The year was 1986. Pro surfing was at its peak, having survived the wild 70′s. Surf competitions had evolved into major entertainment venues, where the world’s best would face off against one another in mostly city beach settings. The setting was Bells Beach, Australia. Tom Curren was the reigning World Champ, having taken the title in 1985, the first of his three world titles. Mark Occhilupo was a brash young upstart, from the Sydney suburb of Cronulla who was just a few years on tour, and seemingly ready to take over the surfing world. He finished the 1984 season in 3rd, the 1985 season in 4th, and was ready to earn the title that everyone expected him to win in 1985. More importantly, Occy was representing Australia in the premier Australian event, against the mighty American, Tom Curren. For Tom Curren, the rivalry and the title were at stake. He had been beaten by Occy a few times and needed the win at Bells to clinch the world title. While Tom eventually went down to Tom Carroll in the final, he was able to take his second world title at Bells, while Occy was relegated to number 3 for yet another year. This heat was considered to be one of the best heats ever in professional surfing. Does the description stand the test of time when compared to some of the surfing we’ve seen in recent years on the World Tour? You be the judge.
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Great heat!