Caitlin Simmers and Cole Houshmand secured their first Rip Curl Pro trophies in thrilling finals at Bells Beach

An 18-year-old sensation stunned onlookers at Bells Beach with a clutch performance in the dying seconds of a thrilling Rip Curl Pro final.

Caitlin Simmers after winning the Final at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. (Photo by Aaron Hughes/World Surf League)

Teenage phenom Caitlin Simmers defied “burning” legs and Cole Houshmand a broken board in the final to secure stunning victories at the Rip Curl Pro as the American duo both raised the iconic Bells Beach trophy for the first time.

Simmers grabbed victory and the world No.1 ranking in stunning fashion, reeling in Frenchwoman Johanne Defay in the final 20 seconds of a thrilling final at the longest running event on the World Surf League tour.

The 18-year-old America literally needed to nail the final wave and took advantage of a pivotal late mistake from Defay to secure a remarkable win and the yellow jersey in front of stunned onlookers on the beach.

Simmers took down defending world champ Caroline Marks in an all-American semi before a slow start in the final demanded a barnstorming finish and she blitzed two crucial waves in the final three minutes of the decider.

As the clocked ticked down through the final minute, Defay held the lead and priority. With 25 seconds left she took a wave that deteriorated, giving Simmers once final shot to score the 5.5 point ride she needed to get the win.

Caitlin Simmers left it late. Picture: Aaron Hughes/World Surf League

Given her chance, Simmers scorched her way across the 2m wave, nailing three perfect moves that the judges rewarded with a 6.67 and the victory to pick up her second win of the season.

“It was kind of luck,” Simmers, who won the opening event of the year in Hawaii, said.

“It was a really grindy final. It came down to that last wave, there was a three wave set and she went on the second one and somehow there was a third wave which gave me a good section.

“It’s everything you’ve thought about but in those moments you kind of don’t think you just do it. My legs were burning so bad.

“I’d just got my other wave, so my legs were heaving and I was paddling as fast as I could.

“I was almost too late for (the final wave). I feel like in this sport you always have to believe in yourself because this stuff happens.”

Make it 2! #CaitlinSimmers nabs her second win this year at the #RipCurlProBellsBeach! 🏆@ripcurl@[e-mail]/4vtyAee0cd

— World Surf League (@wsl) April 3, 2024

Simmers took the yellow jersey off Aussie Molly Picklum, while Defay missed her chance to be the first Bells winner from France.

On a day of double-delight for the US, tour rookie Houshmand then capped his golden run from the lower ranks to the top of the dais with a victory over great mate and world No.1 Griffin Colapinto in the men’s final, taking out his maiden victory.

Houshmand entered the Rip Curl Pro ranked 26th and looking to avoid the mid-season cut but stormed through the event and survived a broken board in the final which he needed to change to get his hands on the trophy which he rang loudly after it was handed to him.

“I was on a magic board and I buckled it in the quarter-final,” the 23-year-old from California said.

BELLS BEACH, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 3: Cole Houshmand of the United States after winning the Final at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach on April 3, 2024 at Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia. (Photo by Aaron Hughes/World Surf League)

“I got it fixed and when I hit the lip on one I felt it crack so I came straight in and honestly there was still so much time left. I wasn’t tripping too hard.

“I tried to stay in the moment and the board worked good.

“It doesn’t seem real. I have been visualising this every day for the past two or three weeks. It feels better than I visualised.

“I came into this event with all my focus on making a couple of heats to hopefully surf the back half of the year and I guess now I have my goals set on bigger things.

“It’s been a crazy week, I’ve been surfing against my heroes and my bets friends. I’m living my dream right now.”

The wins came after two successive lay days and in cold and windy conditions that were the exact opposite of how the competition began last week.