Some of the world’s best junior surfers will converge on Redhead Beach for Lake Macquarie’s first ever World Surf League event.
With a total of $10,000 in prizemoney up for grabs, the Lake Mac City Pro Junior has attracted about 100 male and female competitors, aged 18 and under, to the event on 9 and 10 February.
Lake Mac City Pro Junior wildcard, Connor Lee, said he was looking forward to the challenge so close to home.
“I’m pretty excited – it’s a good feeling to have a pro junior level contest at your home break,” he said.
“It might give me a bit of an advantage knowing that I surf at this place every single day.”
The Lake Mac City Pro Junior is the only Australasian WSL Pro Junior event to offer equal prizemoney for both male and female competitors.
Fellow competitor, Merewether’s Madi Poole, believed it was a welcome boost for female surfers.
“It’s really good to see more and more girls getting into surfing and, with the money equaling the boys, it’s showing us plenty of support,” she said.
Lake Macquarie council will host a range of free activities as part of the two-day event, including markets in Webb Street and skateboard workshops in the Redhead Beach car park.
The Lake Mac Pro City Junior is the second event in the 34th edition of Surfest – the largest surfing festival in the southern hemisphere.
Surfest organiser, Warren Smith, said he eagerly awaited another outstanding pro junior competition.
“It’s a [Junior Qualifying Series] 1000-rated event, meaning there is no higher ranked junior event on the WSL circuit,” he said.
“And that means we will attract some of the world’s best surfers aged 18 and under.
“Where they go, the surfing world’s attention follows, so this truly will put Lake Macquarie on the map for our sport.”
Apart from the Lake Mac City Pro Junior, Surfest will also feature international fields of competitive surfers in the Burton Automotive Pro (WSL Men’s Qualifying Series 6000-point event), the Holmes Civil Developments Women’s Pro (WSL Women’s Qualifying Series 1000-point event), as well as a broad range of complementary surfing events.
The schedule kicks off on 2 February with the Port Stephens Toyota Wildcard Trials on Birubi Beach and ends on 17 March at Merewether Beach, where the male and female champions of the prestigious WSL QS6000 events will add their names to an enviable list of winners.
More stories:
