Stab Magazine | Alana Blanchard, Bells Beach, Victoria

Live Now — Episode 3 Of Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico

108 Views

Alana Blanchard, Bells Beach, Victoria

Alana Blanchard beat Steph Gilmore in round one of the Rip Curl Pro, Bells Beach yesterday. Meaning, she bounces straight to round three. How about that? Alana is surfing with more gusto than ever this year, and as you’re certainly aware, she also has a new man in her life, Jack Freestone. D’you think having a young surfer of Jack’s calibre in her corner is helping? “Her surfing is looking spicy,” says Ryan Miller, who shot this photo during her heat yesterday. “And I accredit it all to Jack Freestone. All the girls on tour have coaches and some of their coaches are really good at heat strategy, time management and wave selection, but none of them are progressive young surfers. Jack is the only coach/caddy on the women’s tour that can legitimately rip at today’s level. Look at Alana here putting the fins above the lip on some shitty soft Bells wall. Freestone was coaching her into that for sure.” The men’s event starts today, like, right now, so get over there. Up first is Matt Wilkinson, Gabs Medina and Raoni Monteiro. And we’re back in! RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 1 RESULTS: Heat 1: Silvana Lima (BRA) 15.83, Laura Enever (AUS) 7.56, Courtney Conlogue (USA) 5.33Heat 2: Alana Blanchard (HAW) 15.37, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.50, Sage Erickson (USA) 14.80Heat 3: Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 16.27, Tyler Wright (AUS) 16.16, Malia Manuel (HAW) 12.10Heat 4: Carissa Moore (HAW) 19.43, Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 15.17, Paige Hareb (NZL) 13.57Heat 5: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 18.07, Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 11.86, Rebecca Woods (AUS) 11.26Heat 6: Lakey Peterson (USA) 17.66, Coco Ho (HAW) 15.13, Pauline Ado (FRA) 12.83 RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS: Heat 1: Laura Enever (AUS) vs. Malia Manuel (HAW)Heat 2: Coco Ho (HAW) vs. Pauline Ado (FRA)Heat 3: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Sofia Mulanovich (PER)Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Rebecca Woods (AUS)Heat 5: Courtney Conlogue (USA) vs. Sage Erickson (USA)Heat 6: Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) vs. Paige Hareb (NZL) RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS: Heat 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Raoni Monteiro (BRA)Heat 2: Julian Wilson (AUS), Kai Otton (AUS), Patrick Gudauskas (USA)Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Willian Cardoso (BRA)Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS), Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Oney Anwar (IDN)Heat 5: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Brett Simpson (USA), Jack Perry (AUS)Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA), Adam Melling (AUS), Jacob Wilcox (AUS)Heat 7: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Alejo Muniz (BRA), Tiago Pires (PRT)Heat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS), Damien Hobgood (USA), Dusty Payne (HAW)Heat 9: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Travis Logie (ZAF), Nat Young (USA)Heat 10: Michel Bourez (PYF), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Filipe Toledo (BRA)Heat 11: Owen Wright (AUS), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Glenn Hall (IRL)Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF), C.J. Hobgood (USA), Kolohe Andino (USA)

full frame // Mar 8, 2016
Words by Stab
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Alana Blanchard beat Steph Gilmore in round one of the Rip Curl Pro, Bells Beach yesterday. Meaning, she bounces straight to round three. How about that? Alana is surfing with more gusto than ever this year, and as you’re certainly aware, she also has a new man in her life, Jack Freestone. D’you think having a young surfer of Jack’s calibre in her corner is helping? “Her surfing is looking spicy,” says Ryan Miller, who shot this photo during her heat yesterday. “And I accredit it all to Jack Freestone. All the girls on tour have coaches and some of their coaches are really good at heat strategy, time management and wave selection, but none of them are progressive young surfers. Jack is the only coach/caddy on the women’s tour that can legitimately rip at today’s level. Look at Alana here putting the fins above the lip on some shitty soft Bells wall. Freestone was coaching her into that for sure.”

The men’s event starts today, like, right now, so get over there. Up first is Matt Wilkinson, Gabs Medina and Raoni Monteiro. And we’re back in!

