUS)
1973: Michael Peterson (AUS)

PAST RIP CURL PRO WOMEN'S EVENT CHAMPIONS
2005: Sofia Mulanovich (PER)
2001: Neridah Falconer (AUS)
2000: Megan Abubo (HAW)
1999: Layne Beachley (AUS)
1998: Layne Beachley (AUS)
1997: Lisa Anderson (USA)
1996: Pauline Menczer (AUS)
1995: Lisa Anderson (USA)
1994: Layne Beachley (AUS)
1993: Pauline Menczer (AUS)
1992: Lisa Anderson (USA)
1991: Pauline Menczer (AUS)
1990: Lisa Anderson (USA)
1989: Wendy Botha (AUS)
1985: Frieda Zamba (USA)
1984: Frieda Zamba (USA)
1982: Debbie Beacham (USA)
1980: Margo Oberg (USA)
1979: Lynne Boyer (USA)
1978: Margo Oberg (USA)
1977: Margo Oberg (USA)

OFFICIAL RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH PRESS LAUNCH DETAILS

WHAT: Media Launch - 2007 Rip Curl Pro Surfing Festival at Bells Beach
WHERE: Bells Beach Carpark, Bells Beach
WHEN: Monday, April 2nd, 2007
TIME: 11am to 12.30pm
WHO: Kelly Slater, Andy Irons, Mick Fanning, Ben Dunn, Layne Beachley, Jessi Miley-Dyer, Stephanie Gilmore and Chelsea Hedges