Sydney Surf Pro to Kick-Start Inaugural WSL Challenger Series Season

Pictured: The World Surf League Sydney Surf Pro always draws huge crowds to the iconic Manly Beach. Image credit: / WSL / Matt Dunbar

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The World Surf League (WSL) is excited to announce that Sydney will stage the first-ever WSL Challenger Series event next March.

The Sydney Surf Pro will be the biggest professional surfing event to run in New South Wales with over 200 of the world’s best men’s and women’s surfers competing at Manly from March 8-14, 2020.

The event kicks off WSL’s newly-announced Challenger Series and marks a new partnership between the WSL and Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency. The opening round event is secured exclusively for Sydney from 2020 – 2022.

WSL Asia / Pacific General Manager Andrew Stark is thrilled that the first-ever Challenger Series event will be hosted at the iconic Manly Beach.

“Manly has such a rich history in Australian and International surfing so holding the inaugural WSL Challenger Series event here will continue this lineage of historical surfing moments which WSL is really excited about.

“The event is sure to attract some of surfing’s biggest stars, will shine the surfing spotlight on Sydney and will provide a pathway for our athletes onto the elite Championship Tour.

“We’re thrilled that Destination NSW and the other key partners have come on board to ensure Australia will have the opening stop on the newly announced Challenger Series. We look forward to returning to Manly and delivering a fantastic event in Sydney.”

Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres, said the event positioned NSW and Manly firmly on the map for the enthusiastic world surfing fraternity.

“The WSL Sydney Surf Pro will be the first event of the WSL Challenger Series, so fans and athletes worldwide will be sizing up the competition as the action unfolds at Manly,” said Minister Ayres.

“We expect that over the next three years the Sydney Surf Pro will deliver $3.7 million in visitor spend for NSW from more than 4,000 visitors and over 25,000 visitor nights. NSW is loved by surfers and travelers alike for our unforgettable coastline, world-class hospitality and the State’s incomparable calendar of sport, art, culture and lifestyle events. The Sydney Surf Pro will be right at home here in the Harbour City from next March.”

Member for Manly James Griffin said Manly is Australia’s home of surfing and has successfully hosted countless international, national and local surfing contests.

“Manly staged the first-ever world championships in May 1964, and in March this year our iconic four-kilometer beach attracted 11-time world champion Kelly Slater to compete,” said Mr Griffin. “Where better to kick off the WSL Challenger Series than in the hub of surf culture that is Manly?”

The 2020 Sydney Surf Pro, which sees the world’s best surfers chase important qualifying points as they vie for a spot on the elite Championship Tour, will be held from March 8 – 14 at Manly Beach.

For more information head to www.worldsurfleague.com or download the free WSL App.

About the WSL

The World Surf League (WSL) is dedicated to celebrating the world's best surfing on the world's best waves through a variety of best-in-class audience platforms. The organization, headquartered in Santa Monica, is a global sport with regional offices in Australia, Africa, North America, South America, Hawaii, Japan and Europe.

The WSL has been championing the world's best surfing since 1976, annually running more than 180 global events across the Men's and Women's Championship Tours, the Big Wave Tour, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The League possesses a deep appreciation for the sport's rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation, and performance at the highest levels, and in doing so crowns the undisputed Men’s and Women’s World Champions across all tours.

Showcasing the world's best surfing on its digital platform at WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL has a passionate global fan base with millions tuning in to see world-class athletes like Kelly Slater, Stephanie Gilmore, Tyler Wright, John Florence, Lakey Peterson, Paige Alms, Kai Lenny, Steven Sawyer, Soleil Errico, Carissa Moore, Gabriel Medina, Courtney Conlogue and more battle on the most dynamic field of play of any global sport.

For further information about WSL, please follow this link.