The four-event series will see three men's and women's QS1000 rated events (Maroubra, Great Lakes and Port Stephens) and one men’s and women’s QS3000 (Central Coast).

In 2020, the WSL revealed a new format for 2021, which included creating distinct seasons between the QS (the regionalised development tier), the Challenger Series (the global battleground for Championship Tour qualification) and the Championship Tour (the world’s best surfers competing for the World Title).

The new tour structure will provide a more streamlined and affordable career pathway for WSL athletes by allowing up-and-coming surfers to develop closer to home without financially overleveraging themselves. Athletes will compete in their regional QS tour in hopes of qualifying for the Challenger Series (CS), and ultimately the Championship Tour, which will reduce the economic pressure on surfers and their sponsors, as well as provide increased opportunities to celebrate local stars.

The QS will run from January through to July 2021 and determine who has qualified for the CS, which will run from August through to December 2021. Each region will have an allocation of surfers that can qualify for the CS through their regional tour. Athletes will be able to roll over points from 2020 QS events into the current season. Australia/Oceania will receive an allocation of ten men’s and eight women’s spots onto the Challenger Series based on the regional QS rankings.

WSL APAC Tour Manager Will Hayden-Smith views the Great Lakes Pro (men's & women's) as one of the most exciting events of the season as it will be the first in the world to showcase the new regionalised format of the Qualifying Series.

“The WSL is so excited to be returning to the picturesque Boomerang Beach for the Great Lakes Pro in 2021,” Hayden-Smith said. “Not only will the event be the first QS globally in 2021 but it will be the first of our new regionally focussed tour that will ensure more opportunities for surfers in our region. With this in mind, I’m sure we are going to see incredible surfing from Australia and New Zealand's most exciting up and coming talent. WSL would like to thank Surfing NSW and the New South Wales Government for their continued support and for always assisting to create a pathway for the next generation of Championship Tour surfers.”

Surfing NSW CEO Luke Madden said the event will continue to amaze spectators and competitors when the competition kicks off in February.

“The Great Lakes Pro is one of the most exciting events on the Surfing NSW calendar and we couldn’t think of a better place to kick off the beginning of the professional surfing year in Australia,” said Madden.

Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead said the NSW Government is proud to support the Great Lakes Pro, which has been a highlight on the summer events calendar for the past five years.

“After a challenging year, I’m delighted to welcome back the Great Lakes Pro – the event plays a significant role in not only showcasing our spectacular surfing beaches but also boosting local businesses with tourism dollars,” Mr Bromhead said. “The Great Lakes are looking forward to again welcoming competitors and spectators to Boomerang Beach this February for another incredible event.”

Local Boomerang Beach Boardriders Club wildcards are Ross Cadden and Charlize Everitt.

The Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series was developed for Australian and International surfers to gain ranking points and prize money on the WSL Qualifying Series. The series also creates an NSW coastal road trip for all to explore the variety of waves, visit local communities and enjoy NSW surfing culture.

For more information on these events or to watch live head to www.worldsurfleague.com or download the free WSL App.

The 2021 Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. The series will also be proudly supported by Vissla, Randwick City Council, Central Coast Council, Mid Coast Council, Port Stephens Council, Mad Mex, Sisstrevolution, Middle Rock Holiday Park, Moby’s Beachside Retreat, Avoca Beach Hotel, WSL and Surfing NSW.

About the WSL

Established in 1976, the World Surf League (WSL) is the home of the world's best surfing.

A global sports, media and entertainment company, the WSL oversees international tours and competitions, a studios division creating over 500+ hours of live and on-demand content, and via affiliate WaveCo, the home of the world's largest high performance, human-made wave. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the WSL has regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.

The WSL annually crowns the men’s and women’s surfing World Champions. The global Tours and Competition division oversees and operates more than 180 global contests each year across the Championship Tour, the development tiers, including the Challenger, Qualifying and Junior Series, as well as longboard and big wave properties.

Launched in 2019, WSL Studios is an independent producer of unscripted television projects, including documentaries and series, which provide unprecedented access to athletes, events, and locations around the world. WSL events and content are distributed on linear television in over 743M+ homes worldwide and across digital and social media platforms around the world, including WorldSurfLeague.com.

WaveCo includes the Surf Ranch Lemoore facility and the utilizing and licensing of the Kelly Slater Wave System.

The WSL is dedicated to changing the world through the inspirational power of surfing by creating authentic events, experiences, and storytelling to inspire a growing, global community to live with purpose, originality, and stoke.

For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.