Xavier Huxtable and Carly Shannahan have secured their wildcard spots in the 2025 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.
The trials for the main event wrapped up in spectacular fashion, as local talent battled for the coveted wildcard spots into the main draw of the World Championship Tour event. The competition was moved to the secondary location of Winkipop which provided punchy right hand waves on which the region’s best up-and-coming surfers could display their surfing.
Previous trials’ winner Tully Wylie (Jan Juc) came out swinging in the early rounds, dominating with his sharp backhand attack. In the semifinals, Xavier Huxtable (Jan Juc) brought high-octane power surfing, navigating the challenging conditions with precision and speed. Willis Droomer (Jan Juc) also earned his place in the final, putting on a progressive display together with multiple aerials that kept the judges on their toes.
In the final, Droomer stuck to his strengths, combining a powerful carve into a stylish forehand air reverse for a 6.67 point ride. Huxtable countered with a deep snap into a huge layback, earning a 7.17 point ride and briefly taking the lead. Droomer answered back with two clean air reverses on a single wave to take back the lead. Huxtable then paddled into a set wave at the top of the peak and unleashed a committed carve followed by another critical layback, sending spray flying and the crowd into a frenzy. The score dropped, an 8.17 point ride, enough to snatch the lead and the win. With a combined total of 15.34 points, Huxtable claimed the men’s wildcard into the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach main event.
“It feels amazing to win, I’ve had a good couple of months – just got second with the Torquay Boardriders Club at the ABB, qualified for the Challenger Series and now getting into the event makes it even better,” he said.
“It feels so special to be able to surf against the best and hopefully I’ll go well.”
Among the women, Eva Bassed (Sandy Point) stood out through the early rounds with her ability to read the lineup and pick off the best waves. Meanwhile, Carly Shannahan (Torquay) impressed the judges with her crisp forehand surfing and confidence under pressure.
In the final, Shannahan opened with a series of forehand snaps for a 5.17 point ride. She backed it up on a beautifully shaped wave that she tore into with a huge carve and then executed a critical snap to finish, scoring an excellent 8.00 point ride. Sarah Hickson (Rye) began mounting a comeback, locking in a 6.33 point ride and only needing a 6.68 as the clock wound down. With under a minute to go, Hickson found a wave under Shannahan’s priority and attacked it with two powerful top turns. The beach held its breath as the score dropped, a 6.50 point ride. With Hickson coming up just short it secured Shannahan’s win and her spot in the main draw.
“It feels amazing to take out the trials, I feel like it’s not even real, maybe I’ll wake up soon,” Shannahan said.
“It’s been such a good day. All my mates came down to watch every heat and heaps of people have been messaging for support so I’m so grateful for that, it’s just been an epic day with an epic result,” she continued.
