BELLS BEACH, Aus.— Round 1 of the Rip Curl Pro presented by Snickers saw proven Bells Beach performers dominate proceedings in the 4-to 6-foot and slightly onshore conditions on offer today.

Former champions and perennial Top 5 Foster’s ASP World Tour surfers Kelly Slater, Andy Irons, Joel Parkinson and Mick Fanning made their way through the opening round of the event with ease and will advance straight to Round 3.

Slater and Parkinson, both of whom made the Rip Curl Pro final last year, tied for the day’s highest single wave score: 9.17 out of 10.00.

Slater may have come out on top last year, but the eight-time world champ pointed to Parkinson as the surfer to beat after watching him the heat before.

“He did a really nice cutback to finish his 9.17 off,” Slater said. “He disappeared going back into the white water and then flew out again — it was a good ride. Parko has got to expect to do well here, if you look at his record in the past five years - it’s better then anybody’s.”

Parkinson, who won the Rip Curl Pro in 2004, finished equal 5th in the first event of the year on the Gold Coast and is looking to back up that result with a similar or better finish at Bells.

“I definitely consider this event one of my strengths and I love surfing down here,” Parkinson said. “Every year I seem to pull a result out of here. I can’t count my chickens yet but I’ll try my hardest.”

read more …

(Source: Kauai Garden Island News)

Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach 2007