Soleil Errico (USA) won the womens comp., her third Bells Beach victory in a row, leaving her undefeated at the location, while Max Weston’s maiden victory came from his first-ever Finals Day appearance.
Locals will have seen Max at the 2023 Manly Longboard Classic where he secured a run in the first WSL LT, and will recall he won the 2023 Noosa Longboard Pro in the lead into the Manly event.
Tour veteran Hiroka Yoshikawa (JPN) also broke through for a career-best result with a runner-up placing, with Kevin Skvarna (USA) matching his best finish by making his first Final in five years.
Max Weston Claims First Longboard Tour Victory in Breakthrough Performance
Competing in his first-ever Longboard Tour Finals Day, Max Weston (AUS) has taken it all the way to an inaugural victory. Weston’s run through the event featured strong traditional longboard surfing throughout and included victories over Tour stalwarts Cole Robbins (USA), Rogelio JR Esquievel (PHL), and Declan Wyton (AUS). Holding a PhD alongside his surfing skills, 33-year-old Weston balances an impressive career with his competitive pursuits. Hailing from the Central Coast of NSW, Weston now resides in Melbourne, regularly scouring Victoria’s Surf Coast for waves. The extra time spent in the Bells lineup was pivotal in carrying Weston through to the top of the podium.
Max in action on Finals Day. Credit: WSL / Cait Miers
Max in action on Finals Day. Credit: WSL / Ed Sloane
"It's surreal at the moment, to be honest, it hasn't really sunk in yet," Weston said. "I'm stoked, I've got all my family here and all my mates, and yeah, can't believe it. I thought I surfed really smart heats all week and surfed well enough to get the job done. I just got in a good rhythm and feel like I can do that if I start making a few heats and just build momentum and confidence."
An incoming cross-shore breeze wreaked havoc with the lineup for the men’s Final. Weston navigated the increased bump exceptionally to open the Final with excellence, scoring an 8.50 for his classic upright style. A critical opening nose-ride matched with a drawn-out carve and deep bottom-turn delivered the high point of the heat. A 6.50 soon followed for the Australian, placing a 15.00 combination on Kevin Skvarna (USA). For two-thirds of the heat, the Californian struggled to make a single wave. Skvarna’s first score of note, a 7.07, came with 12 minutes remaining on the clock and would prove to be his only impact on the heat, allowing Weston to hold onto his lead and the victory.
"I think [Bells Beach] is a special place for everyone," Weston said. "You just have to rock up and you can feel that connection straight away. There's rainbows all day today, and we had an unreal forecast, it just kept delivering. Really special place, special event. It was a perfect start. It was unreal, and then I lucked into another pretty good one under Kevin's priority. So I got off to a flying start. Lost my board a couple of times and had a few swims, which kept me honest. But yeah, it was unreal. Awesome Final."
''The Heavens opened this week and gave me the opportunity to write my name into a small piece of Bells history. To win this event in front of my friends and family is a dream come true.'' Max said afterwards
''Congratulations to Kevin Skvarna, you put on a performance for the ages, it was an honour to share the final with you. Soleil Errico you are so inspiring, Hiroka Yoshikawa congratulations on a breakthrough event, you surfed beautifully!
A huge thank you to my Mum and Dad, my brothers, my partner Ruby, and all of my extended family. Thank you to the local community who have welcomed me with open arms over the past year.
Thank you to Kai Ellice-Flint, shaper at Higher State Surfboards, and thank you to the WSL for the opportunity and building this tour for us.''
Kevin Skvarna Matches Career-Best With Runner-Up Finish
A steady presence on Tour for a decade, Kevin Skvarna (USA), matched his best-ever result with his runner-up finish today. The 27-year-old previously placed runner-up to three-time World Longboard Champion Joel Tudor (USA) with an impressive run through the 2020 Noosa Longboard Open, but today’s performance was easily his finest. Though he struggled to replicate it in the Final, Skvarna mowed through two longtime rivals with blistering performances that notched the two highest men’s heat totals in the history of the event. A 17.16 total to defeat four-time World Longboard Champion Taylor Jensen (USA) in the Quarterfinals was topped by a 17.74 in his take down of Edouard Delpero (FRA) in the Semifinals. Included in that total was the highest single wave score of the event, a 9.57, for Skvarna’s powerful, wrapping backhand hooks in the Bowl.
