The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy, Stop No. 5 of the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), kicked off today with the completion of the women’s Opening Round. The Bells Bowl delivered super clean surf in the three-to-four-foot range before the high tide swallowed the surf, and only one heat into the men’s Opening Round, the competition was put on standby until tomorrow. Before the event was called off for the day, some iconic guests made their appearances in specialty heats as the beach filled with Easter Weekend fans. The next call will be tomorrow, Saturday, April 19, at 6:45 a.m. AEST for a possible 7:03 a.m. start.
Rip Curl has launched its most advanced surf and tide watch yet – the Search GPS3, with a reimagined Rip Curl Search GPS iOS app for Apple Watch.
“Whether you’re chasing perfect conditions or reliving your latest surf session, this next-gen surf tech gives surfers everything they need—right on their wrist. The Rip Curl Search GPS3 Watch offers advanced metrics like paddle count, wave speed, and distance travelled, alongside real-time surf conditions powered by the experts at Surfline.
“Since launching the first GPS surf and tide watch in 2014, Rip Curl has tracked over 25 million waves across 2,400 beaches globally, in 76 different countries.
“We’re stoked to finally launch the new Search GPS3 watch, packed with next-level surf and tide features,” said Michael Choma, Senior Designer of Product, Experience & Innovation at Rip Curl. “Now, with the Search GPS app available on Apple Watch, even more surfers can experience this groundbreaking technology and become part of a global surfing community.”
Designed for life in and out of the water, the Rip Curl Search GPS3 Watch is thinner, lighter, and more durable than previous models. It features a vibrant high-resolution colour display, added fitness tracking (including step count, calorie burn, and goal setting), an on-wrist logbook, and seamless phone syncing via the new Rip Curl Search GPS iOS app.
The Rip Curl Search GPS iOS app can now be downloaded on Apple Watch for the very first time, transforming it into an advanced surf tracking device. Apple Watch users can relive their sessions, compare statistics with friends, check out the pro’s latest surfs, and share their experiences on social media. With an estimated 1.7 million surfers owning Apple Watches, the new app is set to expand Rip Curl’s reach and connect with an entirely new community.
Additionally, the Rip Curl Search GPS iOS app offers a leaderboard-style competition called ‘Boss of the Break,’ where surfers can compete against others at their local surf spots. This feature is designed to foster friendly competition and a sense of community with others who surf the same break. Surfers can also create their own virtual leagues to compete against their friends all around the world.
With both free and premium subscription options available, surfers can choose the plan that best fits their needs. The Rip Curl Search GPS3 Watch is available for purchase at Rip Curl stores and online at www.ripcurl.com for $349.99 AUD as of April 18. The Search GPS iOS app is available to download now via the Apple App Store.
Filmmaker and narrator Uriel Jean Armel sets out to document what it means to live with purpose. Along the way, iconic surfers including Tom Carroll, who turned his struggle with addiction into a gift, and rising voices for activism and awareness through surfing like Koa Smith and Pacha Light share their own stories of transformation.
The first ever World Surf League (WSL) Pro Junior event is coming to the Northwest of Ireland in September 2025.
Bundoran, April 2025.
The Saltwater Festival is set to make history in Irish Surfing as it brings the first World Surf League (WSL) event to Northwest Ireland this September. The four-day competition will take place from 4–7 September 2025 in Bundoran.
Organised as part of Saltwater Festival, the high profile surf event will feature over 100 of the top under-21 male and female surfers from across Europe, competing in the European leg of the World Tour.
Entries for the competition will open on the World Surf League website from 9am this Thursday.
Grace Doyle
“This is huge for Irish surfing and recognition of the quality of surf, the talent emerging in Ireland and the importance of surfing along the Wild Atlantic Way” said Pete Craig one of the Organisers of the event.
The main competition will be held at the iconic wave “The Peak” in Bundoran, with Tullan Strand, and Strandhill designated as backup locations.
Rob Gunning World Surf League, Joan Crawford Failte Ireland, Daniel Browne and Pete Craig Saltwater Festival, Shane Smyth Donegal Tourism, Ryan Vail Saltwater Festival at the Iconic Surf spot The Peak in Bundoran which will host the first ever World Surf League Pro Junior event to be held in Ireland this September
The World Surf League (WSL) is renowned for organising and promoting professional surfing competitions worldwide. Now, Ireland’s coastline will serve as the next stage for young surfing talents, further strengthening the country’s reputation on the global surfing scene.
