Mick Fanning Awarded Bells Wildcard
Three-time World Champion Mick Fanning has been awarded the event wildcard for the upcoming Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, the fourth stop on the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Championship Tour (CT), which holds a competition window from April 10 to April 20, 2022.
“Bells is the wildcard I really wanted,” Fanning said. “Obviously, I did Narrabeen last year but Bells is the one I was really aiming for. It’s a place that is really close to my heart, and if I was ever going to take a wildcard, it would be there, so I’m pretty fired up.
Fanning was awarded the event wildcard through the event’s title partner, Rip Curl. Five other surfers were called into the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach to replace injured athletes.
Bronte Macaulay will continue surfing as the WSL Injury Replacement for Caroline Marks, who has withdrawn from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach due to medical reasons.
Three-time WSL Champion Gabriel Medina has withdrawn from the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach and will be replaced by Barron Mamiya, who is currently sitting as World No. 2 along with 11-time World Champion Kelly Slater.
Yago Dora continues his recovery from his injury ahead of the season and will be replaced by WSL Injury Replacement, Matthew McGillivray. Carlos Munoz and Liam O'Brien sustained injuries at Pipeline and continue their recoveries. They will be replaced by World No. 6 Caio Ibelli and Mikey Wright, respectively. This will mark Wright’s return to the CT after announcing an indefinite break from professional surfing following last year’s Corona Open Mexico.
The two remaining wildcard spots for women and men will be decided by the local trials event. The trials are scheduled for Thursday, April 7 at Bells beach, and a total of 20 men and 20 women will fight for one spot in each division.
Check out the Early Forecast here.
Comments
Surely there's a young local ripper looking for their Nicky Wood moment - instead Rip Curl roll out the geriatrics.
Well they can surf through the trials wanker, just as Mick did when he one his first Bells. Seriously, what kind of kook calls Mick a geriatric??
Mick is a has-been and a dick of a bloke overall appart from when he’s acting nice to sell his beers or his MF softboards… he wasted a wildcard at narrabeen and did really poorly shouldve gone to someone more deserving
We found todays butt hurt kook guys. Here he is right above
Is the state of Australian pro surfing so bad that there are no worthy up-and-coming rippers they could hand a wild card to?...instead they have to recycle Mick Fanning.
Probably trying to surpass that 1.5k benchmark of live viewers…
2012 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Final.
Slater does the first competition air 360 ( in a final) for Quicksilver.
Fanning does speed reos for Ripcurl.
P.S. ABC are running a show about the surf industry " Barons" on the 24th April
https://iview.abc.net.au/show/barons
Kelly ahead of the times. Who would have thought. 2022 replay anyone?
I'm still dark about that - Slater should have won that heat for sure with that 360 rotation - best ever moment, high difficulty and under incredible pressure but not rewarded!
Not rewarded?
What do you think the judges should have scored that wave compared to the 10 that they did give it?
Still.. epic final though.
Some post heat thoughts.
why not give it to a kid that needs it.
seriously just Give mick a heritage round against occy and keep the real stuff for those that actually need it to pay their rent .
Mick surely doesn't Ha Ha Ha
How's the negativity above, what a pack of sooks. Watching Fanning at Belle's is akin to Tiger at Augusta, Nadal at the French open or Mel at Mavericks, it's just meant to be. I'm pumped to see him having another run and hope he wins. Go the great Fandango.
Your kid was next in line for the wildcard. Mick gets instead. What do you say? “You’ll be right. There’s always next time. Maybe? Anyways, it’s like Tiger at Augusta. Understand.”
Don’t think it’s sooking, it’s about a fair go. Not what you may or may not wanna watch.
I'd say 'get better son because you ain't on the radar just yet'. Moreover, who's to say seeing older blokes isn't inspiring in reverse? Seeing Kelly at 50 is mind-boggling for us older blokes and Mick isn't some scrub getting a wildcard. I like it. Scrap Mikey or one of the others who got a wildcard, Mick has more than earned a spot at Bell's. Can't say that for the others who are getting a leg up.
"I'd say 'get better son because you ain't on the radar just yet'."
Cheers Dad.
Sadly no such things as a fair go in Oz anymore as much as we'd all like to think it still existed. But yeah.....give it to someone else...
fairest thing would be for all wildcards to surf off against each other in the trials. If there is, say 3 spots available, then the top 3 finishers go into the main event - good way to see if ex-pros have still got it enough to warrant giving them a crack in the main event.
Not negativity just truth.
I agree with the rest of the sooks MattH - we all love Mick, but we've had enough of him for now. Surely its an opportunity for a grom, or even an Indigenous wildcard?
