BELL STILL TOLLS 50 YEARS ON

“YOU can only ring it if you win it.”

For pioneering Gold Coast surfer Paul Neilsen, pictured with wife Karen who won Miss Teen International in Japan in 1976, that was the case over the Easter weekend at a family gathering to watch the surfing at Bells.

“It’s always a bit of fun picking up the trophy and shaking it,” he laughed. “I won the Australian title at Bells in 1971, the first Queenslander to do so, although the contest was a lot different back then.

“There was no prize money and we surfed in six-man heats representing our states.

“That year we had to go to Johanna Beach for some of the heats, which given the roads back then, was about three hours away.”

It was a time when the surfing world was changing, because the next year Paul travelled to America, won the Smirnoff Pro, $US5000 prize money and was crowned the World Pro-am Champion.

“Winning money for something I loved was pretty amazing. Something not many people know is the famous trophy wasn’t around back then, but they had a 50th anniversary event. Those winners who had missed out received one, so now I have my “bell”.