“WSL Europe are very excited to be part of this new project ! For the first time we will be taking our athletes to Ireland and the exceptional quality waves of Bundoran. Adding such a stop to our European Junior Series is a great plus for us and our members”, said Rob Gunning, The WSL Europe Tour Manager.
“The European Junior Pro Series is very important to the development of the future surfing stars of Ireland and Europe as a whole. I would like to thank the organizers, Failtes Ireland, Bundoran and all the event partners who have made this inaugural event possible. I am certain it will be a great show and a great platform to show the world the waves and surfing talent Ireland has to offer.’ added Gunning.
Josh Karbus
Over the weekend Strandhill will also see the “Expression Session” surf event for contestants from the World Surf League event to take on the top Irish Surfers creating a unique opportunity for Irish surfers to take on the professionals.
The same weekend will also see the European Surf Ski Championships held in Easkey Co Sligo with over 100 competitors from across Europe battling it out on another of the region’s iconic waves.
In Rossnowlagh, the Liquid Therapy Open Day will see Liquid Therapy, the award winning charity, welcoming surfers with special needs into the Atlantic waters, celebrating diversity and inclusivity in surfing.
“The stretch of coastline from Easkey to Strandhill and Bundoran to Rossnowlagh along the south of Donegal Bay is one of the best stretches of coast in the world for surfing. With Saltwater we want to celebrate and honour that and the unique Irish surf culture that has emerged”, said Pete.
Running alongside the WSL event, the Saltwater Festival will celebrate coastal life with a diverse lineup of beach sports events, food experiences, film screenings, and a music trail, offering an unforgettable experience for attendees.
Proudly supported by Fáilte Ireland, Donegal County Council, and the Wild Atlantic Way, Saltwater aims to be the heartbeat of this celebration, bringing the spirit of Ireland’s west coast to life in the country’s surfing capital.
SAS latest Water Quality Report reveals that sewage is being dumped into our rivers and seas on a scale that defies belief—and the people who should be stopping it are cashing in instead.
592,478 sewage dumps pouring into UK waterways for over 4.7 million hours.
£1.2 billion handed to water company shareholders while our health and planet pay the price.
2,487 pollution incidents in England—more than double the target set by the Environment Agency.
Over a quarter of adults in England are so fed up they’ve considered not paying their water bills.
While private water companies handed £1.2 billion to shareholders, they also dumped 4.7 million hours of sewage into our waterways in 2024. That’s 592,478 spills in just one year.
At the same time, water bills are rising, targets are being missed, and public trust is circling the drain. Over a quarter of adults in England are so fed up, they’ve considered not paying their water bills.
Pepoe are getting sick.
A fact know since the first SAS health surveys back inhere 1990
The SAS Safer Seas & Rivers Service App received 1,853 illness reports from water users in 2024 alone—that’s five people a day getting sick after entering polluted water.
331 people saw a doctor
79% were told their illness was caused by sewage
From gastro bugs to chest infections, even hospitalisations and heart surgery—the human cost is staggering.
The report uncovers
592,478 sewage dumps pouring into UK waterways for over 4.7 million hours.
£1.2 billion handed to water company shareholders while our health and planet pay the price.
2,487 pollution incidents in England—more than double the target set by the Environment Agency.
Over a quarter of adults in England are so fed up they’ve considered not paying their water bills.
Saturday the 12th of April saw the Scottish Junior National Surfing Championships return to Fraserburgh on what would be the 50th Anniversary of Scottish Surfing Federation. The first ever Scottish national event first run in the Broch back in 1974.
A closely tracked weather system in the week leading up to the event was studied and the event was eventually called ON midweek, by event hosts Broch Surf Club, with signs of a favourable 2-3ft north swell forecast at main beach on the Saturday.
Competitors, judges & officials assembled at main beach Fraserburgh as the sun was rising welcomed by a lone Catamaran silhouette in the bay with clean blissful head high lines peeling onto the shoreline.
The Scottish National Junior Surfing Championships 2025 were well and truly on, with a busy day ahead to crown our 2025 National champions.