“The energy at the house has been amazing, here has been amazing,” Skvarna said. “Just in good flow and it felt good, until the end.”
Kevin Skvarna on Finals Day.
Errico Cements Bells Beach Dominance With Historic Threepeat
Soleil's win marked the sixth Longboard Tour victory for her, with half of them coming at Bells Beach. The three-time World Longboard Champion made it three straight to preserve her perfect record at the location. Following on from a runner-up finish at the US Open of Surfing, Errico has taken the Longboard Tour rankings lead. The 24-year-old Californian hasn’t placed lower than the Final in any event she’s entered since Stop No. 3 of the 2023 calendar, the Surf City El Salvador Longboard Classic. The result confirmed Errico’s return to El Salvador in 2025 to once again contest for the World Longboard Title.
Soleil Errico on Finals Day. Credit: WSL / Cait Miers
"I'm really happy to take it out again," Errico said. "I had such a fun time. I was just enjoying myself. I love this sport. It's my everything. It's my whole world. I just want to inspire the next gen and I want to get better every year to progress the sport. That's the most important thing in my whole life. I dedicate so much to it, and again, it is such an amazing sport that we all get to do. I'm very grateful to be here and to be on this Tour."
Errico immediately opened the Final with an excellent 8.00 (out of a possible 10). Matching the judges criteria to a tee, the Californian combined tight footwork with clean nose-rides and a sharp rail. Not done yet, Errico locked in an 8.83 to put a huge 16.83 combination on Hiroka Yoshikawa (JPN). The Japanese competitor fought back to break the combination with a 7.60 of her own. With a huge requirement still remaining however, Errico dropped the highest single wave score of the event for the women, a 9.23, on a victory lap reminiscent of her second World Longboard Title win in Malibu in 2022. Errico’s 18.20 heat total improved upon her own record as the highest in the short history of the event.
"I was so tired before that heat," Errico said. "I really had to gather myself and be like, 'Come on, let's go. Come on, finish strong.' After those two sick ones, I was in that flow state feel. I could really breathe and feel free. I really just had such a good time out there. The waves were really good. I'm really stoked. This place makes me really calm for whatever reason. The energy of Bells is definitely my vibe. I'm very thankful for Bells. I was out there just thanking the ocean, being like, 'Thank you for this wave, thank you for that wave.'"
Soleil Errico on Finals Day. Credit: WSL / Cait Miers
Patience and Perseverance Reward Hiroka Yoshikawa with Career-Best Result
With a Tour history stretching back nearly 15 years, Hiroka Yoshikawa (JPN) is having a breakthrough season, three years after last competing on the Longboard Tour. Previously making Finals Day a single time, in 2012, Yoshikawa moved into her first-ever Final. The multiple-time Japanese National Champion has stayed consistent throughout her tenure at the helm of competitive longboarding, but 2025 is proving to be the highlight for the 33-year-old. A shock defeat of reigning World Longboard Champion Rachael Tilly (USA) in the opening heat of the day was followed by a solid win over World No. 1 Avalon Gall (USA) in the Semifinals. Yoshikawa’s career-best result also solidified her place in the 2025 Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships to contest for her first World Longboard Title.
“I'm really happy,” Yoshikawa said. “This was my first time making it to the Final and coming in second, and I've also made it to the Finals in El Salvador. This stage has been my dream, so I'm truly happy from the bottom of my heart. With the next competition coming up in Abu Dhabi, I'll do my best and surf my own style.”
Hiroka Yoshikawa on Finals Day. Credit: WSL / Cait Miers
Australians Ellice-Flint - Weston top Men's Table
Higher State Surfboards teammate Kai Ellice-Flint led the Longboard Tour coming into the Bioglan Bells Beach Longboard Classic after winning the Lexus US Open of Surfing Huntington Beach Pro Longboard, event 1 in the LT 2025 Championship Tour, impressing judges with his heels and variety. With Max's win at Bells, the two Australians now sit at 1 and 2 for the WSL Men's 2025 LT.
Manly Malibu Boardriders Club members Tully White, who bowed out after the Quarterfinals but sits at 7th in the Women's LT 2025, and Declan Wyton, who ousted Ellice-Flint in the Quarterfinals and who Max beat in the Semis, finished 3rd in the Bioglan Bells Beach Longboard Classic and 5th in the Lexus US Open of Surfing, is now 6th in the Men's LT 2025.
