Key Points:
- Manly to host the newest addition to the Australia / Oceania Longboard Qualifying Series events schedule
- Regions best up and coming longboarders to compete for a spot on the WSL World Longboard Tour
Surfing NSW in conjunction with The World Surfing League (WSL) and Minister for Environment and Heritage and Member for Manly, James Griffin are delighted to announce a world-class Qualifying Series event for longboarders is heading to Manly in May 2023.
The Manly Longboard Classic will now be the second stop in Australia for the 2023 Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) offering more opportunity and competition pathways for the longboarding legends that live and breathe the legacy that is ingrained in Australia’s surfing culture. Manly has a rich history of hosting local, national and international surfing events, dating all the way back to the infamous 1964 World Championships where Midget Farrelly and Phyliss O’Donnell claimed their World Title victory.
James Griffin, Member for Manly explained the excitement for his region to host this event and its importance for the local community to be seen amongst an incredible WSL QS schedule confirmed for 2023.
“This event is so important for the Manly community. The Manly longboard Classic will not only provide an opportunity for our local athletes and those travelling interstate to showcase their skills to a global audience but for those that enjoy longboarding on the weekend and the increased number of members in our community that have recently taken up surfing. This event is important for our athletes, great for the community, amazing for the sport and a blessing for Manly,” said Mr Griffin.
The talent pool amongst Australian longboarders is the inspiration behind the addition of the Manly Longboard Classic which is expected to see over 60 of the region’s best up and comers battle it out for qualification points. Both the Manly and Noosa Longboard Pro will have 1000 QS points on offer for the winners of each event.
To qualify for the Longboard World Tour, competitors in Australia will need to compete in the QS events and gain as many points as possible, where the top two male and female competitors will secure their spot on the international stage. It is important to note that the longboarding format is different to the new short board WSL format which has the QS events that lead into the Challenger Series (CS), with the highest-ranking athletes then securing their spot for the World Tour.
The Northern Beaches region is a breeding ground of elegant and passionate longboarders. Local legend and current Longboarding World Tour competitor Tully White highlighted the significance of her hometown hosting longboarding events, and her experience competing in similar ones previously.
“Surfing at my home break earlier this year was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had, having everyone’s support behind us locals was truly something special. The community here really loves longboarding so much and now to have the Longboard Classic on our doorstep opens the door to the rest of the groms that are aiming to compete internationally. It’s going to be so special to everyone,” Tully said.
Local Longboarding Champion and Lifeguard Declan Wyton who has also qualified for the Longboard World Tour added to Tully’s comment, noting that he is looking forward to an epic QS event at home.
“With the Sydney Surf Pro on earlier this year, it really demonstrated how much the community is into longboarding. Adding a QS event to Manly next year will be amazing and I hope we get some good waves as we have in previous competitions. I’ve travelled to some of the world’s most amazing longboarding breaks, competing along the way but there is always something special about an event that is hosted in the town that you grew up in,” Declan said.
To kickstart the LQS series, competitors will head to the perfect peelers of First Point Noosa from 8-12 March, with the second and final LQS event going out with a bang at Manly on the 4-5 of May. The third and final WSL longboard event in Australia will see the winners of the LQS Series venture to the Bells Beach Longboard Classic in August for the first of four stops on the Longboarding World Tour.
To announce the Manly Longboard Classic, Member for Manly James Griffin, Surfing NSW Event Manager Rohan Fell, Manly Malibu Boardrider Co-President Tom Bennett and professional longboarders Tully White and Declan Wyton greeted on the golden shores of Manly Beach.
Surfing NSW aims to better the community through surfing and is proud to support surfers, boardriders clubs and surf schools through the delivery of world-class events such as the Manly Longboard Classic, high-performance pathways and community programs.
