**Epic Finals Day at the 2026 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: History Made as Pupo and Bryan Claim the Bell!**

The 2026 World Surf League Championship Tour kicked off in style at the iconic Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach Presented by Bonsoy (April 1–11), with pumping conditions at Winkipop delivering high-drama surfing and history-making moments on Finals Day. Crowds packed the Victorian cliffs as two new Bell ringers were crowned in front of the famous staircase. Brazil’s Miguel Pupo and Hawaii’s Gabriela Bryan etched their names into surfing lore with powerful, committed performances in shifting winds and solid swell.

Here’s your full breakdown of the semifinals and finals action for both the men’s and women’s divisions, plus the updated top 10 leaderboard heading into the next stop on the CT — the Margaret River Pro.

### **Women’s Division: Bryan’s Power Overwhelms the Field**

The women’s side served up razor-close heats and dominant power surfing right to the end.

**Semifinals (at Winkipop):**
- **Heat 1**: Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 15.44 def. Alyssa Spencer (USA) 14.67
Bryan’s explosive forehand carves and vertical re-entries proved too much for Spencer’s consistent rail work in a high-scoring barnburner.
- **Heat 2**: Molly Picklum (AUS) 14.84 def. Isabella Nichols (AUS) 14.27
The reigning 2025 World Champion Picklum edged out last year’s Bells winner Nichols in a tight Australian showdown, showcasing her trademark backhand precision.

**Women’s Final**:
- **Gabriela Bryan (HAW) 14.83** def. **Molly Picklum (AUS) 8.33**
Bryan came out firing with a 7.83 opener (heavy carves on her forehand) and backed it with a seven-pointer, quickly putting Picklum in a combo situation. The Hawaiian phenom took a victory lap wave, miming ringing the iconic Bell trophy in celebration. It was her first Bells win and fifth career CT victory — a massive statement to start the 2026 season.

Bryan’s raw power and commitment in the tricky conditions were unmatched, while Picklum — despite carrying momentum all event — couldn’t find her usual rhythm in the final.

### **Men’s Division: All-Brazilian Goofy-Foot Final Delivers Fireworks**

The men’s draw was stacked with upsets early (including the exit of multiple former Bells winners), setting up a historic final.

**Semifinals (at Winkipop):**
- **Heat 1**: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 13.67 def. Griffin Colapinto (USA) 7.50
Pupo’s smooth, flowing goofy-foot lines and critical sections at Winkipop shut down Colapinto’s power game in relatively one-sided fashion.
- **Heat 2**: Yago Dora (BRA) 16.33 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.17
An absolute classic between two Brazilian World Champs! Dora stole the show with a ridiculous 9.50 buzzer-beater (three turns into a full-rotation backside indy air-reverse — the highest single wave of the event). Medina had posted the event’s highest two-wave total in the quarters (17.40), but Dora’s late heroics advanced him.

**Men’s Final**:
- **Miguel Pupo (BRA) 15.60** (8.10 + 7.50) def. **Yago Dora (BRA) 13.90** (7.73 + 6.17)
In the first-ever all-Brazilian Bells final — and the first all-goofy-footed final in 33 years — Pupo delivered under pressure. The veteran (and people’s champ) posted consistent high-scoring rides with his trademark rail-to-rail surfing, holding off Dora’s late charge. It marked Pupo’s second CT win in a 14-year career and came on an emotional day (his daughter’s birthday back home in Brazil).

Pupo’s 100% finals strike rate at Bells just got even sweeter.

### **Updated 2026 CT Leaderboard (After Stop 1 – Heading to Margaret River Pro)**

With only one event in the books, the yellow jerseys are officially on Bryan and Pupo. Here are the top 10 (points allocation: 1st = 10,000; 2nd = 7,800; 3rd/4th = 6,085; etc.):

**Men’s Top 5 (full top 10 follows a similar pattern based on finish):**
1. **Miguel Pupo (BRA)** – 10,000
2. **Yago Dora (BRA)** – 7,800
3. **Gabriel Medina (BRA)** – 6,085
4. **Griffin Colapinto (USA)** – 6,085
5. (Next tier: QF losers at 4,745, including Samuel Pupo, Leonardo Fioravanti,)

**Women’s Top 4 (top 10 similarly tiered):**
1. **Gabriela Bryan (HAW)** – 10,000
2. **Molly Picklum (AUS)** – 7,800
3. **Isabella Nichols (AUS)** – 6,085
4. **Alyssa Spencer (USA)** – 6,085

The GWM Aussie Treble race is also heating up, with Bryan and Pupo now leading into Margaret River.

What a way to kick off the 2026 season! Bells Beach once again proved why it’s one of the most prestigious stops on the CT. 

*All scores and results via official WSL data. Replay the action on WorldSurfLeague.com.*