First heat was underway at around 07:30, a testament to the slick background support network, with the well-oiled machine now that is Scottish Surfing.
Under 18 Girls were first in the water with local shredder Lola Mitchell starting strong. Early surprise exit from the event was (North Shore Surf Club) and reigning Scottish Under 18 champion Olivia Mackay, surfing well in the event but just falling short in what was arguably the toughest heat draw in the event. Beatrix Brown now residing in Algarve Portugal along with Callie Cruickshank (Broch Surf Club) and Athena Santoris (Edinburgh & Borders Surf Club) progressing through to the Under 18 Girls Final.
The Boys Under 18 early rounds followed with some standout performances from Israel Noble (Broch Surf Club), Tam Hood, Ansel Parkin, Rudi Forrest & Charlie Pugh (all of Belhaven Surf Club) with all progressing through the rounds and into the Under 18 Boys final bar Charlie Pugh.
By late morning the sun was out and the temperatures on the beach were reaching the high teens. Crowds of spectators gathered throughout the day on what felt was a festival like atmosphere along the beach promenade, welcomed by background music from Iain Pugh @ vision events and the legend that is Scot Surf as MC for the day relaying the scores to the competitors & spectators alike.
The favourable conditions all morning allowed the young athletes to showcase their skills and display some real high performance & progressive surfing.
Under 16 Girls were next up in the water and it was the local duo of Callie Cruickshank and Lola Mitchell both of Broch Surf Club making the most of their local knowledge to progress comfortably through the early rounds along with Erin Paterson and Rae Hood both of (Belhaven Surf Club) into the under 16 Girls Final.
The Under 16 Boys was arguably the most hotly contested and most exciting category of the event with a real depth of talent in this age group. Local Broch Surf Club surfers Gabriel Noble and Kai Cruickshank were dangerous draws in the event, using their local knowledge and positioning to their advantage, mixed up with progressive surfing approach they made their way to the Under 16 Boys final along with Ansel Parkin and Tam Hood (both Belhaven Surf Club). Special mention to Kai Cruickshank, aged at only 12 years, stepping up a division was really making a statement to the older athletes that he is one to watch in the future.
The lunchtime high tide provided the Under 14 division an opportunity to showcase their skills to the large assembling crowd. The raised level promenade and the soars of spectators and supporters created an amphitheatre like environment and made for a brilliant atmosphere.
Great early performances from young North Shore Surf Club duo Scarlett Heddle and Skye Brock paved their way to the U14 Final along with event favourite Maya Kobedza (Sandend Surf Club) and Belhaven Surf Clubs Erin Paterson. Unfortunately for young shredder Rae Hood (Belhaven Surf Club) who picked up an ankle injury mid event and had to retire. Heal up quickly Rae and big thanks to our water safety on the day Martin Mcqueenie for looking after our competitors.
Over 45 x 20 minute heats progressed like clockwork throughout the day with thanks to the legendary beach marshals Marcelle Lockhart & Claire Mackay, keeping us all on our toes and a welcoming smile !
The national finals kicked off around 14:00, with the tide dropping out and the swell decaying. Waves remained very consistent in the shoulder high region but a stiffening south east breeze made for trickier conditions. Wave selection, equipment selection and good use of tactical priority would prove to be key in securing the sought after Scottish National Junior Titles.
The Under 12 division kicked us off to crown our national surfing champions. It was a 2 way affair with Oscar Morgan (Aberdeen Surf Club) and Reuben Milbourne (Tiree Surf Club) battling it out for the top prize, with Oscar securing the win ahead of Reuben, Skye Brock (North Shore Surf Club) and younger brother Finn Morgan (Aberdeen Surf Club). This young age groups always provides great entertainment to the parents and spectators, congratulations to you all for pulling on the competitors vests. Keep up the good work, we can see massive improvements on your abilities, young shredders !
Under 12
1 Oscar Morgan (ASC)
2 Reuben Milbourne (TSC)
3 Skye Brock (NSSC)
4 Finn Morgan (ASC)
Erin Paterson (Belhaven Surf Club) surfed her way to victory in the Under 14 Girls final with some smart surfing and excellent wave selection besting Maya Kobedza (Sandend Surf Club) into 2nd, Scarlett Heddle (North Shore Surf Club) 3rd and Skye Brock (North Shore Surf Club) into 4th. It really is great to see the high numbers in young female athletes entering our events in Scotland. Well done to you all and keep up the good work.
