See some hot Australian and international surfers at North Narrabeen for the Sydney Surf Pro in May
The Sydney Surf Pro is back at North Narrabeen for the World Surf League (WSL) Challenger Series’ second event of the season. Locals will be lucky to see some internationals in action at what has become a calendar highlight on the WSL tour.
WSL’s Tom Bennett says North Narrabeen is ‘one of the best beach breaks on the planet’.
“Just the way that the bank forms there and you’ve got the shorter right into the alley, and then the longer left hand is a truly world class wave. That’s why it’s been on the surfing competitive calendar for almost for over three decades.
“And it’s also why North Narrabeen is a breeding ground for such incredible surfers.”
Tom, who is the WSL Asia Pacific senior manager media and communications, says ‘there is a really exciting contingent of Aussies on the Challenger Series (CS) this year’. The top ten-ranked men and top five women on the CS are selected to participate in the Challenger Tour (CT), the elite of surfing. So success at CS events is crucial for anyone wanting to break into the tour.
Contenders in the men’s event include Joel Vaughan (ranked 29 on the CS) and Dakoda Walters who have ‘a really exciting progressive style of surfing that will suit North Narrabeen,’ Tom says. Looking for wildcards will be North Narrabeen’s Dylan Moffat (ranked 30) and Jordan Lawler.
Teresa Bonvalot
Making her debut in the women’s event is current WSL World Junior Champion Sierra Kerr, who made her debut at North Narrabeen last year and won the Sydney Surf Pro junior. The 17-year-old Queensland ‘prodigy’ as she is known will have her work cut out for her against some tough competitors. Victoria’s Ellie Harrison is one woman to watch, ranked 12 on the CS, with Portugal’s Teresa Bonvalot (ranked 16) a strong international contender after a ‘huge’ result at the end of 2023, Tom says.
This is the second and final year of Northern Beaches Council’s contract for the event with the WSL. Tom says the WSL is in discussions with ‘all of its partners’ about CS locations, with an announcement at the end of the season in October.
Watch all the action for free at the beach:
Sydney Surf Pro Junior: 4 to 5 May.
Seniors: 9 to 16 May, with surfing on the best five days.
Keep up to date and watch live if you can’t be there at worldsurfleague.com