THE recently announced Port Stephens Toyota NSW Pro Women’s QS6,000 just got bigger with the addition of several more divisions.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While some of the world’s best female surfers joust for a spot on the 2018 WSL Championship Tour (CT), a group of Australia’s top male competitors will be doing battle just down the beach in the inaugural Port Stephens Toyota NSW Pro Men’s QS1,000 presented by Newcastle Airport.
The event will comprise of mostly Australian surfers with a handful of internationals, all vying for top spot on the WSL Australia / Oceania Qualifying Series Rankings, with the no. 1 spot gaining entry into the higher rated QS events in 2018.
Gerroa’s big wave charger Dean Bowen has had one of his quieter years on the QS in 2017, currently sitting at 27th on the Australia / Oceania QS rankings.
With only a few events remaining on the regional calendar, Bowen is ready to make a late charge.
The powerful goofy-footer will pull on his past experience at Birubi Beach when the competition gets underway later this month.
“Port Stephens has a great coastline for waves,” Bowen said.
“We had a junior event there a while ago and the waves were really fun, I’m looking forward to getting back up there.
“It’s been amazing to have all of these QS events in NSW this year.
“Travelling to compete is so expensive, so to have all of these events close to home is awesome.
“It really gives the Aussies a good opportunity to have a go at making it in competitive surfing.”
The Port Stephens Toyota NSW Pro presented by Newcastle Airport Men’s QS1,000 along with the Women’s QS6,000 will be the final QS events to run in Australia for the season.
Conveniently for competitors, this event will commence directly after the completion of the Phillip Island Pro giving surfers a great opportunity to amass points leading into 2018.
“WSL are thrilled to be able to have the Phillip Island Pro and the Port Stephen Toyota NSW Pro back-to-back as a way to finish of the 2017 season for our WSL Australia/Oceania QS campaigners,” WSL Australia/Oceania regional manager Will Hayden-Smith said.
“This will allow surfers to compete for the 2017 WSL Australia/Oceania regional championship and also to improve their seedings for the start of the 2018 season.”
Joining the QS1,000 and QS6,000 components of the event will be the Port Stephens Open Women’s Challenge and the PRD and Kaos Surf Cadet Cup.
Both events will give amateur women and promising junior stars the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in women’s surfing.
Divisions in the PRD and Kaos Surf Cadet Cup comprise of Under 16 Boys and Girls, Under 14 Boys and Girls, Under 12 Boys and Girls and Under 10 Boys and Girls.
