Bells Beach, Victoria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bells BeachVictoria |
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Bells Beach hosting the Rip Curl Pro 2019
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 Bells Beach
Location in Surf Coast Shire
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| Population | 130 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 3228 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 12 m (39 ft) | ||||||||||||||
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| LGA(s) | Surf Coast Shire | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) |
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| Federal Division(s) | Corangamite | ||||||||||||||
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Bells Beach is a famous coastal area in Victoria, Australia. It's known around the world for its amazing surf waves! You can find it about 100 km south-west of Melbourne, along the Great Ocean Road. It's also close to the towns of Torquay and Jan Juc.
The name "Bells Beach" comes from William Bell. He was a businessman from Geelong who owned a lot of land here in the 1840s. The beach and the land around it are so special that they are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
In 2016, about 130 people lived in Bells Beach. Most of them (88.7%) were born in Australia, and almost everyone (94.5%) spoke only English at home.
Contents
Surfing at Bells Beach
Bells Beach is super famous for surfing. It hosts the world's longest running professional surfing competition. This event is now called the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.
History of Surfing Competitions
The first surfing competition at Bells Beach happened in January 1962. After that, it was held every year at Easter. Sometimes, if the waves aren't good enough at Bells, the competition moves to other nearby surf spots like Johanna or Woolamai.
Surfers from Torquay started visiting Bells Beach as early as 1939. But it was hard to get to the beach. In 1960, a group of Torquay surfers and an Olympic wrestler named Joe Sweeney helped out. They used a bulldozer to clear a road down the cliff to the beach. This made it much easier for everyone to reach the waves! Today, this path is part of the Surf Coast walking track.
Nearby Surf Spots
Besides the main Bells Beach break, there are other great surf spots nearby. These include "Southside", "Centreside", "Rincon", "Winki Pop" (which has "Uppers" and "Lowers"), and "Steps". Even though Bells Beach is known worldwide, "Winki Pop" often has good waves in more different conditions than the other spots.
The very first "Surfboard Rally" at Bells Beach was organized by surfing pioneers Peter Troy and Vic Tantau. They wanted to help sell their own brand of surfboards, called T Boards. This event was planned for December 1961 but happened on January 26, 1962. From the next year, the Australian Surfriders Association (now called Surfing Victoria) took over. They have hosted the annual Easter surfing competition ever since. This group also started a conservation effort in the mid-1970s. They organize tree planting events every year to help protect the natural beauty of Bells Beach.
Main Surfing Events
- Rip Curl GromSearch National Series (for surfers under 17)
- Rip Curl Pro (held every Easter since 1962)
Protecting the Environment
In 1988, a group of local surfers formed an organization called Surfers Appreciating the Natural Environment (SANE). They were worried about how tourism was affecting the Bells Beach Surfing Reserve. Since then, SANE members meet every month to plant trees and other plants. Their goal is to help bring the reserve back to its original natural state. So far, they have planted over 100,000 plants!
See also
In Spanish: Bells Beach para niños
