The bell has told and we’ve completed the marathon that was the 2010 Ripcurl Pro.

Well it’s all done and dusted. The bell has told and we’ve completed the marathon that was the 2010 Ripcurl Pro. I use the term “marathon” not only due to the gruelling two weeks of travelling and hunting for waves but also due to the sense of accomplishment you feel after running all the way to the final day of the waiting period. Here is how it went down:

The call was made early this morning to head down to Johanna, there was an initial fence sit as to whether or not the boys would actually surf but we jumped into the trusty Tracks Commodore and headed down, optimistic that today would see the Ripcurl Pro wrap up.

After countless jokes were made in regards to Kelly Slaters encounter with a kangaroo on a trip to Johanna a few years back, karma reared it’s head and a roo jumped out at us on a wet windy road. Thanks to the expert driving of Tracks senior photog Nathan Smith, both the roo and the Tracks crew remained safe but equally rattled. Upon our arrival we were met with two to three foot waves and they were going to run all the way through. YES! We would see a winner today!

Ode to the Kangaroo

Prior to the clash of the titans, Tom Curren was spotted way up the beach hidden in a rocky outcrop. He would pop in and out like a rabbit in its burrow. Not even one of his replicated Tommy Peterson channel bottoms could entice him out of his hidey-hole. The Tommy Peterson fish however did gather a lot of attention from the punters, who were furiously writing down dimensions, taking photos and generally ogling at it.

The day however belonged to King Kelly Slater. Reports of Kelly breaking his foot free surfing at Bells tore through the contest site a few days ago. “He can barely walk,” said Quiksilver pit boss Steve Bell. Kelly arrived on the beach at Johanna with a definite hobble that’s for sure but the beach was divided as to whether or not the limp was real or purely genius mind game. Kelly furthered speculation when he hit the water for his first heat against Michel Bourez and dominated the line up. In the Quarters, Joel Parkinson seemed a little rattled when Bobby Martinez chose to surf a much better looking left up the beach. After three false starts, Joel then paddled over to the left only to paddle back down to the right in the dying minutes of the heat.

Punter scores the latest Tracks and some artwork to go with it.

Victoria is truly the land of four seasons. Early in the day you could’ve excused the surfers for wearing board shorts, as it was about 100 degrees on the beach. By the time Kelly and Bede faced off in the Quarters, it was freezing and h2o poured from the heavens almost as if to wash away any doubt we might have of Kelly being able to surf with a busted foot. With each heat Kelly annihilated, came claims of “bullshit, noway he has a broken foot” from the crowd.

In the semis Mick Fanning seemed to really hit his straps and in a see sawing heat, he nudged out an inform Taj Burrow. Bobby Martinez chose not to surf the left had had surfed earlier against Joel and Kelly capitalised. It was to be Mick versus Kelly in the final.Prior to final we saw Tom Curren finally hit the water to surf against Occy in a forth “Clash of the titans” heat. The score may very well be settled as Tom surfed both the rights and the lefts with reckless abandon that would’ve won him nearly any other heat that day.

Mick, replaying that alley-oop over and over.

Half way through the final and the bell was Micks, with two fairly high scores to his name. After surfing four heats that day, no one really thought an injured Kelly could catch him. We thought wrong. Mick gave Kelly a wave under his priority and it proved to seal his fate. Kelly launched into a reckless; one footed alley-oop and then disappeared into the white wash for what seemed like three and a half minutes before popping out, still standing. Kelly was in striking distance and with six minutes to go it was Mick chasing a 9.86 for the win. It wasn’t to be and lord Kelly Slater takes his fourth Bell and equals the record set by Mark Richards.

His lordship and his bell.

Those who weathered the storm and stayed on for the presso were given the chance to have a ring of Kelly’s bell, simply because “It has never been done before”.

Now how many people can say that they have had a ring of Kelly’s bell?