Bells Beach: 1981 Perfection
Video of perfect conditions at the Bells Beach surf contest in 1981, featuring Simon Anderson, Shaun Tomson and Mark Richards.
In this article, you'll learn
- Why the 1981 Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach is considered legendary
- How Simon Anderson's thruster design proved itself that year
- Who else was riding single fins and twin fins at the time
- What made the wave conditions that year so exceptional
If you want to see the moment the modern surfboard proved itself, watch the footage from the 1981 Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach. That was the year Simon Anderson took his new three-fin thruster to some of the biggest, cleanest right-hand walls the contest has ever produced, and won.
Why Bells matters
The Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach was, and still is, one of the most prestigious events on the world tour. It separates the men from the boys and magnifies a surfer's strengths and flaws from every angle, especially from up on the cliff. The roll of winners reads like a who's who of the sport: Michael Peterson, Mark Richards, Simon Anderson, Tom Curren, Tom Carroll, Damien Hardman, Potter, Lynch, Occy, Kelly, Sunny, Dorian, Fanning, Joel, Taj, AI. They all share one thing in common: exceptional technique and a flair for dissecting long right-hand walls.
The year it all came together
In 1981 Bells Beach really came to life, dawn's light revealing some of the biggest, most perfect right-hand waves ever seen in surfing competition. It was a catalytic moment for board design. Shaun Tomson and others were still riding single fins, MR and co were on twinnies, and Simon Anderson turned up with the thruster — the three-fin setup that would go on to become the template almost every shortboard is built on today.
Mark Richards said, "there was this frenzy in the carpark - holy shit is this real or am I dreaming?"
The smooth arcs Simon drew that week, on everything from monster walls to tiny runners on the final day, proved his design in the most convincing of arenas. And it's worth saying: Simon's surfing is pretty incredible with or without a tail fin.