April 1, 2016 - Bells Beach, Australia: Courtney Conlogue (USA) claimed victory today at the Rip Curl Women's Pro Bells Beach, defeating Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) in three-to-five foot (1 - 1.5 metre) waves at the world-renowned Bells Beach, Australia.

The second stop on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour, the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach enjoyed classic conditions today with world’s best female surfers pushing the boundaries of high-performance surfing once again.

The Final match-up witnessed Conlogue compete against Fitzgibbons, the two-time event winner, in an all out brawl for the opportunity to claim the second CT event win and ring the prestigious Bell.

The women went wave for wave, throwing up massive scores, but it was the Californian who captured the win.

“I definitely wanted to get the score on that last wave, and I wanted to put a little more pressure on,” Conlogue said. “I knew I needed an eight, but I wanted a nine. I figured I might as well lose the event knowing that I threw everything I had into it.”

A runner-up at the opening event of the season last week on the Gold Coast, Conlogue continued the momentum this week at Bells Beach, landing herself on the winner’s dais and atop the Jeep WSL Leaderboard heading into the third event of the year.

“I am really happy to be starting the year with this momentum, a first place win here and a second place win at Snapper,” continued Conlogue. “It is a long season ahead and after experiencing last year’s rollercoaster of emotions, this is definitely a high, but I know it is going to be a grind. Obviously I want to win a World Title, but it is not going to be an easy feat. I know I had a good start, but there are still eight more contests ahead.”

Fitzgibbons opened up strong in the Final, showcasing her clean rail-to-rail surfing. After an early elimination at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, Fitzgibbons charged through this event to make her way to the Finals. Fitzgibbons threw down an 8.10 and an 8.33, but Conlogue answered back with a 9.03, giving her the narrow 0.10 lead over Fitzgibbons.

“Running down those stairs after fourteen years of coming here never gets old,” Fitzgibbons said. “I just love it when my opponent is at their best. Courtney was in really great form this whole event and when my opponents are going out there and trying to better themselves, as a competitor I revel in that challenge. I cannot wait to push my level to get better and better.”

In addition to the culmination of the women’s event, the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach men’s event completed Round 4 and the opening half of Round 5 today, setting itself up for a potential finish this weekend.

Rip Curl Women’s Pro Final Results:
1 - Courtney Conlogue (USA) 16.53
2 - Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 16.43

Rip Curl Women’s Pro Semifinal Results:
SF 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 16.16 def. Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.37
SF 2: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 16.83 def. Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 15.67

Rip Curl Women’s Pro Quarterfinal Results:
QF 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 15.60 def.  Alessa Quizon (HAW) 13.33
QF 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) 19.23 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 13.26
QF 3: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 15.00 def. Tyler Wright (AUS) 13.13
QF 4: Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 12.67 def. Johanne Defay (FRA) 11.67

2016 Samsung Galaxy WSL Top 5 (after Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach):
1. Courtney Conlogue (USA) 18,000 pts
2. Tyler Wright (AUS) 15,200 pts
3. Carissa Moore (HAW) 13,000 pts
4. Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 11,700 pts
5. Joanne Defay (FRA) 11,700 pts