In statement-making, historic fashion, Southern California surfers have stormed the WSL Championship Tour this year.
Claiming the first victory of his young career, San Clemente rookie Cole Houshmand just upended Lowers sparring partner Griffin Colapinto to win the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia.
On the women’s side of the draw, Oceanside’s Caity Simmers hung on against France’s Johanne Defay to earn her second win of the season and become the youngest woman to ever win at Bells. Simmers and Colapinto are now ranked No. 1 in the world, while Houshmand flies up the ratings to 18 spots and now sits at No. 8—just above Crosby Colapinto,Griffin’s brother, in ninth.
“I'm speechless, and this is unreal,” said Houshmand after earning his maiden tour victory. “I honestly don’t think it’s gonna sink in for a while. I’ve been visualizing this every day for the last two weeks, ringing that Bell, and I guess it works. I’m excited for the whole year.”
“That was bittersweet, for sure,” runner-up Colapinto said. “You always want to win it, especially when you’re in the final. I don’t want to ruin this moment, though – I’m so happy for Cole. We have surfed together since we were 10, so it’s crazy to be standing up here at Bells after going at it in the final.
“I feel like all of the crew from San Clemente are building momentum and finding their feet on tour, which is so good. We’re all staying together in West Australia, so it will be cool to have the two Bells there next to each other.”
Going into the Bells Beach contest, which celebrated its 61st running and is the oldest continuously running pro event in the world, Houshmand had been struggling to post the kind of results that saw him dominate the Challenger Series last year. Sitting below the Championship Tour’s mid-season cut line, the pressure was on in Australia to come up with a big result.
“My biggest goal was to make it to Fiji as a rookie, and now I have my sights set on a bigger goal. The cut is out of my vision, and there are bigger things for me to achieve now,” Houshmand continued. “The year really starts now. I told Griffin, 'This is what we've dreamed of since we were kids competing,' and I really wanted to enjoy it. It's not often you get a Final with your best friend and mentor, but then again, there’s no one I want to beat more and no one I’d rather lose to. This is probably the best day of my life.”
Houshmand joined the tour this year with fellow San Clemente rookies Crosby Colapinto and Kade Matson. And now, with one event left to go in Margaret River before the mid-season cut, both Houshmand and Colapinto are good to go for the rest of the year, while Matson, who made the quarterfinals at Bells, moved up five spots on the leaderboard but still has some work to do, sitting one spot before the cut line. Another strong showing in Western Australia, and he’ll join his comrades on tour for the rest of the season.
On the women’s side, teen sensation Simmers’ stock continues to rise. After a barrier-breaking win at Pipeline to start the season, the Oceanside local just won at Bells and appears to be the early frontrunner to win the 2024 world title. It’s a long season, and there’s a lot of surfing to be done, but she’s going to be tough to beat when the WSL Finals land at Lower Trestles this September.
“In this sport, you always have to believe in yourself,” Simmers said after her win in Australia. “I still don’t believe it, and it doesn't feel real. At this high of a level, you have to figure out ways to have an edge. There’s so much for me to think about, and it feels amazing to get the win. This wave is really difficult to work out, so it feels awesome. Yeah, wow, No. 1 in the world sounds great.”
The waiting period for the Margaret River Pro kicks off on April 11. Given how well the California crew is surfing right now, you’re not going to want to miss a minute of the action.
Jake Howard is a local surfer and freelance writer who lives in San Clemente. A former editor at Surfer magazine, The Surfer’s Journal and ESPN, today he writes for several publications, including Picket Fence Media, Surfline and the World Surf League. He also works with philanthropic organizations such as the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center and the Positive Vibe Warriors Foundation.