Kelly Slater was the most exciting thing about the 1994 Rip Curl Pro, but Dave Edwards, a 33-year-old unemployed marine engineer from Perth, gave the Champ a run for his money. Edwards had rolled into Victoria on Saturday afternoon, necked a bottle of Jim Beam, and left a good portion of his April dole check at a Melbourne knocking shop. Easter Sunday brought blue skies and a sun beating down like God's own heat lamp, and a hangover demanding special measures. Thus, mid-morning, Edwards, ginger-haired and red-eyed and stripped to his Y-fronts, made his way through the crowd at Bells, crashed through the shorebreak, and swam into the lineup, where a quarterfinal heat was in progress. Toweling off in the parking lot afterward, Edwards announced to a few dozen spectators who had peeled away from the contest to follow his progress, that he felt much better, thank you.

But let's get back to Slater and the rest of our Guess-jeans-wearing world tour warriors. Tim Baker, writing for 

Highlights? Tom Curren, in his first professional contest in seven months, scoring perfect 10s and thoroughly beating a fired-up Matt Hoy, who afterward could only mutter fuck words in disbelief; Stuart Bedford-Brown hitting the lip and surfing with the light-footed speed normally associated with Machado or Hardman; Gary Elkerton burrowing much of his head and surfboard rail whilst performing giant cutbacks; Shane Powell showing fine balance with several large gouges. 

And Mr. Kelly Slater, of course. The 22-year-old put on such a polished exhibition of surfboard riding in the mostly-good four-to-six-foot waves, career contest critic Derek Hynd described it as the first time he'd seen Slater surf to his considerable potential.

The Martin Potter vs Slater final was a thriller, with fast tail-sliding recovery maneuvers from Slater matched by the manly ripping of Potter. In the end, Slater won, the pair embraced, and then rode through the shorey together holding hands.

In late 1992, just a few weeks after winning his first world title, Slater announced he'd taken a roll on 

, which kneecapped his title defense before it got started. Derek Ho won the championship in 1993, while Slater dropped to sixth. Here at Bells—the opening event of 1994—Slater was off 

, angry at both himself and all the first-wave haters who'd called him a sellout, and ready to rumble. Packed up his Bells trophy left Victoria with the rating's lead, and never let go all year. Twenty years of dominance to follow.

RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH: FLASHBACK, 1994

Subscribe or Login

Subscribe or Login

Encyclopedia of Surfing

History of Surfing

Interviews

Features

The Sunday Joint

Videos