BRYAN + PUPO RING THE BELL
Gabriela Bryan and Miguel Pupo Ring In a New Era at Bells Beach
Gabriela Bryan and Miguel Pupo just carved their names into one of surfing’s most sacred pieces of hardware.
Finals Day at the 2026 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach delivered the kind of statement finish Bells deserves, with Bryan taking down reigning world champion Molly Picklum 14.83 to 8.33, while Pupo outdueled 2025 world champ Yago Dora 15.60 to 13.90 in a historic men’s Final at Winkipop. Both wins marked their first-ever Bells titles, and both now head to Margaret River wearing yellow.
Bryan looked locked in all event, but on Finals Day she turned that control into a full-blown warning shot. After edging Alyssa Spencer in the Semis, she came into the Final and wasted no time, opening with powerful, committed surfing that immediately put Picklum on the back foot. By the time the heat settled, Bryan had not only rung her first Bell, she had claimed her fifth Championship Tour win and kicked off her 2026 title campaign with real authority.
“You got to win it to ring it, and I get to ring it, and I’m so excited,” Bryan said. “This event has so much history, and some of my favourite surfers have won it, so it’s surreal to get to lift that Bell myself now. I am here with my mum, and I’m staying with Riss (Carissa Moore). I’ve just been having the best time down here, and the vibes have been high. Now I get to head to Western Australia for another event that I love, so let’s hope I can keep this going.”
On the men’s side, Pupo’s run felt earned in the grittiest way possible. He pushed past Barron Mamiya in the Quarterfinals, handled Griffin Colapinto in the Semis, and then beat Dora in the first-ever all-Brazilian Bells final. It was also the first all-goofy-foot Bells Final in 33 years, which only added more weight to an already emotional win for the 34-year-old Brazilian veteran. The result gave Pupo his first Bells trophy, his second CT victory, and the No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career.
“I can’t believe it, I was dreaming about this moment,” Pupo said. “So much hard work, age 34, 14 seasons. If you were to tell me I would be number one in the world today, I would probably laugh at you. I came early to Australia, sacrificed so much, and yeah, happy. I feel like I’m living my career in reverse, you know, starting off not that well and finishing off strong. I feel like I feel I have a lot more years in me to give. It’s my oldest daughter’s birthday today, so I’m bringing home a Bell.”
And Bells still found room for one more piece of madness. Dora’s Semifinal win over Gabriel Medina came on a 9.50 air reverse as time expired – the highest single-wave score of the event and one of the weekend’s most explosive moments. That kind of chaos is part of what keeps Bells feeling bigger than a regular tour stop. It is history, pressure, weather, noise, cliff faces, and a trophy that still means something.
Now the tour moves straight into Western Australia, where the Margaret River Pro runs April 16-26. If Bells was the opening statement, Margaret River is where the pressure gets real. Bryan and Pupo leave Victoria with the Bell, the yellow jerseys, and the rest of the field officially on notice.
