Past Champions

Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang

The list of past Rip Curl Cup champions includes some of the finest tube riders of the modern era. Since 2007, when the event began inviting the world’s top international tube riders alongside the top Padang locals, the international surfers hold a slight 6-5 edge over the local surfers in total RCC titles won. Here is the full list of past event champions:

Made “Bol” Adi Putra (2004 & 2005)

The inaugural Rip Curl Cup in 2004 was held at Uluwatu, while 2005 featured some of the best waves in the event's history: six-foot (Hawaiian) solid Padang, on fire. In addition to his back-to-back titles, Bol has also made the finals twice, in 2009 and 2011, cementing his reputation as perhaps the most dangerous competitor out at Padang. "It was so sick, especially in 2005 because it was just the best Padang," says Bol. "I got the bomb of the contest and it ended up in a double-page spread in Surfing Magazine. And then the whole contest was featured in the movie Shades of Bali, so my sponsor was so happy at that time. Padang is pretty much my favorite wave. I love it. Best left in Bali."

Lee Wilson (2006)

The 2006 Rip Curl Cup was held at pumping, textbook-perfect Bingin. Wilson and Lakey Peak local Joey Barrel traded standup barrels. Wilson took the Cup with a beautiful wave in the dying minutes of the event on the dead low tide. "I was behind the whole time and needed a high nine," recalls Wilson. "I found it in the last couple minutes. I got a deep barrel, did a big reo and then went for a floater on the end section onto the reef. It was pretty dry."

Kane Faint (2007)

Good waves fired for the early morning heats at Padang and hung around for the final, which saw 4-foot drainers at low tide. Faint, an underground charger from Lennox Head, Australia, pigdogged his way through several spitting Padang pits on his way to victory in the first-ever Padang Cup to feature international competitors against the locals. "It was an absolute honor to compete at the iconic Rip Curl Padang Cup," says Kane, "and to take the win was just a bonus."

Gogo Sujaya (2008)

Gogo defeated Dede Suryana in the final at Uluwatu, which featured long rides and solid tubes at good 3 to 4-foot Racetrack. With the win, Gogo earned a wildcard into the Rip Curl Pro Search WCT event, held at Padang and Ulus. "I was so happy," says Gogo. "It was the only time in my life I got to surf against the WCT guys. In Round 1 I surfed with Kelly (Slater) and Timmy Reyes. In the second round I surfed against Taj Burrow. I will never forget that."

Jamie O'Brien (2009)

On the best day of the year at Padang, the final came down to the event's only two-time champion versus the youngest Pipe Master in history. After all the spray had cleared, Hawaii's Jamie O'Brien beat out Kuta's Made "Bol" Adi Putra to claim the title. O'Brien scored an unheard-of four perfect 10s during the event, including two in Round 2 for a flawless heat score. All told, the '09 Padang Cup was one of the greatest collective displays of tuberiding in the history of competitive surfing. "This is right up there with my Pipe Masters and Teahupoo trials wins," O'Brien said after being escorted from the beach to the winner's podium on the shoulders of his friends and soaked with champagne. "I got so barreled today. I've never had so much fun in a surf contest in my life.”

Lee Wilson (2011)

After a one-year hiatus, 2011 saw the return of the Rip Curl Cup, once again held in epic barrels at Padang Padang. Indonesia's Lee Wilson backdoored several impossibly deep barrels on his backhand to win his second Rip Curl Cup, defeating one of the most talented fields in event history, including the likes of Chris Ward (California), Makua Rothman (Hawaii), Anthony Walsh (Australia), and Dean Morrison (Australia). With the victory, Wilson claimed the Cup back for Indonesia from reigning champion Jamie O'Brien and joined fellow Indo legend Bol Adi Putra as the only other two-time winner of the Rip Curl Cup. "This is the best win I've ever had, hands down," Wilson said.

Chris Ward (2012)

With barely a minute remaining in the ninth annual Rip Curl Cup Invitational at Padang Padang, California's Chris Ward scored a perfect 10 backside barrel to leapfrog into first place and win the Ultimate Tuberiding Contest, besting Bali's Mega Semadhi (2nd place), Java's Dede Suryana (3rd), and Australia's Ry Craike (4th) in pumping six-foot tubes at Padang Padang. Wardo followed it up by getting down on one knee and proposing to his girlfriend on the winner's podium in front of a massive crowd. She said yes, at which point people rushed the stage and it collapsed (no one was hurt). All of this before the 33-year-old Ward even had a chance to shake off his jet lag. Another epic Padang Cup moment for the ages.

