You have to win it to ring it!

I'm back.
Had to go off line for a week or so to deal with some technical issues. The moral to that story is don't buy Dick Smith SD cards - they are lousy quality and prone to exploding. Wish I knew that earlier. As it turns out my photos were not all retrieveable, but there are some here to help you get the feel of the Bells Beach Rip Curl Pro.

This is taken from the rock platform on low tide. It gives you an idea of how close you are and how big and beautiful the waves were.

 This is the view from the beach but much later when the tide and the beach was fuller. This is a women's heat - Carissa Moore is surfing. She went on to win the event a couple of days later.

The view from the beach early in the morning, before the thousands arrived and took up every available grain of sand...

And, you know I love a good celebrity photo - so here are the few that we got before it became too congested and the security guards whisked the surfers off to safety.

Adriano De Souza posing with some idiot for my photo.

Miguel Pupo (yes a grown man, Edie is on the uphill!)

Is that a young Nick Johnson..? No, its John John Florence

Kelly wasn't surfing that day because he qualified the day before to go straight through to the next round. He was sorry we couldn't meet up but I said that was fine because I know what a busy life he leads. Anyway, Steph sends her love.

SM

Hmmm, have you noticed something different round here?

Shooting a few with Steph

Had a look at Bells on a lay day yesterday and came across this nice young lady suiting up for a surf. She could see straight away that I was a surfer too, so she asked if I would come out and shoot a few waves with her as a little pre-cursor to today. Of course, I was polite and said I would only if she would get in a photo with my family. She was delightful and very accomodating. Bless her heart. I think she said her name was Stephanie... Gilmore! Only the best female the world has ever seen. She was the epitomy of a female role model - polite, happy and friendly to pesky fans. Go Steph! We will be cheering for you girl!

We are having a lay day around Apollo Bay today but the surf is big and going off at Bells. I will try and meet some more celebs tomorrow when we venture out there again. :)

SM

Catch up with Kelly and the gang

Surferboy at Golfcourse, Mollymook

I hope you girls are getting some waves back home. I'm still dreaming of my lovely waves at Blackie Point last Monday. We are off to Bells tomorrow. I'll see if I can get a picture with Kelly ;)

SM