MAROUBRA BEACH, SYDNEY (5th January, 2023): The opening event of the Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series 2023 will kickstart an action-packed year of surfing in NSW and Australia, with the first event, the Camplify Great Lakes Pro, set to get underway on the 21st of February.
Surfing NSW in conjunction with the World Surfing League (WSL), Mid Coast Council, Barrington Coast, Destination NSW, Camplify and Vissla are delighted to announce that the elite four-day event will jump from a QS1000 to a QS3000 offering athletes the opportunity to increase their overall qualifying series (QS) point ranking from the beginning of the 2023 series.
This will be the third year that the QS will run under the new WSL regionalised format, with each region allocated a quota of athletes who must quantify their QS points to qualify for the Challenger Series. The QS events provide athletes with the opportunity to gain 5,000, 3,000, 1,500 and 1,000 points whereas the Challenger Series will offer 10,000 points.
Surfing NSW CEO, Luke Madden said that the Camplify Great Lakes Pro is the perfect destination to kickstart the Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series 2023.
“Boomerang Beach is one of the most picturesque locations to commence the NSW leg of the Qualifying Series. This area offers our country’s most elite athletes the opportunity to showcase their talent on some of the best waves our coastline has to offer with the added bonus of increasing their QS ranking earlier on in the year. This is a great way to build momentum and determination for each competitor,” said Madden.
The Great Lakes area is well known amongst the surfing community as the perfect camping and adventure destination. Surfing NSW is delighted to announce its new partnership with Camplify to celebrate the beautiful Barrington Coast region and everything it has to offer. Camplify is Australia’s largest and fastest-growing campervan, motorhome and caravan sharing community that has a passion for connecting holidaymakers with thousands of unique neighbourhood vans that are available to hire for any outdoor adventure.
Camplify’s CEO and founder Justin Hales explained the excitement the team at Camplify shares as this new partnership comes to light.
“As a business that has always called Newcastle home, we’re proud to partner with Surfing NSW and welcome Australia’s brightest young shredders to the Camplify Great Lakes Pro. Camping and surfing go hand in hand. As we continue on our mission to make van life accessible for all, we hope to play a continuing role in the development of Australian surfing and its future legends.” said Hales.
Mid Coast Council’s Business Liaison Officer, Dennis Christensen highlighted the importance of the Pro Surf Series commencing in the Great Lakes area.
“The Mid Coast is known for its great selection of waves and pristine coastline so it is very special that we are able to host the first event of the series. Surfing is such a great way of life that improves people’s mental and physical well-being and we hope that this series continues to grow.” Mr Christensen said.
Each NSW Qualifying Series event also offers a wild card entry for one male and female local athlete. For the Camplify Great Lakes Pro, Zeb Watts and Leila Salt will take on this challenge to represent their local Boardriders club. Both Watts and Salt described their excitement once it was revealed that their local event will jump from a QS1000 to a QS3000.
Elizabeth Beach’s Zebb Watts said, “This is a great opportunity for Leila and myself as the local wildcards to try out our skills against some of the bigger competitors. It’s also great for our local community to come down, cheer us on and enjoy some epic surfing.”
This will be the second season of QS events for Boomerang local Leila Salt who extended on Watt’s excitement.
“My goal for 2023 is to compete in several Pro Junior and QS events, so starting off the season in my local area as a wild card entry definitely has its benefits. As a wild card, you come into the event seated which means Zebb and I will be automatically placed into the highest seeded round. This is a great learning opportunity where I can watch most of the competitors beforehand and compete against some great surfers and increase my QS ranking”. Said Salt.
Each year the Great Lakes Pro has shaped up to be one of the most exciting events of the year, with the added significance of the new WSL format, increased points and prize money on offer, 2023 is set to produce a highly anticipated competition.
Pacific Palms surfer, member of the Boomerang Boardriders and local business owner Mel Bartz is delighted to see the Great Lakes Pro come back with a bang in 2023.
“Our local area is a great destination for surfers all year round but it is particularly exciting that the increase in points for the Camplify Great Lakes Pro can offer the athletes a stronger incentive to showcase their talent and enjoy all that our beautiful community provides. I am looking forward to cheering on our local surfers and wildcards for what will be a special way to kickstart the competition season,” said Bartz.
The Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series was developed for Australian surfers to gain ranking points and prize money in the WSL Qualifying Series. The series also creates a NSW coastal road trip for all to explore the variety of waves, visit local communities and enjoy NSW surfing culture.
The Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series 2023 is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
The Camplify Great Lakes Pro will also be available to watch via live webcast on the 23rd and 24th of February thanks to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Mad Mex.
Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series 2023 Event Schedule
Event 1: Camplify Great Lakes Pro QS3000: Tuesday 21st – Friday 24th Feb
Event 2: Surfers Rescue 24/7 Port Stephens Pro QS1000 – Monday 27th Feb: Wednesday 1st March
Event 3: Mad Mex Maroubra Pro QS1000: Friday 3rd – Sunday 5th March
Event 4: Men’s Vissla Central Coast Pro presented by Mad Mex QS3000, Women’s Sisstrevolution Central Coast Pro presented by Mad Mex: Monday 13th – Saturday 18th March
The 2023 Vissla NSW Pro Surf Series will be proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. The series will also be proudly supported by Vissla, Sisstrevolution, Destination Sydney Surrounds, Randwick City Council, Central Coast Council, Mid Coast Council, Port Stephens Council, Barrington Coast, Mad Mex, Camplify, Storage King, Avoca Beach Hotel, Southend Hotel, PRD Real Estate, Surfers Rescue 24/7, #NoTxtNoWrecks, WSL and Surfing NSW.
All events will webcast through worldsurfleague.com and the WSL App.
All event news, images and highlight clips will be housed at surfingnsw.com.au in the coming weeks.
For more information on these events head to worldsurfleague.com or check the free WSL App.
