The 2024 instalment of the Rip Curl Cup got off to a flyer with the trials held in great surf.

On the 1st August, local trialists competed for six places - four men, two women - in the upcoming Rip Curl Cup at Padang Padang.

Veterans dominated the day with former Cup Champion Garut Widiarta putting on a barrel-riding clinic with excellent scores every time he took off. And two-time former champion Made ‘Bol' Adi Putra proved he's still a serious contender for a third title by scoring a 9.17 and a 9.33 to win the event. He positioned himself deeper than anyone and emerged clean from some of the biggest, hollowest waves of the day with style.

Bronson Meydi qualified for the main event by scoring a 9.0 for the longest tuberide of the day with a very technical backside stalling technique all his own. And Bingin Beach local Tommy Sobry fired off heroics in the last moments of his heat with a double barrel on one of the biggest waves of the day.

The four men who qualified are:

• Made 'Bol' Putra
• Tommy Sobry
• Garut Widiarta
• Bronson Meydi

They'll surf against:

• Mega Samadhi
• Mega Artana
• Dylan Wilcoxen
• Manik Rudita
• Clay Marzo
• Harry Bryant
• Soli Bailey
• Noa Deane
• Nic von Rupp
• Mason Ho
• Rob Machado

Rather than surfing with the men, this year the women will have their own division. Of the trialists, Taina Izquierdo and Ziggy MacKenzie placed first and second to qualify. They'll surf against:

• Kailani Johnson
• Jasmine Studer
• Laura Enever
• Moana Jones Wong
• Erin Brooks
• Sierra Kerr

The waiting period for the Rip Curl Cup runs until the end of August. Over the next fortnight, Bali will see a great run of mid-range swell, though at this point it'll remain on the underside needed for Padang Padang to fire.