Mega Semadhi (2013)

Mega Semadhi made history last year when he became the first-ever Padang (Bukit Peninsula) local to win the Rip Curl Cup. By topping a field of world-class barrel riders from Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, USA, Hawaii, and Brazil, Mega established Indonesian surfing as a force to be reckoned with. The local crowd on hand at Padang erupted after Mega scored a comeback victory in the final, leapfrogging 16-year-old West Australian Jacob Willcox and Kuta's Raditya Rondi for first place. Mega was absolutely ecstatic with his comeback win in his 10th Rip Curl Cup appearance and to be able to get the monkey off his back that had haunted him since the previous year's bitter last-second runner-up defeat to Chris Ward. “This win means so much to me, here at my home and in front of my family, and because of last year too,” Semadhi said. “In those final minutes I was trying to be patient, thinking that if I could lose in the final minutes like last year, I could also be the one to win in the last minute too. When that last set came in I said not this one, not this one, I gotta pick the right one. And then it was like a fairly tale come true when I heard the score and that I won.”

Garut Widiarta (2014)

Balinese surfer Garut Widiarta pocketed roughly $6000 and exactly zero ASP points on the best day of his life at Padang Padang. With the tide bottoming out through the late heats, conditions turned positively violent in the afternoon's backlit glow. And in an all-Indonesian affair, Widiarta squared off with his cousin, Raditya Rondi, for the Rip Curl Cup's endgame. By heat's end, over 20 waves had been ridden, the majority of them tubes, with a healthy sprinkling of beatings thrown in the mix. With seven minutes to go, Raditya Rondi found himself tubed from takeoff to channel, his 8.6 thrusting him into the lead. Another seven for Garut did nothing, and then with less than a minute remaining and needing an 8.3, he got his opportunity. Not the biggest wave of the day, but one of the throatiest -- and Garut flew past section after section before getting spat back into daylight as the 2014 Rip Curl Cup Champion.

Mega Semadhi (2016)

In an event dominated by the international invitees, Mega Semadhi was the lone local Indonesian surfer to reach the final of the 2016 Rip Curl Cup at Padang Padang. But when the final horn sounded, it was Mega who came out on top, claiming his second title in the past three times the Ultimate Tuberiding Contest has been held. It certainly was another epic showcase for the Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang. The day saw four perfect 10 barrels, including an impossibly deep and long disappearing act by Bruce Irons in Round 2, another perfect 10 by Paulo Moura (BRA), and five 9+ point barrels from Marzo leading up to the final. But in the end, despite the electrifying performances from the many big-name international surfers in the draw, it was the local boy Semadhi who once again kept the Cup in Bali, to the delight of the Padang Padang locals who sang a spirited rendition of the Indonesian national anthem, led by Semadhi’s mother on the awards podium.

Jack Robinson (2018)

Jack Robinson also rewarded for his patience. The 20-year-old barrel maestro had been invited to the Rip Curl Cup since the age of 15, but never made it to Finals Day until 2018. On the heaviest day at Padang in recent memory, Robinson went on a tuberiding tear, scoring three 9-point rides and a perfect 10 en route to perhaps the most impressive achievement of his young career. Robinson’s 19.90 Finals total was the highest of the event and left his fellow finalists in a combination situation they could never recover from. “It was worth the wait,” said the young Western Australian Robinson. “This is one of the best contests all year and one of my Top 3 for sure. It might not be a QS or a CT, but it’s against the best guys at one of the best waves.”

Benji Brand (2019)

Benji Brand received a personal invitation from Mick Fanning to compete in the 2019 Rip Curl Cup at Padang Padang. And on the best day of the year thus far at The Balinese Pipeline, Brand did not disappoint.

In grinding 6 to 8-foot Padang Padang barrels, the rapidly ascending 23-year-old South African who cut his teeth growing up on the North Shore of Oahu, topped a field of 16 of the world’s best tuberiders with an electric all-day performance to claim The Cup.

“I was so surprised when I heard that Mick had invited me to compete in this event,” Brand said after being soaked with champagne by his fellow tube hounds on the winner’s podium. “I’ve watched so many of my heroes compete out here in past years. To be recognized by them is the best prize. The all-day Padang barrels with only a couple friends out doesn’t hurt too.”

Clay Marzo (2022)

After a two-year, pandemic hiatus, The Rip Curl Cup made its triumphant return to Padang Padang, and Hawaii’s Clay Marzo seized his opportunity after defending champion Benji Brand had to bow out due to injury. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Hawaiian prodigy Erin Brooks put on a historic performance as the youngest woman to compete in the event, placing fourth and winning the women’s super heat. And Indonesian surfers delighted local crowd as two-time champion Mega Semadhi finished runner-up and Kuta local Mega Artana earned third place.

Marzo, who initially did not qualify for the semi-finals, ran into a bit of luck when the defending champion Benji Brand had to withdraw due to injury. Marzo was next in line to advance and was given another opportunity. After narrowly missing the title with a runner-up finish (to Brand) at the 2019 edition, Marzo fully seized his second chance, blazing a trail of redemption through the semi-finals and final.

Marzo showed cool nerves and his patience paid off in the final. When he saw a wave he liked, he positioned himself in an impossibly long tube ride to earn the first and only perfect 10-point ride of the event. Not content with a perfect ride, Marzo then continued to make it look easy with two more excellent rides of 8.87 and 8.33 en route to his maiden title at the event.

FINALISTS BY YEAR (2007-2022)