The Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, the second of 11 stops on the 2008 ASP World Tour, is the longest-running event in professional surfing history. To \u201cring the bell\u201d \u2013 or win the coveted bell-shaped trophy \u2013 is considered one of the sport\u2019s highest honors.<\/p>\n
Taj Burrow, runner-up to the 2007 ASP World Title, took top honors at Bells Beach last year when he beat three-time ASP World Champion Andy Irons who won the event in 2002 and 2003 \u2013 in the Final.<\/p>\n
After finishing ninth in the season opener at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast of Australia, Burrow is eager to repeat and get on a roll.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so psyched for Bells,\u201d Burrow said in a release. \u201cI want nothing more than to ring that bell back to back, especially after a slow start at Snapper. I want to make up some ground ASAP and Bells is where I plan on doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n Reigning ASP World Champion Mick Fanning finished second to eight-time ASP world champion Kelly Slater in the first event of the 2008 season. Despite a great start to his title defense and a tour kick-off fans could not have written better, Fanning is fired up to regain the World No. 1 rating.<\/p>\n \u201cI could have written it better, but it was a great event to start the year,\u201d Fanning joked with the media. \u201cEveryone was surfing so well and it is like the standard has raised another notch. It was a great event for me and I am really excited with the start.\u201d<\/p>\n Fanning will marry fiance Karissa Dalton on Saturday but come Monday, the newlywed will shift his focus to adding a second Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach trophy to the mantle. Fanning won the event as a wildcard in 2001.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I\u2019m getting married, so I have been a little busy but I still have a lot of time to surf and train and also have fun,\u201d Fanning said. \u201cI always enjoy Bells and really am looking forward to getting down there again. I have good feelings for the event and hope we all get some really good waves. I am sure the level of surfing will be amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n Current World No. 3 Bede Durbidge wed his longtime girlfriend Tarryn in February and it appears that married life suits his surfing \u2013 he only narrowly lost to Fanning in the semifinals of the Gold Coast event.<\/p>\n \u201cI have settled into married life really well and I\u2019m lucky to have Tarryn because she supports my surfing career 100 percent,\u201d Durbidge said. \u201cMick and Karrisa have a great relationship so it\u2019s great to see them getting married.\u201d<\/p>\n Durbidge won the Pipeline Masters in Hawai\u2018i last year to finish a career-best world No. 5 on the ASP ratings and secure a high seeding for 2008.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was great to finish in the top five last year, then start this year with a third,\u201d Durbidge said. \u201cI feel my surfing has improved a lot from last year. It definitely gives me confidence being right up there on the ratings and I\u2019m really excited for Bells. I love it down there and I have been going down there every year since I was 15 so I\u2019m looking to put in a strong performance down there.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeremey Flores finished his 2007 rookie year World No. 9, but is currently rated equal third courtesy of a semifinal berth against Slater on the Gold Coast. He leads the charge for a record four Europeans on the 2008 ASP World Tour.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so happy already with my first result at Snapper,\u201d Flores said, \u201cI\u2019m still very young and I have so much to learn still but I feel like my surfing is improving in many aspects which is positive for the future. I did many juniors events at Bells when I was a kid so I know the wave well, but it\u2019s definitely going to be a hard event. There is so many guys that have so much more experience who are ripping at Bells.\u201d<\/p>\n Slater, who is once again No. 1 after his win in the first event of the year, has rung the bell twice \u2013 in 1994 and in 2006. He went on to win the ASP World Title both years. Slater has not yet confirmed whether or not he will go after a third Bells Beach title next week.<\/p>\n Rookie Aritz Aranburu has withdrawn due to injury and will be replaced by Nic Mus-croft. California\u2019s Chris Ward, who pulled out of the first event of the year for personal reasons, is confirmed to compete next week.<\/p>\n The official waiting period for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach stretches from March 18 to 29.<\/span><\/p>\n