Hunter young guns Eden Hasson and Ocean Lancaster mastered the conditions best at Merewether Beach to open the Newcastle Surfest Challenger Series in fine fashion.

More than 120 of the most promising up-and-coming surfers – from as far as South Africa, French Polynesia, Brazil, Hawaii, the United States and further afield – have descended on the iconic break this week as they look to qualify for the 2026 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT).

And, they’ll continue to battle it out up until Sunday 15 March.

But, it was Anna Bay’s Hasson and Merewether’s Lancaster who turned heads on the opening day.

Hasson scored 9.37 to move into the round of 64 after pipping fellow Australian Dylan Moffat (9.27).

Lancaster then accumulated 11.17 to upstage Hawaiian Makana Franzmann (10.06), eliminating adopted Novocastrian Julian Wilson and Jarvis Earle in the process.

A strong local contingent, including Ryan Callinan, Jackson Baker and Morgan Cibilic, waits in the wings.

Newcastle Surfest Challenger Series day one results:

• Heat 1: Dakoda Walters (Australia) 13.07; Mihimana Braye (French Polynesia) 11.44
• Heat 2: Caleb Tancred (Australia) 14.07; Lennix Smith (Australia) 11.34
• Heat 3: Eden Hasson (Australia) 9.37; Dylan Moffat (Australia) 9.27
• Heat 4: Alister Reginato (Australia) 13.84; Willem Watson (Australia) 10.40
• Heat 5: Ocean Lancaster (Australia) 11.17; Makana Franzmann (Hawaii) 10.06
• Heat 6: Reef Heazlewood (Australia) 14.50; Rafael Teixeira (Brazil) 10.34
• Heat 7: Jose Francisco (Brazil) 8.83; Slade Prestwich (South Africa) 8.17
• Heat 8: Hayden Rodgers (United States) 14.23; Ben Lorentson (Australia) 12.03

For more sports stories:

• Huth pulls the strings as Newcastle Rebels run riot in opener 
• Weston Bears Park ready for kick-off after multi-million-dollar revamp
• GALLERY… Milligan’s half-time talk lifts Jets to great heights

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