The consistency and excellence of the surf saw Bells become the site of the world amateur board-riding championships in 1970 and it has since become a fixture on the world professional circuit. The men's contest is now known as the Ripcurl Pro and the women's as the Sunsmart Classic. Although prize-money was, for many years, rather low by world standards, this has changed in the 1990s. The importance of the event, and the beach which engendered it, was recognised by an Act of Parliament which declared the site a recreation reserve. The festival now runs for 10 days and is held in conjunction with the Offshore Music Festival.
Interested parties can buy day tickets or ten-day passes.