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: 
Silvana Lima (BRA) 15.83, Laura Enever (AUS) 7.56, Courtney Conlogue (USA) 5.33
Heat 2: Alana Blanchard (HAW) 15.37, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 14.50, Sage Erickson (USA) 14.80
Heat 3: Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 16.27, Tyler Wright (AUS) 16.16, Malia Manuel (HAW) 12.10
Heat 4: Carissa Moore (HAW) 19.43, Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 15.17, Paige Hareb (NZL) 13.57
Heat 5: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 18.07, Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 11.86, Rebecca Woods (AUS) 11.26
Heat 6: Lakey Peterson (USA) 17.66, Coco Ho (HAW) 15.13, Pauline Ado (FRA) 12.83

RIP CURL WOMEN’S PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: 
Laura Enever (AUS) vs. Malia Manuel (HAW)
Heat 2: Coco Ho (HAW) vs. Pauline Ado (FRA)
Heat 3: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Sofia Mulanovich (PER)
Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Rebecca Woods (AUS)
Heat 5: Courtney Conlogue (USA) vs. Sage Erickson (USA)
Heat 6: Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) vs. Paige Hareb (NZL)

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: 
Gabriel Medina (BRA), Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 2: Julian Wilson (AUS), Kai Otton (AUS), Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Willian Cardoso (BRA)
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS), Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Oney Anwar (IDN)
Heat 5: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Brett Simpson (USA), Jack Perry (AUS)
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA), Adam Melling (AUS), Jacob Wilcox (AUS)
Heat 7: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Alejo Muniz (BRA), Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 8: Josh Kerr (AUS), Damien Hobgood (USA), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 9: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Travis Logie (ZAF), Nat Young (USA)
Heat 10: Michel Bourez (PYF), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Heat 11: Owen Wright (AUS), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Glenn Hall (IRL)
Heat 12: Jordy Smith (ZAF), C.J. Hobgood (USA), Kolohe Andino (USA)

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Fiji Has Its First Professional Surfer, And He’s Unbelievable

16-year-old James Kusitino’s incomprehensible tube lounging leads to a deal with Former.

Jul 5, 2025

Laird Hamilton on The Limitations of Being a Purist, Invention vs. Ownership + Why He Never Had a Sticker Deal 

Untold stories from his How Surfers Get Paid interview.

Jul 4, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 3

"The tribe has spoken," Dane Reynolds pronounced, and a surfer's torch was snuffed.

Jul 3, 2025

When Surfer’s Eye Is Actually Cancer

Erin Campbell's brutal journey from surf camp dreams to chemo drops, cryotherapy, and surgical horror.

Jul 3, 2025

Surfing’s 2025 Q2 Report

An assessment of surfing's vital signs throughout the second quarter of 2025.

Jul 2, 2025

What Actually Happened to Occy’s Mad Max Plunger Pool In Yeppoon?

Surf Lakes’ brass talks: internet hecklers, the unplugging of the plunger, and the Tom Curren…

Jul 2, 2025

Poor Goofy Foots 

Data shows that the world is stacked against goofs — they even make 15% less money than…

Jul 1, 2025

Britain’s First Wavepool Has Closed — What Really Happened?

Bankruptcy, social media hackings, debts unpaid — and yet, reopening looms.

Jul 1, 2025

Watch: Was Matt Meola’s Air Actually Better Than Hughie’s?

Watch the full Swatch Nines highlight reel and decide.

Jun 30, 2025

Houshmand Bludgeons Field To Win Second CT — Molly Picklum Tastes Blood, Snatches World #1 In Brazil

You can't argue with big surfing — that's Saquarema wrapped.

Jun 29, 2025

37 Years Old And World #1 — What’s Changed For Jordy Smith?

On rediscovering decades old surfboard templates, having a personality on the CT, and why this…

Jun 27, 2025

Tom Lowe Stars in ‘Let Me Live’

The wild, improbable ascent of Britain’s best big-wave surfer.

Jun 27, 2025

Saq Wrap: Italo Celebrates Mid-Heat, Griff Drops A Freestyle, Jordy + Yago Continue BBQing 20-YOs

Top seeds sow ruin, Final 5 starts to crystallize.

Jun 27, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 2

Our seven surviving surfers confront an oddly large California beach break.

Jun 26, 2025

SEOTY: The ‘Once-In-A-Decade’ Caribbean Swell That Kelly Slater Passed On

Michael Dunphy stars in Jimmicane's 'Blue Veil'

Jun 25, 2025

Who Owns Bingin? Legal Fight To Stop Demolition Begins

Eviction notices served for all businesses built on state land.

Jun 25, 2025

Tony Hawk Just Named Hughie Vaughan’s Internet-Breaking Air Because… No One Else Can

89% of our IG poll respondents claimed the 'stale fish flipper' was the best air…

Jun 25, 2025

German Surfers: AN INVESTIGATION

Truth is the light by which the world can see. 

Jun 24, 2025
Advertisement