I'd like to see Jai Glindeman down there. Any of the Lennox boys really. Mikey McDonagh would likely do some damage
I would like to see him given a spot at J-Bay (billabong sponsored event too).
Since when is Jai a Lennox boy? He rips but that's a stretch isn't it?
Where's he from then?
I thought he was from Narrabeen actually, but happy to be corrected.
https://au.globebrand.com/pages/jai-glindeman
Looks like we're both right ;)
Yeah I love watching Mick surf especially at Bells when its pumping but he's had his go, give a young dude a go
I prefer to see Joel surf Bells ...
I think Mick is forgetting winning Bells after scoring a wildcard back in 2001 as an up and comer.
Without being negative to MF , I too would prefer it to go to some new blood.
He still had to progress through the trials matey
Yeah - I think it should have gone to someone else. Mick's had his turn.
A Local ripper like they do in Hawaii !
.
I can see both sides. But the Bells comp needs exposure and there is no bigger name in Australian Surfing for the average Joe than Mick Fanning. He will cut through to the mainstream. He is also a four time winner of the event. Surely he has more than earned the right to a wild card event to Bells. Good luck Mick, looking forward to your iconic lines and carves in the Bells bowl.
Exactly how i feel...
Nailed it
Totally agree and I reckon Mick even at his advanced years could put down the walking frame and give some of the young pups a run.
I don't know why Mikey Wright is getting a run. Tyler been in the ear of Neil Ridgeway?
Nice, all the vicco surfers will be stoked to have dick fanning down there burning them and snaking their waves like he does up here. Hopefully he's just surfing Winki, which is okay given crowd is already a bit hot.
Ouch - some bitterness there champ? He’s far from a problem at Cooly
Hahahah do you just happen to selectively not watch the clips of every swell up there that shows Fanning burning anyone in sight?
That’s probably the most delusional comment I’ve ever seen on swellnet.
Sure that’s not you Mick!?
Yep, this.,
Do you live in Cooly GF? I do and there are far worse, Occ, Dingo, Mitch P etc etc
I have watched hundreds of waves of mick's in the flesh at Snapper. He takes of deeper than anyone behind the rock to get his waves. You are the one that is bitter and delusional.
Amen to that Simsurf
Occy is most definitely the worst.
100%!!!! Closely followed by Dingo
My mistake simsurf, must only be Kirra when he burns everyday punters on the waves of their lives. He’s even pretty much admitted it in interviews!
Anyway, yes Saint Mick!
Keep cutting those tall poppies GF if it makes you feel more of a man. Truth is the last time I surfed with Mick in the water at Snapper - week before last - I cooked him by accident, not the other way round. Flicked straight off when I heard him, apologized after, no harm done, he was cool as. But don't let that ruin your bitterness :)
Lol
I'm calling bullshit. So you never watched him surf in person say snapper or Kirra? Sounds about right. I have never once seen him fuck up another person's wave after twenty years of surfing and doing 15 years of photography on the coast. So where did Mick touch you?
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2…
Nice one GF. Three days of scouring the internet and the best you've got is an old clip of Mick taking a wave off a kook getting his hair parted by a soft section that would have never made the upcoming barrel? Yeah, slow clap for your indisputable evidence. You're not from here are ya matey?
The most photographed surfer on the coast and you got one photo from 2016 where the guy on the inside is doing the full kook poo man. Wild. It must have been you?
Agreed Simsurf - no way this fella is ever taking off deeper than Mick, anywhere
"The Gold Coast’s near-perfect, cyclone-driven surf is so crowded even a three-time world champion finds it okay to drop in on other boardriders.
Mick Fanning was surfing at his home break, Snapper Rocks, yesterday afternoon when he stole a young surfer’s wave.
An unapologetic Fanning later told the Gold Coast Bulletin: “Whatever happens in the water, happens in the water”."
ok I'm done this topic is wearing very thin
I feel a bit the same, it’s no level playing field and a real boys club, but having said that Mick is one of the most stylish and consistent surfers on the planet regardless of age and popularity- he’s also philosophical when he gets ripped off , I’ve talked to him about some very obvious ones at Snapper where mates scores were going away from Mick- swings and roundabouts- he behaves pretty well a lot of the time on tour , I’ve surfed with him many times. He’s no friend of mine but wow, surf good waves with him and it can be really fun and I always end up surfing better afterwards- he’s still a very special surfer when it comes to abilities and stoking moves. Ok, you caught me red handed, I am a Mick enthusiast!!
Must be a change to this system.. top 5 leading the QS should be next in line for the wildcards .. I love Mick’s surfing but I’m also enjoying watching the rookies like jako baker etc.. light it up ..
