Surfest rides wave of support back onto international stage

Newcastle will receive unprecedented exposure in 2025 when Surfest is upgraded to become one of the top 16 surfing contests in the world as part of the Challenger Series.

The event was today officially added to the second highest tier on the World Surfing League (WSL) calendar in a move that will see more than 120 of the best up-and-coming surfers on the planet drop-in to Merewether Beach from 1 to 8 June next year.

The announcement follows strong support from City of Newcastle, with Council unanimously backing a Lord Mayoral Minute last month to advocate for the international event, which will be broadcast to an audience of millions.

Surfers Jackson Baker and Philippa Anderson, Surfest founder Warren Smith, WSL President Andrew Stark, Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes, Stephen Crowe from Port of Newcastle and surfer Ryan Callinan at the Challenger Series announcement.Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said City of Newcastle has a proud history of supporting surfing in the region.

"City of Newcastle has been a sponsor of Surfest for almost 40 years and also helped to attract the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup to the city in 2021," Cr Nelmes said.

"That event showcased Newcastle to a global audience of more than 10 million people and injected an estimated $15 million into our economy, even without the international tourists who couldn't attend because of the pandemic.

"Since then, surfing has only grown in popularity. In 2023, the 16 WSL events attracted more than 120 million television viewers globally and social media engagement surpassed 500 million interactions across various platforms.

"Adding Surfest to the Challenger Series for 2025 will provide substantial economic, cultural, and tourism benefits to Newcastle and the wider Hunter region.”

Warren Smith said Surfest will become round one of the Challenger Series in 2025, featuring explosive, high-risk surfing.

"The Challenger Series is where surfing dreams are realised and shattered," Mr Smith said.

"At the end of the six-event series, the top ten male and top five female surfers qualify for the 2026 Championship Tour, so every heat at Merewether Beach will be like a final.

"The series features an incredible mix of young and experienced talent from Australia, North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. It also boasts the men's and women's Junior World Champions, as well as the men and women from the Championship Tour who don't make the mid-season cut.

"Some of the big names featured on this year's Challenger Series include Callum Robson, Sally Fitzgibbons and Macy Callaghan, as well as our local contingent of Merewether Surfboard Club members Jackson Baker, Morgan Cibilic and Philippa Anderson.

“I must thank Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and City of Newcastle, the Port of Newcastle and all our event partners for their support.

"I'd also like to thank the WSL, especially WSL APAC President Andrew Stark, for having the confidence in Newcastle to present the Challenger Series event as a part of Surfest 2025."

Merewether local and world number 13 Ryan Callinan said the Challenger Series is an intense experience.

"I competed on the Challenger Series full time in 2022 and it just made me so motivated to get back to the Championship Tour," Mr Callinan said.

"I ended up finishing second at the Sydney Surf Pro that year which really set me up for the season.

"Having an event at home is going to provide a massive boost for my clubmates Jackson Baker and Philippa Anderson, as well as my good mate Julian Wilson who's making his return to competition."

World Surf League President Andrew Stark said the 2025 version of Surfest will feature the biggest international field the event has hosted since 2020.

"The WSL is extremely excited to see such a historic event like Surfest return to the world stage as a Challenger Series competition in 2025,” Mr Stark said.

“The sport's biggest names have competed at this event for almost four decades, and the continued success of Surfest is a testament to the passion of the local surf community.

"We can’t wait to see the world's best come back to Newcastle and battle it out for the Mark Richards Trophy once again.

"We’d like to thank Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and the City of Newcastle, as well as the Port of Newcastle, for getting behind this event and bringing international professional surfing back to one of its heartlands.”

CEO Craig Carmody said Port of Newcastle is proud to bring back elite surfing back to Newcastle.

"This iconic Hunter event is synonymous with the city and raising the event to Challenger Series status ensures surfing in Newcastle again reaches a global audience," Mr Carmody said.

"With diversity and inclusion a strategic pillar in Port of Newcastle's workforce, the support of this event, that promotes elite competition in both men's and women's fields, is in line with the Port's values, ensuring equal opportunity for all competitors."