Kai Ellice-Flint in the Quarterfinals. Credit: WSL / Ed Sloane
Declan Wyton in the Semis. Credit: WSL / Ed Sloane
Declan and Max after their bout. Credit: WSL / Ed Sloane
Tully White had a great start to her 2025, winning the Gold Coast Open LQS in February, and gaining 3rd in the Noosa Longboard Pro, placed 9th in the Lexus US Open of Surfing LT, gaining points, with her 5th overall in the 2025 Bioglan Bells Beach Longboard Classic adding more.
Tully White in the Quarterfinals. Credit: WSL / Cait Miers
Australia's Emily Lethbridge, who placed 2nd at Gold Coast Open LQS this year and Kirra Molnar, who ran 4th at the Gold Coast and 2nd at Noosa, and Beatrice Conroy, are ranked 20, 23 and 25 respectively on the Women's LT 2025 after their Bioglan Bells Beach Longboard Classic waves.
Max with his trophy. Credit: WSL / Cait Miers
Six Surfers Secure Spots at 2025 Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships
By the end of competition, six surfers had solidified their places in the Top 8 to compete for a World Longboard Title at the 2025 Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships. Joining Soleil Errico (USA) and Hiroka Yoshikawa (JPN) in their confirmation was US Open of Surfing winner Avalon Gall (USA), who held onto the No. 2 position in the rankings behind Errico and ahead of Yoshikawa.
The men’s US Open of Surfing winner Kai Ellice-Flint (AUS) managed to maintain his place at No. 1 and lock his slot for El Salvador, along with Max Weston (AUS), his good friend. Joining them will be the defending, four-time World Longboard Champion, Taylor Jensen (USA).
Bioglan Bells Beach Longboard Classic Men’s Final Results:
1 - Max Weston (AUS) 15.00
2 - Kevin Skvarna (USA) 13.57
Bioglan Bells Beach Longboard Classic Women’s Final Results:
1 - Soleil Errico (USA) 18.20
2 - Hiroka Yoshikawa (JPN) 13.70
Bioglan Bells Beach Longboard Classic Men’s Semi-final Results:
HEAT 1: Max Weston (AUS) 14.46 DEF. Declan Wyton (AUS) 13.90
HEAT 2: Kevin Skvarna (USA) 17.74 DEF. Edouard Delpero (FRA) 16.44
Bioglan Bells Beach Longboard Classic Women’s Semi-final Results:
HEAT 1: Hiroka Yoshikawa (JPN) 13.83 DEF. Avalon Gall (USA) 12.73
HEAT 2: Soleil Errico (USA) 15.44 DEF. Kelis Kaleopaa (HAW) 14.96
Bioglan Bells Beach Longboard Classic Men’s Quarterfinal Results:
HEAT 1: Max Weston (AUS) 15.96 DEF. Rogelio Jr Esquievel (PHL) 14.50
HEAT 2: Declan Wyton (AUS) 13.16 DEF. Kai Ellice-Flint (AUS) 11.90
HEAT 3: Kevin Skvarna (USA) 17.16 DEF. Taylor Jensen (USA) 16.10
HEAT 4: Edouard Delpero (FRA) 14.53 DEF. Kai Sallas (HAW) 12.30
Bioglan Bells Beach Longboard Classic Women’s Quarterfinal Results:
HEAT 1: Hiroka Yoshikawa (JPN) 13.00 DEF. Rachael Tilly (USA) 12.86
HEAT 2: Avalon Gall (USA) 10.97 DEF. Mason Schremmer (USA) 9.57
HEAT 3: Soleil Errico (USA) 15.83 DEF. Chloe Calmon (BRA) 10.67
HEAT 4: Kelis Kaleopaa (HAW) 15.34 DEF. Tully White (AUS) 13.67
Next Stop: Surf Abu Dhabi Longboard Classic
The Surf Abu Dhabi Longboard Classic will be the third stop on the 2025 WSL Longboard Tour, holding a competition window from October 24 - 26. The event will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. Check out more ways to watch from the WSL’s broadcast partners
The 2025 Bioglan Bells Beach Longboard Classic, September 17-21 2025, was proudly supported by Bioglan, Visit Victoria, Bonsoy, Surf Coast Shire, Stone & Wood, and Hydralyte.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.