Must be a change to this system.. top 5 leading the QS should be next in line for the wildcards .. I love Mick’s surfing but I’m also enjoying watching the rookies like jako baker etc.. light it up ..
I recall some sort of comment passed on the recent Rip Curl MF and friends US vid about Mick getting a Bells wildcard, and what do you know!!
PS not a bad vid, on YouTube
Every local cooly surfer stoked. One less ex pro dropping in on everyone for a wk or 2.
Righto, are you a "Cooly local"? I am and he's far from an issue in the water. Occy though....
Not anymore. Was for 16 yrs until 2018. Moved south to the MNC for a quieter life and decent winter swell.
He cant pull out now, hope he wins and donates the $.
Now if Rip Curl had appointed Mick as a celebrity event coach to a young local up and coming ripper, they would have it all going on. The media would love it.
No thanks.
I can’t remember where it was but he looked way off the pace when he was last given a wildcard. With the state of Aussie surfing atm . Give it to a young fella..
Hope Mick's familiar with Woolamai.
It would be ironic if it ran in small beachy's, will be interesting to see what happens if the easterlies don't bugger off...
No backups this year.. https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-analysis/2022/03/29/rip-curl-pro…
Ouch. That sucks. Johanna or 13th would be good as a back up
I'm stoked to see Mick compete at Bells at any time. He's not gonna be around forever, he's still near the top of his game, may as well kick back and enjoy the show while we're blessed to still be able to watch it. Mick Fanning and Bells will be remembered in 100 years time as something special in surfing. Plenty of avenues these days for young up and comers to get on the tour. Micks earnt his wildcard at Bells from past performances and is a great ambassador to his sponsor. Hope he wins it and puts the WSL in the dilemma of whether or not they let him surf the next event.
100% BD!! All the sooks saying give it to a grom are typical of todays whingers. If the groms are good enough they can win through the trials - like Mick did.
I'd give that wildcard to Jacob Willcox - he's so close to making the big league - imagine if he won Bells and then went back-to-back at home in MR - now that would be exciting vs. "MF wins Bells again - WTF?"
Get the up-and-coming young Aussies in Australia to vs the up-and-coming young Hawain's who excelled in Hawaii happening WSL - marketing 101 right in front of you?
yep Jacob rips he would not be out of place. Like O'Cal getting a run on, we should support our up and comers. Brazzo's have so many young guys coming through need to get the young guys big comp experience.
I don't get it. I thought Mick had retired.
Its about RipCurl . I would have thought they would have some up and comers on their books. Seems their future is the past. If WSL chose the wildcard then I repeat the above...???
Arrggghhh! Torn on this, was leanIng towards MF on this one, but now can see the point of bringing a newcomer through.
Trials mate...
What Trials? its not 1997 and its not the asp!
Lol - new to this are ya mate? Bells always has trials for local up and comers. You obviously weren't around when Adam Robbo surfed through the trials all the way to the final. This years starts on April 7th. Might pay to do some research before you embarrass yourself next time champ.
https://surfingvic.com/rip-curl-pro/
You make an exceptionally good point and are very vociferous in making it.
Still torn, or perhaps ambivalent. ;-)
Decision's already been made, so I'd be stoked to see Mick advance through to semi's at least. Jai Glinderman at Jefferey's would be great too seeing as though it's a Billabong event, and the wave's there are a bit more hollow which would definitely suit his style.
For sure mate!
Surely the wild card should have gone to Luke Cederman. He was poorly judged at the 2019 Raglan Pro.
Of course the corrupt judges gave the win to Billy Stairmand(Poster Boy for NZ surfing) even though Luke handed him his ass.
Check the RaglanSurfReport on Instagram for the full story, what a travesty. Even the WSL doesn't get it that wrong. Oh sorry yes they do.
“Bells is the wildcard I really wanted,” Fanning said. “Obviously, I did Narrabeen last year but Bells is the one I was really aiming for. It’s a place that is really close to my heart, and if I was ever going to take a wildcard, it would be there, so I’m pretty fired up.
Interesting that he said this.
I would have thought a wildcard for Snapper would be what he really wants.
So if he gets offered a wildcard for Snapper as well I assume his answer will be, "Yeah, nah mate!"
Snapper is not a a comp anymore anyway?
Wow Surfalot , a little edgy tonight . Lol is so fucked , you most probably didn't laugh out loud and in your position with swellnet you should have informed joey jojo without the nasty. Calling people who are little misinformed wankers and then putting the boot in is a little average. Enjoy your writing , but could work on your feed. Obviously a you're a massive Mick fan, we all love him. Are you actually Mick ? You're obviously a Cooly local like everybody else in the world. Tolerence Steven.
Haha! Are you on the sauce tonight Dean? Confusing me with another me thinks but okay champ!