Kai Cruickshank (Broch Surf Club) kicked off the Under 14 Boys by dropping a massive 6.5 in the early seconds of the Under 14 Boys final placing early pressure on his fellow finalists. Followed up with some solid backup scores Kai kept solid distance on his competitors with smart heat strategy to secure the win over Joel Christopherson (Belhaven Surf Club), Aidan Innes (Broch Surf Club) and reigning champion Sebastian Ballantyne (Broch Surf Club).
Under 14 Boys
1 Kai Cruickshank (BSC)
2 Joel Cristopherson (BHSC)
3 Aidan Innes (BSC)
4 Sebastian Ballantyne (BSC)
The U16 Girls final was a relatively slow affair with (Broch Surf Clubs) Lola Mitchell & Callie Cruickshank keeping busier than the (Belhaven Surf Club) competitors Erin Paterson (BHSC) and Rae Hood BSC. A relatively slow and starved heat for waves and limited scoring potential made for a nail biting finish with Callie Cruickshank edging it over Lola Mitchell for the win with Erin Paterson (Belhaven Surf Club in 3rd and Rae Hood (Belhaven Surf Club in 4th).
Under 16 Girls
1 Callie Cruickshank (BSC)
2 Lola Mitchell (BSC)
3 Erin Paterson (BHSC)
4 Rae Hood (BHSC)
With the swell energy and size decreasing, Gabriel Noble (Broch Surf Club) opted for a board swap for his Under 16 boys final choosing a flatter, fuller volume design which would prove to be a good tactical move. Gabe started strong with great wave choice blasting some long walls with some high performance turns in the tight pockets. Tactical board selection, high level surfing and excellent wave selection proved too much for the others and Gabriel deservedly took the win over Tam Hood (Belhaven Surf Club), Kai Cruickshank (Broch Surf Club) in 3rd and Ansel Parkin (Belhaven Surf Club) in 4th.
U16 Boys
1 Gabriel Noble (BSC)
2 Tam Hood (BHSC)
3 Kai Cruickshank (BSC)
4 Ansel Parkin (BHSC)
In the Under 18 Girls Final Callie Cruickshank (Broch Surf Club) stayed busy with a 12 wave count in the 20 minute final. Learning from her earlier slow Under 16 Final Callie showed determination to create scores in the deteriorating conditions. Steadily building score after score Callie was able to see out the Under 18 Girls final with the win to make it an impressive Under 16 & Under 18 National Champion double. Beatrix Brown (Algarve Surf Club) made an interference mistake in the latter stages of the final dropping her into 3rd place with Lola Mitchell (Broch Surf Club) 2nd and Athena Santoris (EBSC) 4th
Under 18 Girls
1 Callie Cruickshank (BSC)
2 Lola Mitchell (BSC)
3 Beatrix Brown (ASC)
4 Athena Santoris (EBSC)
It was Broch Surf Clubs Israel Noble who took the Under 18 boys win, securing the Scottish junior National title ahead of Ansel Parkin, Tam Hood and Rudi Johnston (all of Belhaven Surf Club). Israel showed great agility throughout the event and in the U18 final where his vertical approach and high risk turns were the difference between himself and the other competitors. It was an extremely tight final with less than 1 point separating the top 3 but Israel did enough to hold out for the win. It made for a great day for the Noble clan with brother Gabriel also picking up the Under 16 Boys Title.
U18 Boys
1 Israel Noble (BSC)
2 Ansel Parkin (BHSC)
3 Tam Hood (BHSC)
4 Rudi Johnston (BHSC)
A massive thank you from Scottish Surfing & Broch Surf Club and to all who supported this event to make it a massive success.
Fat Man Skinny Camera, Duncan McLachlan and Malcolm Anderson for the photos.
Malcolm Anderson for the video edit
ST Tyres
Moira Wharton Driving School
Broch Skate Club
Jamie Bain Properties
The Gift Boutique
Blackhouse Watersports
Lost Shore Resort
Far Cabinet Makers
National Lottery Scotland – Awards for All
Far Cabinet Makers
Well done to all the competitors and congratulations to all the newly crowned National Junior Champions.
