Hugh Jackman defiles Mick Fanning’s beautiful Bell in New York

Apparently, you don't have to win it to ring it.

Hugh Jackman is one of the biggest Australian stars alive today, sharing room at the top with Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Mel Gibson. The 57-year-old was lucky to be born in the Lucky Country, his parents taking part in the famed “Ten Pound Pom” program to re-populate Australia after World War II. The triple threat singer-dancer-actor grew up in Sydney, attending an all-boys school on the Upper North Shore before studying communications at university.

It was there the Hugh Jackman you and I adore came to be after he took a drama class to fill some credits and fell in love. “In that week I felt more at home with those people than I did in the entire three years [at university],” he declared, his thespian heart pounding to life.

Hugh Jackman proceeded to act in many Australian plays, television programs and films before breating out, internationally, at Wolverine in Brian Singer’s X-Men. The film, which premiered in 2000, went on a tear, thereafter, with turns as Van Helsing, that magician in The Prestige, that doctor in The Fountain and, of course, the drover in Baz Luhrmann’s epic Australia.

Before wild fame, Hugh Jackman met and married Deborra-Lee Furness though the two became divorced after nearly 30-years of marriage, months ago, with the actor moving on quickly with Broadway co-star Sutton Foster.

The two appear to be happily dating whilst living in New York which is where we lay our scene.

Did Hugh Jackman Defile Mick Fanning’s Bell?

One of the most trendy City hotspots is an Australian-styled pub called Old Mates. According the Post:

Located in the former “Trading Post” building on John Street, Old Mates’ ambitions are apparent in its sheer size. 

“It’s frickin’ huge,” (co-owner) Stone said of the gargantuan space that features four separate bars set over three levels. “Australian pub culture is based around big venues with multiple rooms so that you can curate the experience — and that’s what we’ve really leaned on.”

The first floor features a huge horseshoe bar, several private dining booths, a pool table and a platform perfect for performances by a live band or DJ.

Upstairs, a cozy dining space dubbed “The Harbor Room” will serve classic Aussie roast dinners every Sunday, while a seductively lit “Sticky Carpet Lounge” is located below ground.

It also has a Bell, the iconic award given to the winner of the longest-running professional surfing contest, the Bells Beach Pro which takes place every Easter at Bells Beach in Torquay. As tradition holds, the last man and woman standing are presented with the trophy, on stage, and encouraged to vigorously ring.

Now, like most surf fans, I assumed that the relic was near holy and only allowed to be donged by champions. You can image my horror, then, when Hugh Jackman walked into Old Mates and performatively “rang the bell” to the delight of a thirsty crowd.

I figured the blasphemous act would be called out by the “global home of professional surfing.” Adding to my shock, the World Surf League posted the moment to Instagram, celebrating with a cheeky “nobody told Hugh Jackman that he had to win it to ring it.

Surf fans the world over groaning, aching, growing rage filled at the sheer desecration.

Now, in truth, I don’t know if the bell Hugh Jackman rang was Mick Fanning’s but it seems logical as he has four of them and could easily loan one out. There is a possibility, though, that it could be one of Joel Parkinson’s three or Damien Hardman’s two. Mark Richards also has four but he doesn’t seem the pub going type to me.

Whosever it is, shame on the World Surf League for not stopping the desecration, rending future Bells Beach triumphs mostly worthless.