Rio Curl Pro Bells Beach results: Owen Wright, Jack Robinson impress

Sally Fitzgibbons is battling to keep her world title dreams alive but, just like Kelly Slater, she has the competitive desire to compete into her 40s.

Sally Fitzgibbons prepares for the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach. Credit: Courtesy WSL

Retiring Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Owen Wright says there is no pressure on him to perform despite outdueling reigning World Surf League champion Filipe Toledo at Bells Beach on Thursday.

Showing little signs of rust despite not competing on the Championship Tour in almost a year, Wright punched in scores of 6.17 and 6.67 to best 2022 Bells Beach champ Toledo in their early heat.

The 33-year-old, who last month announced he would retire from competitive surfing after his wildcard entry this week, has never ventured beyond the quarter-final stage at the iconic Victorian beach break.

Eleven-time WSL Champion Kelly Slater in action.

Wright hasn’t featured on the CT since missing last year’s mid-season cut but was handed a wildcard to Bells as a fitting career farewell for a longtime fan favourite.

It would take a monumental charge for him to ring the bell this week, but the four-time CT event winner said he was happy to just ride the wave in his final competitive event.

“It feels great, just coming in (after) being out of the rashie for a while, I feel like I slotted straight back in (to) the heat and it’s just pretty special being my last event and getting a heat win like that,” Wright said.

“Whatever happens I’ll just put my best foot forward. It’s nice to start like that.

“I think in the past I’ve kinda stumbled at the quarter-finals round, there’s been some tricky conditions … hopefully, maybe just with a little bit less pressure on myself, being a wildcard, we’ll see what happens.”

Wright was one of eight Australians – including world number one Jack Robinson – to book direct entry into the Round of 32.

Aussie Xavier Huxtable.

Robinson dominated his heat featuring surfing legend, Kelly Slater.

The yellow jersey holder headed fellow Aussie Xavier Huxtable, who caught a crucial wave in the final seconds of the heat to send four-time Bells Beach champ Slater into the elimination round.

“I saw Kelly walk down (to the beach) and I thought, ‘All right, this is motivating’,” Robinson said.

Ethan Ewing, Ryan Callinan, Dylan Moffat and Jackson Baker also topped their respective heats, while Morgan Cibilic eased through with just 0.07 points to spare.

Robinson’s heat win makes him mathematically clear of the mid-season cut.

“Yeah, stoked,” he said.

“Back to square one (now). The job remains the same. Stay on the mission.

“I’ve been away so long, so I’m really happy just to be back in Australia.”

Owen Wright cuts in.

Meanwhile, Sally Fitzgibbons and Steph Gilmore both kept their mid-season cut hopes alive with crucial heat victories on Thursday afternoon.

Fitzgibbons, who sits on the cusp of the top 10, posted the highest score of the day and sent defending Bells Beach champ Tyler Wright into the elimination round in the process.

Gilmore had to wait until the late afternoon to hit the water but looked at home in the surf, posting a second-best 16.16 to clinch a spot in the next round.

The eight-time world champion needs to bank big points at Bells and the upcoming Margaret River to stay on the CT in 2023.

Someone who doesn’t have to worry about the cut is world number one Molly Picklum, who secured her place in the end of season calculations by topping a tight heat featuring fellow Aussie, Macy Callaghan.

FACING THE CUT: SALLY’S BATTLE FOR SURF SURVIVAL

Todd Balym

Sally Fitzgibbons admits the pressure is all-consuming, but equally, it’s all she’s ever wanted and the reason she wants to keep competing for at least another decade.

One of Australia’s highest profile surfers is currently logged in a dogged battle not just to survive the World Surf League mid-season cut, but keep her Paris 2024 Olympic dream alive.

As the WSL heads to infamous Bells Beach for the Rip Curl Pro starting Tuesday, 11th ranked Fitzgibbons joins eight-times world champion Steph Gilmore (14th) and former world No. 2 Courtney Conlogue (12th) among the big names facing being dumped from the tour if they can’t rise inside the top 10 after the next two events.

If that pressure wasn’t intense enough the 2023 season also doubles as Olympic qualification and for Fitzgibbons, who currently serves on the IOC Olympic Programme Commission, missing Paris 2024 would be a devastating blow.

Sally Fitzgibbons needs a good result at Bells to move into the top ten. Picture: Getty Images

But rather than fear of failure, she likens the feeling to the same adrenaline she felt when in the grips of fighting for a world title.

“Yeah there’s a lot on the line,” she said.

“You try not to throw everything out of the kitchen sink, you’ve got to really trust as the pressure builds that you have the experience and you’ve been here before.

“It’s just so immediate, once you look at the cut, oh gosh it’s this event and the next and it’s all on the line.

“That is what I love most about sport, when I watch sport and it’s any code there’s like that moment it’s all on the line, it’s so clutch, that do or die battle.

“So now surfing has that you have to embrace it. It never feels comfortable but after all these years it’s cool to have that outlet where you feel like a rookie.

Fitzgibbons claimed her maiden ASP Women's World Title event win, taking out the Rip Curl Women's Pro at Bells Beach in 2011. Picture: ASP

“The best thing is I have been through this cycle last year (missing the cut) and it is hard.

“But you definitely can’t dodge it that’s for sure. You’re going to think about it every single day, when you go to bed, when you wake up, when you go to training so you need to get to know each other (the pressure) and once you sort of call it out, it is so much pressure and it does feel scary, then it seems to just dissipate a little bit and you get on with the job.

“My experience even being in the No. 1 spot or the cut bubble, it really is the same emotional experience. As soon as you get close to the thing you want the most, that world title, man your adrenaline is just pulsing all day and all you’re trying to do is calm yourself down all day because it is just so close and you want it so bad.”

The equation for Fitzgibbons is simple. Like Gilmore, she needs consistent semi-final or better performances over the next two stops at Bells and Margaret River to feel secure of continuing on the world tour.

Fitzgibbons is a sports nut, and has taken inspiration from golf’s Netflix series Full Swing which has profiled athletes like Rory McIlroy who rediscovered winning touch many years between major triumphs.

It’s especially inspiring considering Fitzgibbons won Bells in 2012 and her last tour victory came over a year ago.

“I liken it to that McIlroy example, a few of them came on and won majors straight away in their career then its been like eight years between drinks and just the discipline and focus it takes,” she said.

Sally Fitzgibbons competes during the heats of the 2022 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. Picture: World Surf League

“If it’s only been what a season and a half since the win at Rottnest, for us that’s not that long ago so you kind of keep hope and faith.”

But even if she cops the mid-season chop, the 32-year-old insists she has the backing from her sponsors like Harvey Norman to continue her long career and she is nowhere near the end of her journey.

“I can’t wait to open up in the jersey and just do some more surfing,” she said.

“The worst case is this cut thing doesn’t work out but there is so much surfing on the other side of that too.

“It’s not as if it’s going to hold me back from suiting up and competing, I just feel like I’m going to be doing that for a bit longer.

“The landscape has changed so much, like you show up in the locker room and there are 16-year-olds like half your age and they have a new take on it, they’ve got fire and confidence.

“So it’s can you re-energise and reshape your own surfing.

“We’ve always got the ultimate leader in Kelly Slater is still showing up and he has had to do that over three generations of people so there is no excuses, it is possible.

“I’d love to (surf competitively into my 40s). If not you get closer to Brissie (2032 Olympics) and I would just love to be part of that and helping the team. Where surfing is going it has all these avenues to still be involved.

“I will just go as long as my body can hold up.”