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Organisers of Victoriaâs long-running Rip Curl Pro surfing event say they tried everything to ensure the local leg of the international competition could go ahead at Bells Beach and were prepared to pay all quarantine costs before the state government refused its request to land a charter flight.
World Surf Leagueâs Australian general manager Andrew Stark, said his organisation tried to negotiate with the Victorian government until late January, but its requests to land a private charter plane in Melbourne â with 125 staff and surfers on board â were denied.
The Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach in 2019.
Credit:Justin McManus