| Bells Beach Victoria |
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 Bells Beach |
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| Postcode: | 3228 |
| Location: | 7 km (4 mi) SW of Torquay |
| LGA: | Surf Coast Shire |
| State District: | South Barwon |
| Federal Division: | Corangamite |
Bells Beach is a coastal locality of Victoria, Australia in Surf Coast Shire and an internationally famous surf beach, located 100 km south-west of Melbourne, on the Great Ocean Road near the towns of Torquay and Jan Juc.
It is named after John Cavert Bell of the family that first took up a pastoral run here in the 1840s.
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Surfing
The main break is known as the Bells Bowl or Bowl section. It is a point break and works through all tides depending on the size of the swell. It is surfable from 2' up to 15', and a north-west to west wind is the optimal wind direction.
Although the final scene of the film Point Break is set at Bells Beach, the scene was not filmed there. Bells Beach is a straight stretch and the beach in the film is a cove with spruce trees atop a hill. The actual location of the film was a beach called Indian Beach, in Ecola State Park, located in Cannon Beach, Oregon, USA. Bells Beach is visited in the 1966 documentary film The Endless Summer.
Bells Beach is the home of the world's longest running surfing competition - the Rip Curl Pro Surf & Music Festival. The event was formerly known as the Bells Beach Surf Classic. The competition was first held in January 1961 and then at Easter every year since although occasionally, when conditions at Bells aren't suitable, the competition has been transferred to other breaks such as Johanna.
As early as 1939 surfers from Torquay made their way to Bells but access was a considerable problem until 1960 when Torquay surfer and Olympic wrestler Joe Sweeney hired a bulldozer and cleared a road along the Bells cliff [1] from the Cobb & Co Road, where the concrete wave now stands, down to the beach. He charged one pound per surfer to recover his expenses. This is now part of the Torquay to Anglesea walking track.
Nearby surf breaks include "Southside," "Centreside," "Rincon," "Winki Pop," (Uppers and Lowers), Boobs and Steps. Although Bells is known internationally as one of the best breaks in Victoria, "Winki Pop" often works better under more diverse conditions than the other nearby breaks.
Surfing competitions
- Rip Curl GromSearch National Series (under 17s)
- Rip Curl Pro Surf & Music Festival every Easter since 1960
Bells Beach was one of the many locations on the hit movie "The Endless Summer". A documentery about a group os surfers that travelled all around the world chasing summer. It was like an endless summer. This was one of the many films that were shot on Bells Beach Victoria, Austraia.
References
- ^ Heritage Council of Victoria Annual Report 2003-04
External links
Coordinates: 38°22′01″S 144°17′05″E / 38.36694°S 144.28472°E
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